| Author | Message | ||
     Sgthigg |
Why is it that all the majog I4 companies have stock steering dampeners?? Why is it such a neccessity that they make em straight from the factory with them? | ||
| Daves |
Bling Makes people feel like they are really fast riders, as in "look at me, I have a steering damper(most call the dampeners)" I sell them to people that need them. I do not run one on the Buells I ride. | ||
| Steve_larson |
The current "Superbikes" have very steep steering angles combined with some pretty serious HP. What this makes for is very "twitchy" front ends, steering that responds in an instant to any input, whether "you" or some outside factor is causing it. Happy to try and go into this deeper if you wish, but here is a VERY generic version: Any movement that would cause the front tire and rear tire to be "out of line" with each other (a bump in a corner while leaned over, front tire losing contact with the road, etc) causes the steering to try and "correct" itself. The steering will try to center itself quickly, and if moving fast enough and un-checked, will pass thru "center" without stopping. Now it is wrong to the other side, and wants to come back again. Get this happening back and forth at a high rate, and you have "tankslap", a VERY ugly place to be! Good steering dampers assist in keeping this from happening, so you maintain control of the steering. We do sell them for Buell's, not nearly as many as the other brands, but there are riders out there using them. Just depends on how you ride, where you ride, and what you may or may not need if the situation arises. Steve Larson | ||
| Adrenaline0210 |
I am in the market for a steering dampner just dont want to drop 375-400$ for one... whats the price on the ones you guys sell. | ||
| Skyguy |
Do dampers actually make tank slappers impossible? If so it would be a great thing if you only ever need it once. I have had two tank slappers ever one at 110mph in turn six at Willow Springs on my CBR and another on my Buell hard on the throttle after shifiting into second when I caught a bump I missed. | ||
| Daves |
I sell the LSL ones for 332.95 | ||
| Sgthigg |
I understand this. But 600's come with them now too, stock form the factory. "The current "Superbikes" have very steep steering angles combined with some pretty serious HP" Buell has an insane steering angle too. And Pretty good hp #s too. Why is it we dont require one for everday riding enough to make them required from the factory like the other I4's? How is it the Buell is different/better? I guess is what I am asking. | ||
| Skyguy |
Sgthigg, I don't think that the Buell is any different than any other well designed sportbike. I do think that the damper is part of building a "race replica" keep up with the Joneses marketing mentality. The reason HD/BMC does not have one is simply about trying to keep the price out the door down. We dont ride race replicas........... Just my 25cents. | ||
| Daves |
You have to understand that they are selling these bikes to people that think they "need" 160 HP too. Most I4 dealers do not set up the suspension with their customers when they come to pick up the bike(neither do some Buell dealers from what I've seen/heard) So you have a lot of new riders,riding a bike that the suspension hasn't been set up for them, that has more power than they will EVER be able to ride(except in a straight line of course). Yep, pretty good idea of them to put a steering damper on it. | ||
| Steve_larson |
Understand the pricing issue, but a $200 damper is probably going to get you into more trouble then not, as you "think" you have help and it is not there when you need it. What you are looking for is a damper that has the least amount of effect when not being used, but there when you need it. Otherwise, you spend all your time fighting the damper and losing the front end feel of the machine, which is critical to riding. Here is a link: http://www.hyperprousa.com/catalog.php?cat=Dampers&make=Buell ...as you can see these price at $369.95 for very top notch stuff, so not bad in the grand scheme of high siding a modern Sportbike... Do dampers "stop" all tankslap? No, nothing stops everything, they are only an assist. You can still crash very hard, even with a good damper. Watch any race and you will see $20,000 forks and $10,000 shocks bent into piles of junk in a heartbeat. Dampers are just part of the equation, not getting to the point of having to need its assistance is still the best solution! (But notice all the miraculous saves? Dampers have an awful lot to do with that!!!) "Skyguy", then you know exactly what I was trying to describe, and why they are needed...  Sorry to be unclear, when I say "Superbikes" I mean "any" of the racing class bikes of "any" brand and of "any" cc's. A 250 GP bike all the way to 1000+ cc monsters, headshake and tankslap effects them all. It is a matter of design, not brand or engine size. Why Buell does not have one you have to ask Buell, but as you can see there are guys out there getting tankslap on the Buell's, so the problem is real. Steve Larson | ||
| Bomber |
Dampers do NOT make tank slappers impossible -- they cut down the potential for them, certainly, but you can still have one (unless it's adjsuted to hard that it makes steering inputs difficult) with the exception of racing, needing a steering damper is far more likely masking another problem than solving one, if that makes sense | ||
| Steve_larson |
Let's be nice here to those of us who have singles, twins, triples, sixes and yes, even high powered I4's, they all have their place and they are ALL fun to ride!  I will have to disagree a bit here, "racers" do not need them any more or less then a street rider, it all depends on what you are doing and the bike you are doing it with. Sure, we can all ride 9' extended choppers, and headshake will not be much of an issue. But even a less then "spirited" effort can result in headshake if the conditions arise, and those conditions exist all over the real world. The better setup the suspension is the less chance of a problem, that is true as a well setup suspension keeps the tires in contact with the ground. But a bump in the pavement as you accelerate out of a turn (even just a fun pull on your favorite road!) is still going to have its effect, and that usually means headshake. How you much you get and how you deal with it are factors each rider gets to decide for themselves, but the factors still remain. Everybody hopes to never need a steering damper, that is nirvana. But when you need one, and have one, you really appreciate what it can do to help. So I would guess that the best answer to the question is to weigh how you are riding (i.e., the chances you are going to encounter headshake) against spending the money on a good damper kit? Steve Larson | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
I am a fan of steering dampers, unlike my good friend Daves. I really believe that they have a place on Buells, especially the short wheelbase models, which I have never found to be particularly stable, even when carefully set up. I must admit I am on the large size, (235# in gear) and not as agile as once I might have been. I would say that their necessity depends to a certain extent on the size, style and smoothness of the rider as well: the larger, less smooth rider benefiting the most. I have used the Storz and the Ohlins in a side mount configuration, and I prefer the Ohlins which is pressurized. I had to fabricate my own mounts for the unit. Now that I have a longer wheelbase Buell, I find it to be more stable, and that there is less need for a damper. I am still using my Ohlins however, and find it stops what little head shake I might have cornering hard over bumps, and doing quick transitions from one side to another. I would recommend them to owners of short wheelbase models who are larger guys, and who like to ride fast in the tight stuff.  | ||
| Brineusaf |
Maybe thats it.. I don't feel anything... but then again I'm 160 w/gear, and very agile. You have your headlight switch just set in the middle or...? | ||
| Ride365 |
Dampers sure make them endos a lot easier! | ||
| Xb12rdude |
A Damper is the best investment you can buy. If you ride any wheelies it's a must. I've seen so many "tank slappers" from folks coming down from a wheelie with their front tire slightly turned that it's crazy. Even if you don't speed or stunt there's a chance of hitting a big pot hole or something. THEY ARE A LIFE SAVER. LSL makes a great damper and took me 5 min. to install. Dave, who posted a few up sell's them for the best price I've seen. I paid $350. My two cents. | ||
| Brineusaf |
You've seen someone tank slap from coming down from a wheelie on an XB? I've come down slightly tweaked and it corrected itself fine, no jerk no nothing. I come down real soft though. | ||
| Daves |
I never wheelie  | ||
| Daves |
Jon, Your bike looks great! Well, except for that jousting pole thing on the side of it  Do you still need it with the extended swingarm? | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Thanks Dave. Can you keep a secret old buddy? Don't really need it with the extended swingarm. But I made the darn mounts myself, and I owned the Ohlins, so I am strutting my stuff!! PS. It does help a little cornering hard on bumps, but with the Dunlop Qualifiers and the suspension work Ed did, and the longer swing arm, it is, in fact, less necessary. Kyle, If you open up the left handle bar switch, you will see two solder points on a white board that are the headlight wires. If you bridge those two points, you will get one light on when you have the switch in low, and both on in high. Only problem is that the high beam indicator light on the dash stays on all the time. (Message edited by gentleman_jon on July 26, 2006) | ||
| Daves |
I'll keep your secret as long as you keep mine. You don't need one on a stock swingarm XB either, at least I don't seem to. I admit, I don't ride that fast on public roads but it isn't out of fear of a slapper, more fear of oncoming cars in my lane,gravel in corners,deer,turkeys and other factors. I ride wheelies every single time I ride a Buell. I admit, I am not the best at it and they are usually only for about a block or so long but it is in 2nd or 3rd gear. I have never had any slap on landing the front end back down. I even did one a couple weeks ago on Kandie's XB9S with the suspension set way too light for me and no problems. Been on several different tracks, lots of times and Autobahn North is the only one where I had a little wiggle because of a bump in the track as you exit turn 2 under full gas and it is right at my shift point. | ||
| Rich |
I put one on because I want one.  | ||
| Pupu |
i think in wheelies it is more of an issue of the long a$$ ones that the front tire is no longer spinning. i have seen a guy set it down and the front tire smoked like hell and wobbled, scared me so i cant imagine what he did. | ||
| Lenb |
My friend has an LSL damper mounted under the lower triple clamp and it comes very close to fouling the air scoop. Also he had to drop his forks slightly to get past a taper in the fork (he has a 2003 XB9S) Anyone else have these problems with this damper? | ||
| Old_man |
I put one (LSL damper) on my 03 XB9S, no problem with the air scoop. I lowered the forks slightly also for a flat mount for the bracket. I like it. It works well. |
