why a damper?

[xcaptainxbloodx]

Im not discounting the worth of a damper. it serves a definite purpose and will save your ass if it comes down to it.

but while a damper can prevent one kind of accident, suspension tuning can prevent a score of others. My question wasn't so much "why use a damper" and more "why a damper before everything else?". 

brakes, suspension, even ergonomics could be done for the same price or cheaper than a shiny damper and all would provide more bang for the buck in terms of safety and stability.

[RAT900]

Because what you speak of is "boring" and most people want to accessorize

personally I find the entire subject of "road surface events" and "suspension reaction" to be the most fascinating and frightening aspect of getting on a bike :-)

If you are moving at a clip at which your suspension is still processing a first event and is hit with a series of secondary and tertiary events before it has cycled through event # 1...well where does that leave you? <laughing>

I guess it keeps things interesting

[He Man]

i dont want it to be interesting. Thats when the bike goes one way and you go the other.

[Spidey]

My reasoning is that the OEM suspension with some knob twisting and spring collar banging is often good enough to prevent a lot of that "score of other" problems that could arise.  Once you've twisted the knobs, just slap a damper on and ride like an ass. [moto]  Then, if you have more $, spend it on suspension.  

That said, my calculus would *probably* change if I were 240 lbs though.  I *might* respring before getting a damper.  Depends on what I could get done with the initial knob twisting.    

brakes, suspension, even ergonomics could be done for the same price or cheaper than a shiny damper

What exact pacakage of brakes, suspension and ergos is $400-450?!?

[pennyrobber]

Proper suspension setup should of course come first. Beyond that, my reason for getting a steering damper mostly follows from, as others, the time I got into a full lock to lock tank slapper on my old CBR. Having it on the monster has also been confidence inspiring and I definitely ride smoother and faster than I did before the damper. This could be all in my head but it really doesn't matter. Also, when the front wheel leaves the road under power, the eventual reunion is much nicer with the damper mounted.

[arai_speed]

I think most do it for peace of mind.  I had one on my bike but sold it - haven't looked back since.

To each his own. 

[xcaptainxbloodx]

...What exact pacakage of brakes, suspension and ergos is $400-450?!?

with some lucky ebaying you can pick up a gsxr front end for ~200$, R1 radials can be had for about 100$. that leaves 150$ to pick up different levers, shifters, throttle cams (not all, but whatever a few you could pick)

for a couple hundred more you can re-do that gsxr front end with proper springs/oil, ohlins dampers msrp around 600$ dont they?

My reasoning is that the OEM suspension with some knob twisting and spring collar banging is often good enough to prevent a lot of that "score of other" problems that could arise.  Once you've twisted the knobs, just slap a damper on and ride like an ass. [moto] 

not on an s2r 800 you cant   the lower tier of monsters doesn't have a great suspension, twisting knobs on even the s2r 1000 (pretty sure it just affects preload right? no damping?) wont have much of an effect in more in more expressive riding. better than nothing though.

[He Man]

Okay be realistic.

If you swap to a GSXR front end, you probably still needs to swap springs. Thats more along the lines of $300 avg
If you get a radial fork, you have to get matching brakes, and you need to make sure your setup fits your bike. thats also more along the lines of $150.

Then youll want to (and more likely need to)  run radial brakes masters which is another $100
Then youll probably need to respring it thats $100
Then youll probably need to get the rear shock resprung too thats $100


Thats $750, + machining spacers + manhours if you intend to do the work yourself


and for most people you can set up the fork once for your riding style, and leave it like that. Very few people tweak around by themselves. So overall, i think settting up stock suspension is the way to go unless you got $$ to drop

[ducducgooseme]

I had a monster with a properly tuned suspension (after market) and got hit in the left handlebar by a piece of scrap metal from a passing car.  I went into a tankslap that I luckily pulled out of as I went into the median.

I now have a damper on all of my bikes.  I don't know if it has helped, because I haven't had the leather staining experience again.   

[xcaptainxbloodx]

Okay be realistic.

If you swap to a GSXR front end, you probably still needs to swap springs. Thats more along the lines of $300 avg
If you get a radial fork, you have to get matching brakes, and you need to make sure your setup fits your bike. thats also more along the lines of $150.

Then youll want to (and more likely need to)  run radial brakes masters which is another $100
Then youll probably need to respring it thats $100
Then youll probably need to get the rear shock resprung too thats $100


Thats $750, + machining spacers + manhours if you intend to do the work yourself


and for most people you can set up the fork once for your riding style, and leave it like that. Very few people tweak around by themselves. So overall, i think settting up stock suspension is the way to go unless you got $$ to drop

alright but any one of those are going to improve the day in day out function and handling of the bike more than the damper and at 750$  you arent that far off from the upper tier dampers (~$500 bitubo, ~$600 ohlins).

also, you added 100$ for springs twice, there isn't a pending need to re-spring the rear in order to swap the front and you can find entire (straight) front ends (controls, clip ons and brakes) on ebay for under 300$ if you are patient.

not all forks are able to be set up beyond springs and oil. non adjustablt forks also have crap in the way of damping so unless you are dropping serious cash (1200$+) on your stock forks to change those you really cant set them up to well (though oil and springs are better than nothing if your on a budget.)

[He Man]

suspension and dampers do 2 different things. im not argueing for dampers as a mod over suspension. im just saying its really not that cheap to just simply do a fork swap.

I have stock S2R1k forks that i dropped $600 bucks to get new valves springs and oil done.
I also just picked up a $500 bitubo steering damper.

[xcaptainxbloodx]

suspension and dampers do 2 different things. im not argueing for dampers as a mod over suspension.

thats all ive been trying to get at.  I see alot of bikes both online and in person that are stock (save for some CF bling) and sporting a spanking new ohlins damper.

the thread was a question as to why people seem to gravitate to something so specific so early on in the lineup when there are so many mods that are similarly priced but have a much greater effect, suspension being one of them.

[He Man]

that just goes to show you, if most people just had a spring and oil change, they are going to be good to go. they dont even notice anythings wrong with the stock suspension thats untuned and not sprung for their weight.