sworobec
01-12-2004, 01:47 AM
If you plan on considering a steering damper for your offroad bike, it would likely be best to first consider two things. One, do you ride on the trail a lot, and two, are you a weak-armed pansy? If you have met both requirements, much like I did, then a steering damper might well be worth the investment.
While this review might get more detailed after I get some sleep, I'll just up and say that installation is not terribly difficult. You must make sure that you have the proper triple-clamp setup, much like I DID NOT, in order for it to actually fit. Typically, on a dirt bike, the damper will bolt to your upper triple clamp and the damper arm will affix to your bike's frame. In the case of my XR, a special oil cap is needed in order to give said arm a place to attach. A small little post juts up from the oil cap and the arm fits over it. With other bikes, you can weld the little post thingy to the frame, as the engine oil is filled in a different location.
As for the settings, they seem relatively all-encompassing, with a rheostat for two kinds of damping, one involving the range of damping force, and another for how strong the damping is.
On the trail, the damper performs admirably. It takes a bit of getting used to, as when traveling through sand, if the damper force is high enough, along with the speed traveled at, the entire bike will want to fishtail, instead of the front wheel and rear of the bike wobbling separately. Hard to explain, yes...but the overall effect does feel make the bike feel more comforting in the soft stuff.
The steering damper also aides in preventing front-wheel slideouts, as it can prevent violent jerks of the handlebars around a corner, and this seems to elimate the bulldozer effect that occurs you freak out and oversteer, as I sometimes do.
Big hits on the front wheel, from large rocks and such are handled rather well by the damper, as you might imagine. However, if the damper force is too high, and the impact is large enough, the small pin which links the damper arm to the rest of the unit will shear off (this is intentional, of course, and can easily be replaced).
Of course, there's still the nagging question of why many people don't use the steering damper. In all seriousness, if you are a good enough rider, you probably won't find much use for one, unless you are competitive trail rider and can't afford even a single crash. Moto/supercross riders and such don't seem to use them because it just provides more things to break. As for me...I'm relatively glad I have it, since I do take my bike on the street sometimes, and it can allow for a smoother ride...I also have weak pansy arms. Damn.
While this review might get more detailed after I get some sleep, I'll just up and say that installation is not terribly difficult. You must make sure that you have the proper triple-clamp setup, much like I DID NOT, in order for it to actually fit. Typically, on a dirt bike, the damper will bolt to your upper triple clamp and the damper arm will affix to your bike's frame. In the case of my XR, a special oil cap is needed in order to give said arm a place to attach. A small little post juts up from the oil cap and the arm fits over it. With other bikes, you can weld the little post thingy to the frame, as the engine oil is filled in a different location.
As for the settings, they seem relatively all-encompassing, with a rheostat for two kinds of damping, one involving the range of damping force, and another for how strong the damping is.
On the trail, the damper performs admirably. It takes a bit of getting used to, as when traveling through sand, if the damper force is high enough, along with the speed traveled at, the entire bike will want to fishtail, instead of the front wheel and rear of the bike wobbling separately. Hard to explain, yes...but the overall effect does feel make the bike feel more comforting in the soft stuff.
The steering damper also aides in preventing front-wheel slideouts, as it can prevent violent jerks of the handlebars around a corner, and this seems to elimate the bulldozer effect that occurs you freak out and oversteer, as I sometimes do.
Big hits on the front wheel, from large rocks and such are handled rather well by the damper, as you might imagine. However, if the damper force is too high, and the impact is large enough, the small pin which links the damper arm to the rest of the unit will shear off (this is intentional, of course, and can easily be replaced).
Of course, there's still the nagging question of why many people don't use the steering damper. In all seriousness, if you are a good enough rider, you probably won't find much use for one, unless you are competitive trail rider and can't afford even a single crash. Moto/supercross riders and such don't seem to use them because it just provides more things to break. As for me...I'm relatively glad I have it, since I do take my bike on the street sometimes, and it can allow for a smoother ride...I also have weak pansy arms. Damn.