'NOT Ohlins but Toby' Steering Damper

I know this has been on here before but I was wondering if anybody has bought/used one.........

http://shop.tecbike.de/product_info.php ... -quer.html

I don't really want to shell out over £500 for the KTM one when this is up to the job in case of badly landed wheelies, pushing it, trackdays etc.

Cheers

At current exchange rates thats £234.12 plus shipping ...... tempting at that price,wasnt that keen on the mounting when it was first posted up...... but i could live with it at that price


Anyone translate german?

Cheers Dr F!

If you guys are interested... I am sure you can fit a Scotts - but will need to figure out a pivot point attatchment... possibly the tank mount bolt adapatation.

Dr F........ im not suggesting that the sd does have the need for a steering damper,you have raised some good points regarding confidence that may be increased if one was fitted,ive already stated that although it can be a little flighty at times its never been a problem so far,the opposite in fact as i like the steering on the bike as it is...... although ktm have not recalled the bike for a damper as per suzuki did with the TL,the fact that they offer an approved factory item might indicate that they realise the bike may be a little extreme for some owners,and they might like the option to quell the bikes exuberant nature somewhat

Here's another point. (all IMHO)

Didn't I read that in this new KTM Superduke Racing Series, there HAS to be a steering damper fitted to all bikes?

Now that would make me think that at high speed - near the limit - there is a need for one.

I've never had a damper fitted to any bike, so I wouldn't be in a position to say whether they work or not. However, I have had one or two that cry out for something to stop the old tankslappers.

They DO look good - we all want our bikes to do that.

Saying that, £500 is kicking the arse out of it. Paid that for my Akras!

Hi Welshy,

Don't apologise.. no need. Each to our own, and I never chastise people or items just express my opinion.

I have had a damper on almost all of my bikes... and I speak from experience. They do work.. .but the question you need to ask is they work when?.. and more importantly what are you expecting you do wrong to need them?

I have removed my damper on my 152hp (measured at the rear wheel) R1 and it is fine... I have had a few kicks from wheelies underaccelleration but not tank slappers.

What I can say is that std dampers are actaully crap... they dampen everything moving the force from the stering into the bike - not very handy as they are on all the time.

The Scotts, GPR, WER, etc are different: they dampen away from centre and the return is not dampened. More importantly, they have a high/low speed dampening (well the scotts does) that means that only kicks or fast movements are dampended and the rest are not.
In conclusion..and without going into detail of when you need a damper and what causes slaps... get a Scotts or compatible if you want real protection.
If you want pretend dampening which works most of the time but feels wierd - get a std damper. There is the new 2 speed std cylinder dampers from Hyperpro etc... these sound good on paper - I have not used one so I will not comment.

What I have used: two no name dampers, toby, GPR, WER, Ohlins and Hyperpro on differnt bikes.

If you see my other thread I was actaully looking at low mounting my Hyperpro below the trippleclamp... but I have not figured out a way - I have addressed this issue by adjusting my suspension properly - its cheaper.
Oh and paying for Superbike courses - which is MUCH dearer than any damper.

Just a note about steering dampers on the Superduke race series bikes, and all the other race bikes mentioned is this... they are race bikes! These bikes are running usualy stiffer suspension, with more preload and steeper steering angles with less rake, ALL of which will speed up the steering on a race bike, and ALL of which would neccessitate the need for a damper. A road ridden SD, wouldn't need any of these mods or a damper as it steers quickly enough for a road bike.
As I said earlier in this thread, it IS a confidence thing, and it IS a personal choice, you may feel you cannot commit 100% without a steering damper. and that is fine, you must then buy the damper to be truly happy and confident. I, on the other hand, cannot commit 100% WITH a damper and such is my choice. To compare it with 'bling' is bullsh*t, this isn't a set of anodised master cylinder caps, it's your life, you should do whatever your head tells you to do to protect it.

Agreed.......again! Yes. (also, not picking on anyone or forcing my opinion here... just a factual note for you to decide). Please note that I do own and use dampers but still know what I am doing.

Here is a breif explination of headshake:

Headshakes are caused by incorrectly induced oscilations.
All bikes use oscilation from the gyroscopic forces induced by the turning wheels. Any force off balancing the normal oscilation moves the force from the turning wheel to the forks connection to the rest of the bike and disipates it through movement between the steering and the bike - aka headshake.

This force, as with any force needs to be transformed and the shakes disapate though the bike and the rider. This conitnues until the force is transformed and dipleated. If the unbalancing force continues to be applied to the wheels the force continues to move into the frame and more needs to be disapated.

The good news:
1) Once the 'bad' force is removed the wheels rebalance to their own oscilation with nothing to do from us.
2) Also, manufacturers have found that easy geometry means that it is harder to imbalance the oscilation.

Dampers:
Once fitted, these little items transfer the movement between the forks and the bike into heat. Thus 'dampening' the movement between the forks and bike/rider adn hence ruducing headshake. This means that you still have a badly balanced bike but you wont know it.

Race teams use them because they run obscene geometry and they stress their bikes and riders past limits. Think of them as traction control in race cars.

Conclusion:
On the road with your road bike - they are handy to have as they do do their job well. Keep in mind they do not fix the issue - they disguise it using physics.

Disadvantages:
So what are you giving up by fitting one -
1) you lose your quick steering.. a damper - dampens steering response by design
2) cheap ones dampen both ways... not too handy when you want to turn the other way
3) if you hav a crappo suspension setup... it will not make you ride faster. You will feel a little better but have the same suspension limits
4) you will not feel when the bike actaully has an issue - so you will not be able to fix it

Remember tune your suspension and ride some time without the damper. Make sure your comfortable and then fit one for your own peace of mind. Don't tHink that if you always get headshakes a damper will 'fix' them.

My opinion regarding what I would do:
I am crappy at setting down wheelies and I overgas out of corners like SuperMotards to ruin the side of the tyre (to look cool), and I ride on crappy roads and generally act silly... for this reason I would certainly like to fit a damper - (now that I have balanced my suspension and tuning the bike to ride very smooth).
I think this is handy - but I will only spend about $50bucks and use my existing damper because I trust myself and not a round alloy radiator.

What should you do:
Well most people (myself included) are not Rossi and will have little idea how to cause or fix suspension issues. In this case do buy one for safety reasons as they do work; but keep in mind what happens when u fit one.

Regardless, if you have a damper (plus four our cheapskates - me included) go do your sag and dampening adjustment. This will prob fix your issues and give you more than enough confidence.

Value for $:
Now that is a rigged question.... that is for you to decide. It depends on who you talk to and what their and your skill levels are.

At this stage the best damper on the market, due to control in all situations is the CBR1000RR electronic damper. You just cant buy them.
Why did Honda make one - because std hydraulics don't quite work right.

Well you be the judge on what you can buy and how much it means to you. Keeping in mind that confidence has no price tag!