| Author |
Message |
    
Vicfirebolt
| | Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 12:12 pm: | 
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yah does anyone have a link too a good one for the xb series. I have an xb9r. |
Vicfirebolt
| | Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 12:15 pm: |
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http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-p rodshow/9050.html
wow 350 not installed hope one comes up on ebay or something a bit more reasonable. |
Treadmarks
| | Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 12:15 pm: |
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I like the LSL.
 |
Azxb9r
| | Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 04:01 pm: |
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I put a damper on my xb9r last year. I took it back off after a few weeks because I hated the way the bike handled with it on. |
Firebolteric_ma
| | Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 04:18 pm: |
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Dapope
| | Posted on Saturday, February 02, 2008 - 04:26 am: |
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There is always something potentially "Safer", "Just in case". A helmet, gloves, a steering damper, a car, an SUV. People simply choose to what end. |
Vicfirebolt
| | Posted on Saturday, February 02, 2008 - 09:04 am: |
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I do find that with each addition of a safety related item there is a trade off. helmet less visibility, leather's w/ armor less mobility
etc. |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Saturday, February 02, 2008 - 09:54 am: |
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I'd question the "feel" of a damper. You shouldn't normally be whacking the steering so hard that you'd feel the damping in any way. The damping is NOT there for "normal" inputs.
I've found that there's a line between where you can "feel" the damper and a couple clicks less where you no longer notice it - yet it still functions when you put weight on the front end during braking or the occasional wheelie (for the one or two of you who might "accidentally" lift the front)
I still suspect that IF you get a tank slapper under normal riding conditions, there's likely something else going on that can be masked by a damper... that being said, a damper is the "chicken soup" for a rider who puts a lot of weight on the front end in turns or with heavy handlebar inputs - it couldn't hurt... just don't expect it to fix OTHER problems - like heavy-handedness on the bars, loose steering head bearings, tire pressure, bad tires, bad suspension. |
Dobr24
| | Posted on Saturday, February 02, 2008 - 11:23 am: |
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Where we ride in KY. squirrels, rabbits, skunks, buzzards, other misc. rodents, and even the occasional wild turkey are constant road hazards. Hitting any of these can send your bike into a nasty tank slapper. I would rather run a damper, just in case, rather than t-bone a telephone pole like another guy around here did last year.
Just my .02 |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Saturday, February 02, 2008 - 08:05 pm: |
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Chris - you are absolutely RIGHT... but I know a lot of people keep the damping up too high.
I don't even feel mine but it's enough to keep from getting head shake at two places each lap at Willow Springs.
I'd imagine a few spots on the road where it would be a good tool... just not tightened so much that it could be "felt" when riding. |
Old_man
| | Posted on Saturday, February 02, 2008 - 09:22 pm: |
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I have my damper adjusted so that there is no noticeable difference in how it feels and handles without the damper.
It will still do it's job.
(Message edited by old_man on February 02, 2008) |
Al_lighton
| | Posted on Saturday, February 02, 2008 - 09:38 pm: |
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As Chris wrote above, road hazards are the biggest reason why I recommend dampers for street use. When your front end hits something that you didn't want it to, a damper can be the difference between a pucker moment and a wild ride off the asphalt.
I hit a rock on my wife's SV650...trashed both rims, sent me into a tankslapper into the oncoming lanes (thankfully with no traffic). I didn't wreck, but it was VERY close and a damper would have prevented most of it.
Dampers are good. IF you can feel them in anything other than parking lot handlebar gyrations, they're turned up too high.
Al |
Azxb9r
| | Posted on Sunday, February 03, 2008 - 11:44 am: |
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The damper that I tried was a Hyper-pro. Even with the dampening turned down to the lowest setting, you could feel it. Normal riding around town, the steering was so sluggish that it was difficult to hold a line while going straight. Parking lots were a nightmare. Maybe the Hyper-pro is not a good design for the xb. I have heard others mention that the Firebolt does not need a damper, but the Lightning does.
I only have experience with this one damper,and it has "poisoned the well" for me. If I could try some other dampers,without having to buy them, I would like to do some experimenting. I am not about to buy another one after my first experience though. That was an expensive mistake.
So, how about a "steering damper shootout"? |
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