Steering Damper

[He Man]

Can anyone tell me if there is a huge difference in the feeling of the front end with/without one?
Ive been thinking about getting a top mounted bitubo for next season. Bellisimoto has em with discounts in the $400 range with mounts and all. My front end does get a bit shaky sometimes...

[Raux]

Can anyone tell me if there is a huge difference in the feeling of the front end with/without one?
Ive been thinking about getting a top mounted bitubo for next season. Bellisimoto has em with discounts in the $400 range with mounts and all. My front end does get a bit shaky sometimes...

saving you from even one tank slapper.. worth it.

[WetDuc]

I have been riding my current 695 for about 6 months without one, but have always wanted one.  I had a nice wobble occur one time that scared the bejeezus out of me.  I just recently bought mine from a forum sale and I'm waiting on pins and needles for the delivery man to hurry up and bring me my Ohlins SD154....NOW!
They are worth it 100% IMO, and I don't even have mine installed yet.  A small price to pay for extra safety and usually the only arguably safety mod I ever hear about people doing.

[grunte]

I've been riding for 3 years and have never had a 'tank slapper'.  To be honest, I dont' know what it is.  I assume a wobble in the front end?  What causes it?

[kopfjäger]

I've been riding for 3 years and have never had a 'tank slapper'.  To be honest, I dont' know what it is.  I assume a wobble in the front end?  What causes it?

[Motorcycle Accident]TT-Tankslapper-19sec

[Triple J]

I've been riding for 3 years and have never had a 'tank slapper'.  To be honest, I dont' know what it is.  I assume a wobble in the front end?  What causes it?

A tankslapper is violent back and forth movement of the handlebars from stop to stop...it isn't just normal headshake. It is usually caused when the front wheel hits a bump when the front of the bike is light under acceleration. They can also happen when the front wheel comes down from a wheelie. I've never had one, but real ones almost seem to guarantee a crash. Sportbikes are more prone to them due to their steering geometry.

To answer the OP...I put a damper on both my old M620 and M900. I also had one on my 848, and my 748 has one as well. I think they are worth it as the bikes definitely felt more solid. Make sure your suspension is set up appropriately first though, so the damper isn't masking a larger problem.

I don't have one on my Multi...it just doesn't feel like it needs one with the different geometry.

[rule62]

... Make sure your suspension is set up appropriately first though, so the damper isn't masking a larger problem.

+1

I added about an inch of ride height to the rear of my monster.  Turn-in is awesome, but it got a little twitchy.  Ohlins SD-154 "purse-snatcher" FTW.

[RVA Duc]

i have one and love it , keeps the bike from moving round so much at high speed 

[arai_speed]

I had one on my S4Rs for a bout a year - put it on for kicks as I never felt the bike needed one.  I took it off and sold it a few weeks back and honestly I've felt no difference.

I took the bike up through some bumpy canyon roads this past weekend and not once did I feel the front end get loose.  On my old R1 a damper was a must, on this one, not so much.

I guess it can't hurt but from my experience I would say there is no need.

GL.

[M900]

I had one on my S4Rs for a bout a year - put it on for kicks as I never felt the bike needed one.  I took it off and sold it a few weeks back and honestly I've felt no difference.

I took the bike up through some bumpy canyon roads this past weekend and not once did I feel the front end get loose.  On my old R1 a damper was a must, on this one, not so much.

I guess it can't hurt but from my experience I would say there is no need.

GL.

a good damper should make itself known under most riding conditions, but it'll hold you through a slapper.  Kinda like snakebite medicine when you're out in the forest -- you'd rather not be reminded of it while it's in your pack but if the need arises, you want it there.

[swampduc]

They make a huge difference under hard acceleration, especially with road irregularities or debris combined with acceleration. I crashed an SV650 due to a tankslapper, and I've felt pretty strongly about dampers since.

[WetDuc]

I would think that if one didn't feel the damper, the tension just needs to be increased.

[MikeZ]

I would think that if one didn't feel the damper, the tension just needs to be increased.

+1
You should definitely be able to feel that you have a damper installed.  If you can't then it's probably set to loose to help much.

[hypurone]

+1
You should definitely be able to feel that you have a damper installed.  If you can't then it's probably set to loose to help much.

That all depends on the damper itself. As a rule, constant control units will be felt all the time (if adjusted high enough) and reactive control units only when things get sketchy. This is also known as speed sensitive. When the piston speed of the damper moves quickly enough, the fluid is then forced thru control orifices thereby damping its movements. At normal piston speeds, fluid is bypassed and there is no damping or feel of it.

The HyperPro RSC units are awesome in their ability to be non-intrusive when thinga are normal and react lightning quick when you have a "moment". Sadly they do not make a top mount for my bike or I would have one of those. Instead I am running the Matris M4R gas charged which is said to be reactive. Though, if I have it above 5 on the street I can feel it at normal movements....

[grunte]

Thanks for the info.  My jeep wrangler used to do this but much more serious on a bike!  maybe I will invest in a damper "just in case" for my S2r 1k.