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How many of you run dampers?

T

t-jet-tim

Joined Jan 2004
695 Posts | 0+
USA
How many of you run dampers?I raised the fork
tubes up a little in the clamps,with the damper it
steers great.What is the limit without a damper
before it starts steering like a KTM?(headshake)
 
Dampers?

Hi, t-jet-tim....
Running a Scotts on my '98 fc. Mostly woods riding here in Maine, not many wide open trails, lots of rocks, roots and tree stumps, so speeds tend to be below the headshake threshhold, BUT.... front wheel always being banged around, with me along for the ride (crash!!) on more than one occasion 8O !! Damper really cuts down the jitterbugging and sidehopping, helps cut down fatigue-related, uh, "incidents"!!!
Gary, in Maine
 
I used a steering dampner from 1992 to 2002, but now it just sets in the shop. I've really seen no reason to run one on my 'berg, it doesn't headshake, and rocks and roots don't seem to deflect the front end and yank the bars.
 
I've been running a Scott's since '99. I never really noticed any headshake without it, but the Scott's helps when going through the many rock gardens in our local desert. It seems most effective at mid range speeds. Slow speeds give lots of times to react and high speeds are stable, its the 40mph rock washes where it helps me.
 
I have a Scott's on my 98, and ran a WER on one of my KTMs. I really notice the difference when running offroad races. They keep my hands from bleeding so bad at the finish line :oops: My newer bikes are bare, but I haven't been racing for a while either.
 
Dito DezDuster,

I own a SCOTTS damper and I can tell a big difference in the mid-speed rocky terrain. It can be set up for low speed impacts as well as high speed impacts but I have found no reason to do so. Husaberg is strong, stable, and sure footed at high speeds as well as low. Riding in the dunes is where the damper really shines. When putting that much HP to the rear tire it searches for traction all over the place and the front end will drift through the lines left from other bikes tires. When moving really fast the bike can dance violently and the SCOTTS has toned it down considerably. Worth their weight in gold IMHO.

Regards,
Sandskipper
 
Tim, I have been running a WER for a couple of years. Early this year I blew the seal and the oil leaked out. The bike developed a nasty shudder when landing a high speed jump. I found out the damper was working I guess.
 
I just recently got a GPR stabilizer so I don't have too much experience with it. I never really noticed any head shake in the bike to begin with. I have really noticed the most improvement over stray rocks in the trails and in the really badly whooped out sections of a trail. It seems to hold better lines without the deflection I seemed to get before the stabilizer. Well worth the money to me. :eek:
 
I run a Scott damper on my fs650e 2004, I have dropped the forks through 15mm.
I am also running a 120/70 front tyre instead of the standard 120/60.
The improvement is unbelievable. It feels as solid as my Aprilia RSV 1000.
I would totally recommend it.
8)
 
I had a KTM 520 before I went to Husaberg fe650. The KTM needed a steering damper so bad, I can see why the Scotts damper was voted the best new product of the year. I ended up putting the damper on my H-berg after riding it a bit without one on and in most conditions except for deep snow or sand, I would rather not have it on at all. the steering with the counterbalancer alone kicks ***.
 
I've been running the same Scott's steering damper since 99. Had the oil changed once in it and the guys at the shop said the oil came out fine. And no other problems.

I really like the scott's damper b/c of it's adjustability. You can adjust the amount of damping in regards to the sweep of the bars as well as high and low speed. I run my high speed setting with the stock settings, and the low speed I run at 1 & 1/2 turns out in the tighter sections. And for the really fast valleys 50mph +, I set it at 1 turn out, or even 3/4 of a turn out I have found that these settings help to keep the fatigue down.
 
t-jet-tim said:
How many of you run dampers?I raised the fork
tubes up a little in the clamps,with the damper it
steers great.What is the limit without a damper
before it starts steering like a KTM?(headshake)
Click to expand...

If you set up the suspension correctly I don't think you need a damper but it's depends on your riding condition as well.
 
Scotts

I found this article on the Scotts which helped me to decide which one.
The GPR with the lower bar clamps looks cool but I like the more adjustable Scotts.

Dirtbikedepot
 
mikst said:
If you set up the suspension correctly I don't think you need a damper but it's depends on your riding condition as well.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true. If your suspension is set correctly you don't need a damper. However most riders don't have the foggiest idea on how to properly set-up suspension. Secondly, if your suspension is correct they still help stave off fatigue and unexpected impacts (this is why dampers like the Scott's have a high-speed circuit).

I beleive the key is to get the suspension as good as you can then add the damper!!!!
 

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