Tank Slappers

[Desert Dust]

I have had two different Ducs and have never felt like the front end was unstable. Never a high speed wobble. 1999 900 SS and 07 S2R 1K     [moto]

[kopfjäger]

If you do a Search for steering dampers you will find alot of info. 

[Novelo]

Not sure if this helps but have an 06 S2R1K with a Matris has been on it since I owned the machine so I have limited time without one. Doesn't bother me without the damper at low speeds but when taking corners and hitting bumps or dips with speed the front end feels dangerous to me. Needless to say I put it back on and trust it to do its job. Keep it on 4 clicks around town and all the way up on the freeway.  

[justinrhenry]

if they were "necessary" the bike would come with it.

[kopfjäger]

if they were "necessary" the bike would come with it.

or better tires, suspension, brakes, wheels, etc. etc. 

[mdriver]

Over the years I've become thoroughly convinced that 9 times out of 10 steering dampers are installed either to mask an engineering design flaw / lurking mechanical issue, or to cover for a rider who puts too much weight on the handle bars. With it usually being the latter.  I can imagine that hitting a bad pot hole or some other debris in the road might cause a tank slapper that a damper could keep from happening. But I've never seen it.

[moto-science]

As a survivor of a terrible unrecoverable tank slapper....
I found mine at 59k miles on the I 10 freeway changing lanes at night.
A steering damper might have saved me from a broken ankle
with 2 plates and ~16 screws, some fractured fingers, bruised lung etc...

It's the first slap that needs to be damped. Maybe only happens once to you.
It pays for itself that one time. There are mild tankslappers and there are
terrifying tankslappers lock to lock ones. A properly set up  damper turns terrifying tankslappers
into a mild event or a least makes that a possibility. Otherwise the bike will slam into the road
at almost whatever speed you were travelling at. In my case it was about 65mph.
Thank god, my right leg was not on the peg at the time.
Ducati uses a 21º rake. The bike I was riding had a conservative 27º rake.
A 21º rake can be provoked into a tankslapper even more easily.
I will not ride again without one. I think they should be mandatory on motorcycles now.

Here's the approach in daylight....looks like nothing.

[Raux]

i have to disagree with the person that says 'if it needed it, it would come with it'

bikes also don't 'come' with helmets, but you need it, not for the riding but for possibility of a fall.
a damper would have saved me a broken collarbone and concussion.
brand new road, coming out of a long sweeper onramp onto a five lane highway. the workers didn't transition the new road to the old road and there was a 2-3 inch drop with the bike slightly in a lean. full tank slapper that tore open the head tube.
a damper 'might' had saved it.

[Desert Dust]

Thanks for the pictures. Sorry to hear about your crash. 

[scott_araujo]

If the bike is well designed and set up properly there may be no need for a steering damper.  Of course, if you take a Monster which is a street bike and modify the suspension, geometry, etc. to make it more like a track bike it may become less stable than it was.  You should get the suspension, etc. all set properly to minimize the need for a steering damper and you should have proper riding technique to also limit the need.  Still, in some riding situations it may be better to have one than not.

All that said, I think most people get them for the bling factor, others because they've done some mods that made the bike unstable and haven't spent the time to set it up right.  IN that case the damper mask the real problem.  That's bad.  If your bike is getting twitchy you should examine any and all causes BEFORE you attach a steering damper.

Oh, and if you want one just for the bling factor, well, ain't nothing wrong with that

Scott

[DoWorkSon]

Better to have it and never need it than to need it and not have it.

[Raux]

If the bike is well designed and set up properly there may be no need for a steering damper.  Of course, if you take a Monster which is a street bike and modify the suspension, geometry, etc. to make it more like a track bike it may become less stable than it was.  You should get the suspension, etc. all set properly to minimize the need for a steering damper and you should have proper riding technique to also limit the need.  Still, in some riding situations it may be better to have one than not.

All that said, I think most people get them for the bling factor, others because they've done some mods that made the bike unstable and haven't spent the time to set it up right.  IN that case the damper mask the real problem.  That's bad.  If your bike is getting twitchy you should examine any and all causes BEFORE you attach a steering damper.

Oh, and if you want one just for the bling factor, well, ain't nothing wrong with that

Scott

that would be a great argument if it wasn't a bonestock 99 Monster that I had my slapper on.

[moto-science]

21º fork rake ? Don't walk, Run and get a steering damper is my premium advice.
Don't think your bike is somehow so perfect, it can't happen. It can and will happen when the right
conditions throw your cyclonic balance off. Big violent tankslappers only happen at high speeds
and they happen to "expert" riders too....

[Howie]

I have no idea where this 21^orake comes from, 851 based monsters have a 23^o rake, ST based and SR* Monsters are 24^o.  Trail is the more important number anyway. 

Bottom line is if your Monster needs a damper there is something wrong with your bike.  This does not mean it not a good idea to add a damper to your Monster, making it a safer, better ride.

[somegirl]

A couple nerve-wracking front end wobbles on my (stock at the time) 695 persuaded me to get one.  I keep it set pretty low and it works great, I've been very happy with it.

Here's ScottRNelson's description of his tank slapper on a Monster going over a cattle guard:
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=12555.0