'76 60/6 - deleting steering damper

[jimmyg]

If you are concerned that you will lose something, or make a problem, forget it. That item is there for one reason only, to prevent lawsuits.

That damper serves no useful purpose of any kind. While hydraulic is the way to go, the linkage so quickly is worn that it doesn't work. Even when it worked, it wasn't needed.

A bike should be stable all by itself. If some odd situation exists, such as a hack, that isn't the way to do it.

Duane, excuse my ignorance but why did so many bikes come with dampers? My '74 R90s has one and I use it quite a bit when doing Track Days and I believe (maybe a placebo effect) that it limits tank slapping issues. My older brother had one on his '58 Duo-Glide and if I'm not mistaken, new Ducati's (some models anyway) sport a beautiful Ohlins unit.

So if there's no real need, why would manufacturer's continue to outfit at least some models with them?

thanks,

jimmyg

[Ken in Oklahoma]

. . . So if there's no real need, why would manufacturer's continue to outfit at least some models with them? . . .

Potential Liability. For example a perfectly good airhead with a bad front tire can wobble. It can also wobble due to a badly placed load (high and/or to the rear). I have experienced both. (mea culpa) A damper might cover up a problem, but it still is a problem waiting to happen. Cheap insurance for the manufacturer, especially if the customer has to pay for the damper (which of course he does when one is fitted).

I believe Duane talks about the bump-the-handlebar test on his website. I've done that as well and it will show up a problem. But it's not for the faint of heart or the unskilled. (Hmm, how does one become skilled without bumping a handlebar?)

When encountering a wobble I believe the first question to ask yourself is whether the front tire is OK. I've had a good looking tire with a decent looking tread still being the culprit.

And there's also the fork alignment issue that Duane talks about as well.

Ken

[Zombie Master]

I find the damper useful on my R100S in blustery conditions. Calms things down nicely.

[Duane Ausherman]

If you are concerned that you will lose something, or make a problem, forget it. That item is there for one reason only, to prevent lawsuits.

That damper serves no useful purpose of any kind. While hydraulic is the way to go, the linkage so quickly is worn that it doesn't work. Even when it worked, it wasn't needed.

A bike should be stable all by itself. If some odd situation exists, such as a hack, that isn't the way to do it.

Duane, excuse my ignorance but why did so many bikes come with dampers? My '74 R90s has one and I use it quite a bit when doing Track Days and I believe (maybe a placebo effect) that it limits tank slapping issues. My older brother had one on his '58 Duo-Glide and if I'm not mistaken, new Ducati's (some models anyway) sport a beautiful Ohlins unit.

So if there's no real need, why would manufacturer's continue to outfit at least some models with them?

thanks,

jimmyg

My post answers your question in full.

[Major Softie]

If you are concerned that you will lose something, or make a problem, forget it. That item is there for one reason only, to prevent lawsuits.

That damper serves no useful purpose of any kind. While hydraulic is the way to go, the linkage so quickly is worn that it doesn't work. Even when it worked, it wasn't needed.

A bike should be stable all by itself. If some odd situation exists, such as a hack, that isn't the way to do it.

Duane, excuse my ignorance but why did so many bikes come with dampers? My '74 R90s has one and I use it quite a bit when doing Track Days and I believe (maybe a placebo effect) that it limits tank slapping issues. My older brother had one on his '58 Duo-Glide and if I'm not mistaken, new Ducati's (some models anyway) sport a beautiful Ohlins unit.

So if there's no real need, why would manufacturer's continue to outfit at least some models with them?

thanks,

jimmyg

My post answers your question in full.

Yeah, not really.

Jimmy, you can't compare a new Ducati SuperSport to a 70's BMW touring bike. The geometry of new designed super/hyper sports bikes and the much smaller diameter front wheels makes for completely different design decisions. And Duane isn't going to be able to speak to that because his very in-depth BMW knowledge is mostly brand specific and entirely out of it's depth once you get into the 80's.

IOW's, you are comparing a bike that was designed to be operated with a very expensive high-tech quality adjustable steering damper to one that had a very cheap poorly designed overly-simple damper added as a band-aid because it was cheaper than the assembly care that would have fixed the actual problem at its source.

[ME 109]

An effective steering damper would be good on my RS, at times. Mostly for low speed head shakes when heavily loaded with camping gear and beer. The oe unit as mentioned, is fairly useless.
There should be no need for a dampener at high speed, at least in my experience on the RS.

[Gibson]

Motorcycle stability is complicated scenario I learned the hard way about. I had an accident with a Yamaha SR500 because of a steering instability problem. If the road conditions and speed was just right, this bike would develop a nasty shake. I had clubman bars which made matters worse. The rider is an important part of the damping system. Short bars reduce leverage. I tried a steering damper, different front tires, fork brace, careful tire balancing etc. Nothing I did made this bike trustworthy. I sold the bike because it could not be ridden without worry.
Some machines a damper is part of the design (CBR600RR electronic damper) and should not be ridden without it functioning. In your case you should not have a problem, but tread lightly until your sure it is stable under all conditions. I have had 4 boxers and all have been very polite.

[robert]

Motorcycle stability is complicated scenario I learned the hard way about. I had an accident with a Yamaha SR500 because of a steering instability problem. If the road conditions and speed was just right, this bike would develop a nasty shake. I had clubman bars which made matters worse. The rider is an important part of the damping system. Short bars reduce leverage. I tried a steering damper, different front tires, fork brace, careful tire balancing etc. Nothing I did made this bike trustworthy. I sold the bike because it could not be ridden without worry.
Some machines a damper is part of the design (CBR600RR electronic damper) and should not be ridden without it functioning. In your case you should not have a problem, but tread lightly until your sure it is stable under all conditions. I have had 4 boxers and all have been very polite.

You must have had something seriously wrong with your SR 500. I had a stock one and now have a seriously modified one and both are very stable, no shakes or wobbles, no steering dampers.

[Gibson]

Agree, but never figured it out...

[khittner1]

I don't see how a crappy steering damper does anything for "liability". If it's known to be a useless apendage, and damping was actually needed, then liability would follow.

I suspect it was more of a sales gimmick than anything else. I've never used mine on any of the four /6 and /7 bikes I've owned. It's sort of like an oil cooler that way---all the superbikes had them, so BMW added them. I've never heard of a '77-80 R100RS or RT suffering a foreshortened life for the lack of oil routing through a cooler, but by '81, an oil cooler became a "necessity". Gadgetry = sales.