| Author | Message | ||
     Nm5150 |
Finally got my damper installed(thanks for getting me my spacer Mr. Richter).I messed with it all I could.Finally ran a zip tie under the cluster to keep the throttle cables from hanging on it.It still seems my lock to lock is about 1/8" longer than the damper's travel.I bolted it up on the tighter hole on the fork clamp but it still seems to stick a little at full lock due to the damper being maxed out.Can anyone comment on this or tell me what I am doing wrong?Thanks. | ||
| Furbaby |
I installed an Ohlins on my 1125R and found only about 1/32 of over-travel possible in the cylinder. Real close and takes a little time to get it right. I made the arm on the fork tube just snug, and just moved to whole fork mechanism left-right many times until it was correct. Had the front wheel off the ground to ease the turning.Slow and stead, a little at a time. Hope you have fairing off if you`re on a "R". To tight to work with it on. Fur | ||
| Stirz007 |
Do either of you have pictures? | ||
| Pizzaboy |
i installed mine about 2 months ago. it was a pain in the butt, but i got it done wonderfully. ive found a couple pics of installed dampers on badweb; you can find them by google searching the site for '1125 damper installed' or 'ohlins damper 1125' or some combination of those terms. ill take a few pics of mine tomorrow if you need.. | ||
| Stirz007 |
Pizzaguy - good call, I'll track that down. | ||
| Attweco |
I had the same experience as the above posters. It took a considerable amount of time and fussing to get it just right, but now it is. I ended up running a zip tie around the fairing stay to keep the harness off the damper assembly. IMO, the desire to keep the damper "tucked away"(quoting the Erik Buell Racing product description) resulted in a more difficult installation, and creates the potential for harness issues down the road. The relocated harness is forced against the fairing bracket and has significantly less flexibility than in the stock position. In the photos of the "B2" which were published in May '10 issue of Cycle World mag, on page 51, you see the damper located in the more traditional(and accessible) position. I wish Buell would have developed a similar installation for the 1125R. That said, once it's done, it does the job. | ||
| Nm5150 |
Messed with it some more yesterday.It seems like it is centered but lock to lock is just a tad bit farther than the travel in the damper.Also had to move the fork clamp down a little to keep it from contacting the mounting bracket under the triple tree.It doesn't look perfectly level but it doesn't look like it will hurt anything.I will get to test it out tomorrow. | ||
| Attweco |
Also had to move the fork clamp down a little to keep it from contacting the mounting bracket under the triple tree. I had to do the same thing. Although the instructions in the kit specify that the damper unit be level, it couldn't be done that way. But there's more than enough leeway in the ball joints to allow the damper to be a bit off-level without affecting its function. | ||
| Nm5150 |
Got to flog Peggy for about 35 miles this morning.Damper seems to work fine and she definately feels less nervous when the front end gets light on bumpy pavement.I had the damper 5 clicks out which is the minimum recomended by Erik Buell Racing.I think it was money well spent.The difference may just be in my head(I don't think so)but it is still there and makes me feel more confident. | ||
| Pizzaboy |
here are a few pics installed. it doesnt rub on anything including neck wiring and throttle cables throughout its range of travel     | ||
| Jackgraves |
Man I'm glad the GPR was way easier to install. | ||
| Johnnysunami1967 |
That Ohlins looks fantastic...looks just like the one on my 1098s...How much was it and where did you order it from? | ||
| Pizzaboy |
ohlins uses the identical same damper for all sportbike applications. ive seen it on ducatis and kawasaki's alike. it just looks like they have different mounting provisions. the only place to buy the buell one is from erik buell racing, and the retail cost is 480. other applications are quite a bit more expensive for some reason. ducati:  kawasaki:  | ||
| Jng1226 |
Pizzaboy - I've read reviews of the ZX-10R that said the Ohlins unit Kawasaki uses is valved specifically for their application. In fact, the review I read was not positive, in that the damper did not provide enough stabilizing action on its highest setting. Supposedly the latest version was revalved again because of this complaint. I have had 2 bikes with OEM Ohlins steering dampers, a 2000 Aprilia RSV Mille R and a 2007 MV Agusta F4 1000R. On both of these bikes if you set the damper to the highest setting it's like steering with your forks immersed in ultra-thick molasses. I usually run the F4 in 3 out from full-soft and don't have headshake issues, even with the ride height adjusted high for aggressive steering. I'm wondering for the cost and complexity of the E-B-R Ohlins kit if the GPR rotary steering damper is a better bet. I think the best would be the Scotts rotary with adjustable sweep, but according to another thread the mounting hardware has to be fabricated for the 1125 and I don't have those capabilities. | ||
| Pizzaboy |
it wouldnt surprise me that they use some different valving on different applications.. definitely would make sense if they were mounted in a different fashion -such as side mounted to the frame versus over the triple tree versus under the triple tree. mechanical leverage im sure has a lot to do with it. if you google "ohlins [insert bike brand here] steering damper", many different pics will come up including different length models of the unit. i misspoke a bit saying that theyre all the same... i meant that they have the same general overall appearance. probably all the same body for each application, but it would make sense that they change the internals on them from time to time. the Erik Buell Racing steering damper in my opinion is priced right; however i found mine in the classifieds section as a race bike take off for like 300. installation was relatively painless, though i consider myself a bit more mechanically inclined than many of my friends. it took me under 2 hours and a 20oz mountain dew to install mine - with no directions, and having to take it back off a couple times before figuring out how it was supposed to be installed. had i had access to better 'installed 1125 pics' than the 2 i found on badweb, i wouldnt have had to spend so much time putting it on, and it would have been about a 35 minute install. the dude i bought it from also sent me a spacer i didnt need, and i was short one bolt which i had to make a special trip to the hardware store for. i hope that the pics i posted above will help future people who dont have directions a little bit easier than i had to! the unit has 20 adjustment clicks, and i run mine at 8 from the most firm on the street, and 4 or 5 from most firm on the track. the forks take a L-O-N-G time to turn in its most firm setting, and its very firm in its upper 3rd range. at the first 5 lightest settings, it feels as though its not doing anything. i am so used to it now that i would freak out if i was going to ride a bike that didnt have a dampened front end. its a dramatic difference it took about two sessions of track times before i got used to the damper, and after that, it shaved off atleast 3 seconds average from my mid to fast b group pace. its an instant confidence booster when the front end gets off the ground out of a corner | ||
| Pizzaboy |
** pretty cool that the pics i posted of my damper above are all just from my iphone 3GS!!! they look pretty darn good! | ||
| Attweco |
+1 for the great pics, Pizzaboy. BTW, American Sports Bike sells both the Buell/Ohlins kit, as well as the GPR kit, for the 1125R. After seeing and riding a friend's 1125R equipped with the GPR damper, if I had it to do over again, I'd go with the GPR, IMO. But, Buell/Ohlins or GPR, they both do the job. | ||
| Attweco |
Here's the how-to for the GPR damper: http://badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290431/ 489713.html | ||
| Jng1226 |
Attweco - killer DIY, thanks for the link! JNG | ||
| Jackgraves |
My GPR rocks and was on in less than 20 minutes. | ||
| Al_lighton |
We don't have any more of the Ohlins units, I'm afraid. Just the GPRs... Al | ||
| Jackgraves |
I bought mine from Al at American Sport Bike. Along with blue race pegs, blue windshield spare left and right pod. I'll post pics if you guys want, way easier to adjust its right Infront of you vs the ohlins. (Message edited by jackgraves on August 17, 2010) |
