Steering dampers

SteveA · Sep 3, 2021

Fast Eddie said:
There’s another category of user… those who do not currently have a weave problem etc but see a damper as a safety net / insurance against the possibility of a tank slapper.

As Steve Harris (of Harris fame) said to me once, EVERY motorcycle should have a steering damper. And I doubt he was saying it to mask root causes within his chassis !

Of course, Steve was talking about fast bikes. IMHO a classic Commando ridden like a classic bike, on the road, most likely doesn’t need one. But for hooligans on the road it’s a good idea. For those venturing onto the track it’s a very good idea. For hooligans on the track it’s a must have !

Clearly, I am not a hooligan!

lcrken · Sep 3, 2021

SteveA said:
Clearly, I am not a hooligan!

Of course you aren't.

Nothing but cautious, conservative, law abiding, safety conscious riders here. Hooligans only own Hayabusas and the like, right?

Ken

Dellis · Sep 3, 2021

I’ve been on the receiving end of a tank slapper. It was around 18 years ago at Mallory Park flat out on the main straight. There was a surface change which was making the bike shake its head on every lap but the last time it got a little more serious… The bars went from lock to lock very quickly, the front tyre gripped and spat me over the bars at something over 100mph, the bike cartwheeled along the tarmac and ended up in a sorry state. I remember waking up briefly on the tarmac the next thing I knew I was looking at a circuit map of Mallory Park and Having no idea that I was there, the map was on the medical centre wall. I was concussed, had some very uncomfortable broken ribs and a mashed little finger. Needless to say I fitted steering damper to the rebuilt bike which was a 650 Husaberg that I raced in the Norasport Supermoto Championship but on this occasion I was at an ACU practice day.

I was lucky on that day

Dave

ashman · Sep 3, 2021

Everyone has their own opinion on steering dampers and a lot say the Norton's don't need one, but you put a steering damper on any bike whether or no they need it will benifit from a steering damper it will make a good handling bike even better and more stable in any conditions, to those who are obsess with saying they don't need one normally have never used one, but a steering damper works so well with a well set up handling bike, its got nothing to do with a bad handling bike that has a problem a steering damper will not fix a bad handling bike on its own, if a bike is so bad with tank slappers then there is something major happening that needs to be fixed, a steering damper won't fix that problem.

Fast Eddie · Sep 4, 2021

Dellis said:
I’ve been on the receiving end of a tank slapper. It was around 18 years ago at Mallory Park flat out on the main straight. There was a surface change which was making the bike shake its head on every lap but the last time it got a little more serious… The bars went from lock to lock very quickly, the front tyre gripped and spat me over the bars at something over 100mph, the bike cartwheeled along the tarmac and ended up in a sorry state. I remember waking up briefly on the tarmac the next thing I knew I was looking at a circuit map of Mallory Park and Having no idea that I was there, the map was on the medical centre wall. I was concussed, had some very uncomfortable broken ribs and a mashed little finger. Needless to say I fitted steering damper to the rebuilt bike which was a 650 Husaberg that I raced in the Norasport Supermoto Championship but on this occasion I was at an ACU practice day.

I was lucky on that day

Dave

Only a motorcycle racer would call concussion, broken ribs, a mashed finger and a totalled bike ‘lucky’ !

But you’re right.

Steering dampers

SteveA

lcrken

Dellis

ashman

Fast Eddie

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