Is a steering damper the fix for squirrelly front end?

[bikeguy57]

The front end of my 2009 696 gets very wobbly/unsettled when out in the open on a windy day. Otherwise its fine, no problems. The bike only has 600 miles on it and I have tried adjusting the air pressure with no change. I am wondering if a Biturbo steering damper would help. Thanks, Mike.

[RAT900]

It will mask the problem rather than solve it

but nevertheless they are not the worst piece of bling you can acquire

and can mitigate to some degree a tank slapper.....and here is a slapper you don't want to emulate...and I am quite sure he had a damper

TT Bike Crash


You probably need to set the sag, rebound etc on your bike to your weight and distribution

There are lots of "how to's" on the web for suspension set-up...

if you are in an area that has a track and/or track days go have the bike set up if someone there is offering the service,

get the bike set up for you not for the dealer's show room

no matter how "good" a rider you are and how well your suspension is tuned and set-up...

there can be a convergence of events/conditions that will put you in one

so get the damper but please don't skip the boring stuff like set up

[Spidey]

Short version:  No. 
Slightly longer version:  No.  It will just mask the problem.
Even longer version:  What RAT900 said.

Oh, and lean forward on the bike when you're in those conditions. That will help weight the front end and get rid of some of the squirliness.

[Cloner]

How many miles on your '09, Bikeguy?  Have you lubricated and adjusted the steering head bearings?  Is the tire wear pattern uneven in any way?  (cupping in particular)

Monsters are generally stable mounts that don't need a steering damper, in my meager experience, unless you're doing something hamfisted whilst riding.  Adding a damper won't hurt the handling of your bike, but it would be a shame to install one and have it mask a problem that might get worse over time.

Ducati steering head bearings are often underlubricated from the factory and tend to do funny things when they get loose.  Remove the forks (and change the fork oil whilst you have them off), remove the steering head, clean the bearings and bearing races carefully, repack the bearings with waterproof grease, and reinstall to the correct steering head nut torque.  It's a pretty simple job if you have the right tools.  You'll need a pin wrench for the steering stem nut and a torque wrench, and some way to support the bike whilst the steering head is off.  I like to support the bike from a ceiling joist, but there are other, similarly effective, methods.

If the tires are cupped, that's generally as sign of a damping (usually high speed damping) issue.  The immediate solution is to change front tires.  The long term solution is to sort out the front end's damping deficiencies.

That's where I'd start.

[bikeguy57]

Thanks for the replies. I am under the impression the Showa fork on this bike is not adjustable. How about raising the forks in the triples? The tire is new-600 miles. Thanks again, Mike

[RAT900]

Non-adjustable Showa's are limited...

springs and fork oil are pieces of a potential fix as well as dropping the front to put more weight forward

provided the rear is set up properly

I recall the bikes were originally factory set for someone weighing in at around 160 lbs.

Spidey might,,,, and probably does,,, know a lot better than I on such matters

[Spidey]

Thanks for the replies. I am under the impression the Showa fork on this bike is not adjustable. How about raising the forks in the triples? The tire is new-600 miles. Thanks again, Mike

Are you a new rider?  Because some of what you're dealing with may be technique and ergonomics.

Lowering the front (raising the forks in the triples) will weight the front more, which can often get rid of front end squirrliness.  OTOH, it can make the bike more unstable in other situations.  The big thing is that it's not the sort of thing you want to do first when you're dealing with a handling problem.

The very first thing is to look at tire pressure/condition.  Sounds like you've taken care of that.
The next very first thing is to deal with riding technique issues.  It's hard to tell what do about that on the internet, particularly if we don't know if you're a newer rider or not.

The first thing--as far as hardware--is to get the suspension set up properly.  Even if the front is not adjustable, messing around with the settings (even the preload) on the rear will often cure front end problems.  For example, if your preload is off, the rear of the bike may be sitting lower than it should be.  That'll affect the front end handling.

After you've done the suspension of the bike, you can look at changing out hardward -- like springs -- or changing the geometry by raising the rear or dropping the front. But that's later down the line.

BTW, I'm a huge fan of dampers.  I think they're invaulable insurance against a tank slapper. But they're not something to buy to cure a handling problem.  They serve an entirely different purpose.

[DoWorkSon]

All the suggestions are good. Correctly setup suspension is a must.

However, I think the reason the bike feels wobbly is because, like you said, it's windy. If the bike rides perfect all other times and the only other time it feels different is when the wind is blowing hard, you might want to look at getting a windscreen to help.

I think think any bike will feel great in gusty conditions. Even driving cars you feel the effects of windy weather.

Now, if the bike felt wobbly in perfect weather, I would blame suspension, tires, and all of that. But it could be simple, the monster provides no wind protections so you feel it.

[Cloner]

I figure the wind is just enough to upset the front and get the bike to exhibit its issues, DWS.  I've been wrong before, though.   

As to your "nonadjustable" Showas, Bikeguy, they're not externally adjustable, but that doesn't mean they can't be made right!  The adjustablility of the "adjustable" Showas is minimal at best, anyway, with the exception of spring preload.  The damping controls are worthless. 

Preload is either right or not.  Unless you change the weight of the bike plus load (rider, gear, etc.) it shouldn't need to change, anyway, so once you set it via spring spacers, you've adjusted it.

Damping, both compression and rebound, are likewise generally correct once set for a street bike.  Racers like to be able to adjust for track conditions, but street conditions are rarely ideal so you should be able to set it to what feels best to you and forget it.  In fact, it seems that once the factory adjusters are made functional (by installation of better damping controls in the form of Gold Valves or other devices) some riders actually get themselves into trouble by adjusting things unnecessarily.

I like "nonadjustable" Showas as the starting point for an excellent front end!

[bikeguy57]

Thanks for all the replys. I have been riding for a few years (40 or so) on a lot of different bikes. I'll play around with the suspension before spending the money on a damper. It's not a huge deal, just more than i've experienced on other bikes. Thanks again.

[Howie]

Thanks for all the replys. I have been riding for a few years (40 or so) on a lot of different bikes. I'll play around with the suspension before spending the money on a damper. It's not a huge deal, just more than i've experienced on other bikes. Thanks again.

A damper is still a good idea, it just isn't a fix for poorly set up/poorly performing suspension.

[xcaptainxbloodx]

A damper is still a good idea, it just isn't a fix for poorly set up/poorly performing suspension.

^this. always.

a damper does one thing very well (smooths the left-right input). a good suspension affects EVERYTHING. while a damper is never a bad idea, it should really only be considered after everything else has been set up (suspension, brakes, ergonomics).