To damp or not to damp, that is the question...

Do you use a steering damper on your SD / SDR? If so what kind of damper do you use?

Scott's

Dont have one, not sure if it would help with my speed wobbles but I say they're for pussy's anyway

Eeeaaaasssssyyyyy there tiger, them's fightin words..... (and I'm here)

Don’t have one either and like it that way. It does shimmy about a bit when you get into three figures but that just makes it a bit more entertaining on the road

LSL. Coz it's crap and even on full doesn't have much damping. Just enough to stop it going into a full lock to lock slapper but enough to let it shake and wobble.

Scotts.

What condition roads and how hard you ride them... having a blast on frost damaged Quebec roads, long periods of high speed highway, loose pack gravel on dirt road exploring...

Not voted, as I don't have one, but should really seeing as the road conditions are pretty crap and do make it shimmy quite a bit.

As for type, I prefer the linear ones.

Scott's,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,worth every penny,,,,

I too run a Scotts..
Best on the market MHO
Why is it you guys that don't run
any damper wanna fight.??
WTF.???

Not joining this squabble. Us folks with the executive model got a WP steering damper as standard. Thus saving 300 quid we could then spend on haemorrhoid cream caused by the seat on the executive model.

I just replaced the standard WP one on my SDR with a Reactive Hyperpro one i got cheap off ebay.
This has more adjustment than the WP one and also works harder than set when needed.
Ive found it alot better but still get the odd wobble but no lock to lock stuff.
Suppose this is one of the downsides of finding extra performance with ya bike but hey ho who wants it to ride like a onda

dont have one, want it to keep its character, its a mans bike don't you know

no dampeninger no probs. I ride like a puzzie, though i am puzzled what a puzzie is.
Is a dampeninger the round knob on top of old bikes that looks like you could tighten it up?
There goes a rounded nob on a round knobbed bobjob.

I've been told good thing about the Hyperpro and Wp but apparently the Hyperpro has more adjustment.
I'm running Wp on the SDR and LSL on the SD.
I think dampers are like tyres in the fact that if you are a beginner, you need the best because you quite often put the bike in a position for it to tumble. Also if you are experienced or racing you also need the best as you are again riding the bike beyond its limits.
If, however, you are a proficient rider and ride within your comfort zone and don't push yourself and bike, you will rarely need the extra grip of good tyres or the stability of a damper.

never had one until I owned an sdr have'nt even checked to see what setting its on, is it working?

i hesitate to write this, but... ive had multiple headshake incidents years ago with one off as a result. ive owned several bikes with dampers, im sure some bikes need them. i dont like the resistance they generate, they numbed the bike. now ill also admit my bikes that had them were always factory dampers not aftermarket units.

i am saying that after 5 years of ownership and 30k miles, in all conditions, worn tyres on occasion, slides, really nasty roads, landing wheelies wrong, powering out of turns cranked over that dont fully wheelie but have the front tyre skimming the pavement and dancing away... never has the SD thrown me off or gotten so outta shape that its scared the hell out of me. im just saying (calm down Lowrence...) that in my experience thats the last thing id buy for this bike. if you guys feel a need for them fine, i just dont see it myself, maybe im just a lucky SOB.

thats all im gonna say... unless provoked... just sayin...

Answer 4: No. But I want one

or number 5: i want one, but can't afford one

I gots the one that came with the SDR

NO DAMPER .. man up puzzies .

and lowrance . . . .calm down

I have the powerparts WP model, was on the bike when I bought it. On track I noticed advantage of giving it a bit extra damping, especially on the edge of grip in longer corners but on the streets this extra damping made turning in feel a bit awkward. Just 2 or 3 clicks apart so for me it's in the right range. Gives me some extra confidence knowing it might save me from a wobble or slapper if I might screw up for whatever reason.

Enough of this thread,,,,if you've never tried one you don't know what your missing,,,so you all should not,,, can not,, be a judge,,,nuf said,,,,going to the naked pic's thread now,,,bye,,,,adious amigo's,,,

Never had a tank slapper but have been riding with plenty of guys when they have had them.

Invariably the outcome has been expensive in terms of the bike if not their bodies.

From an economic point of view it makes sense.

I've also found that shagging is a lot easier if one doesn't have to worry about the pain of broken ribs,
no skin on palms of hands, no skin on arse, broken pattella's, broken wrist, missing finger Etc. So
in another sense having a damper is like investing in a prophylactic (condom) - not a big deal if you use
one but maybe a real big deal if you don't

I would get the suspension balanced to your weight before investing in a damper. You might find you don't need one after all, but it's nice to have the peace of mind knowing that with a damper tank slappers will not happen. Ducati Streetfighter includes a damper, but the price of the bike is also more expensive.

Those fooking BMWs are bloody fast! Appears his GPR damper was set too low for track use.

Never been a fan of the GPRs since trying one on my desert racebike back in 1999. Having said that, I hear they have gotten much better.

In his comments, he says the GPR failed and he replaced it with an Ohlins. Anyway, it looked to me, based upon where he went down, that he hit the curb that breaks up the back straight. And, as far as Russ' point that a well tuned suspension will not do this, check out his front forks at around 2:55. At the very least he had Ohlins NIX cartridges (and likely a TTX rear shock) installed. Those are some of the best bits one can buy.

The fail was the guy riding obviously, he dont even know what a highside is for fooks sake............... sorry I could not see his perfectly setup ohlins shock and forks in the video my eyes must be going, I could not see him hit a kerb either..... or maybe my imagination is not as good as some....... what is clear though is the bike went into a slapper and the damper did not save it,blaming the damper and saying it was faulty, hmm I think GPR gave him his answer there, seemed to be working earlier in the video though.... END OF STORY!

That it wont be I am sure........arguing black is white some should take up as a profession

What is left is that we are all right.
White Power is a black art.
Grey is what puzzies reach when they learn to damp thier enthusiasm.

I'm prety sure that I said I had the final word on this...
I called it first so why won't you let me be last?

You cannot post a question in a last word comment.
Last word, You got it?

Word

Don't make me start a poll on who got the last word...

ME?

No question marks!!
Don't you understand anything?

ok... me!

me , last word

Burp

i dont run a steering damper and ride hard on the streets. 4 sets of tyres in 5,000km is a good indication of pace

i dont see the need on these bikes, sure they wiggle around a bit, especially when getting the front wheel off the ground at 200km/h round a slight bend over a crest haha but if you ride with proper technique and DONT HANG ON SO BLOODY HARD any wiggles should be easy to deal with. i havent had any substantial wiggles yet though.

naked bikes by definition are harder to control because the bars are so wide, it makes it easy to make steering corrections and corrections that you dont even realise you're doing. ever get sore arms after a high speed ride on your SD? get your upper body out of the wind better and dont hang on as tight.

my supermoto race bike came with a steering damper, i took it off because they are for pussies on my last race i had a big wiggle, front end going lock to lock in 5th gear flat out but just held it wide open and it came good.

i like my bikes to move around and slide, i think its from my off road background and movement from the front end isnt an issue.

i have seen some guys have big tankslappers on these bikes but most appear to be a rider error from hanging on too tight (the poor guy who crashed at that drag race thing, looks like he was hanging too tight when he changed gears and involuntarily made a steering input when the bike became unloaded/loaded again and that started the tankslapper).

if it helps you then fine but i see them as a band aid solution to a badly setup bike or bad riding technique.

each to their own.

There is proPer fast and puzzie fast and the puzzie fast folks don't know the difference.

Think I'm gonna sell mine,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Only thing I'm just kidding ,,,,,,never would do it did my mahood thing when I wobbled off the road on a Yammy without a damper and tore half my knee off never again,,

Ride to the conditions!

Fast on a well smooth road/track. And I doubt you'll need a damper on these bikes.

If you go along Shit Street/Back roads with Traffic/Humps/Bumps/Catseyes/Degradation of surface. And you still like going fast(Subjective).

Then I suggest, a damper would be essential.

what about a thumb print on your head ?

have you got one of them ?

[img][/img]

They might work perfectly, but i think this is the ugliest option there is.
The sdr wp unit under the yoke wins in the looks department.
No clue which works better since i ride without a damper.