Steering dampener-ectomy

[deilenberger]

+2 on the damper staying on. I had one incident of instability on the R12R where it was pretty obvious why the damper is there. It was at speed (80mph) on the NJ Turnpike, in heavy rain (and you can't slow down - you'd be run over..) I was switching lanes and as I passed over the painted lines - I got a very quick 1-2-3 sort of tank slapper. It stopped as quick as it started after I cleared the lines - but it sure got my attention.

I've given thought to getting a HyperPro adjustable one (I know it fits since Klaus used my bike to design the thing..) There are times where I feel a tiny bit more damping might be to my advantage.

[Sander Abernathy]

I got my bike (my first bike) in mid-April. The first week of May, a traffic control device had come loose and was in the middle of the lane I was travelling in. The traffic control device was a white half dome made of concrete or cement with a reflector recessed into one side. It was about the size of one-half of a volleyball.

I was preoccupied with a car in front of me that was changing lanes. I only saw the concrete dome when it was about 10 yards in front of me and I was going between 50 and 65 mph. I hit it just right of center. It bent both the edge and interior wall of the front wheel.

The bar was pulled out of my left hand but my right hand stayed on. Before, when and after I hit there was no doubt in my mind that I was coming off the bike. The bars probably moved from 12:00 straight-ahead to no more than 1:00 and then straightened back out. I never left my lane. I credit the damper with saving me a spill that day. Frankly, I'm amazed that the bike barely went off-line

I can understand that the steering damper makes the steering frustratingly heavy if one spends a few hours doing slow speed manuevers in a parking lot. Unless you plan to primarily use your bike for that purpose in the future, I would keep the steering damper on the bike. Once the bike is up-to-speed I don't think the steering is heavy at all and I don't see any advantage in taking it off.

[ka5ysy]

Making the front end light is really easy in 2nd gear - just twist that thing on the right side of the bars as far as you can quickly. Front end becomes real light, almost airborne.

It also will do it in 3rd. Had to light the burners to avoid getting squashed by a merging idiot on her cellphone, and did a nice wheelie


Lawyer hat on : Removal of a safety device placed by the manufacturer would give me a great argument for the insurance company to deny coverage for a "modified" bike. If the bike happened to cause damage or injury to person(s) I could make a good argument for gross negligence of the owner.

If there is constant drag on the bars, the device is defective. It should only function with rapid motion. Get to a dealer and have the thing replaced properly. Mine works fine, and I use the bike to demo the MSF "box" and cone weaves without any difficulty.

[celticus]

So, What is the word of the Steering Damper-ectomy? How many have done it? How many have done and put it back on? Long distance impressions?

Mark

So we've heard from folks who have NOT taken theirs off.
Now how about anyone who HAS taken theirs off.

Mark

[Mollygrubber]

So we've heard from folks who have NOT taken theirs off.
Now how about anyone who HAS taken theirs off.

Mark

Well, I did about 5000 miles without it. Never had any reason to re-install it, steady as a rock and I rode in ALL conditions including very cold rain on the highway infested with tar snakes. Maybe I was lucky but there ya' go. FWIW, there IS a drag throughout it's stroke at low speed, albeit not very strong when you factor in the leverage from the bars. Pull it off and extend and retract it by hand a few times, it's definitely a workout. I agree most people would never notice it during "normal" riding, but I was riding cone patterns for hours at a time.

I put it back on before I sold it, of course...

[lewellen]

I took the MSF basic course a couple of weekends ago, and wound up riding my R1200R for the course. (Long story ... Navy requirements.)

While I didn't notice an issue with bar leverage and turning at low speeds (which the course gave me a real polishing-up on - taking it on my own bike was great for that), what I *did* notice was that the steering lock is different to the right and the left. Noticeably so.

Maybe this was something that everyone else already knew, but... *shrug*

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[Mollygrubber]

what I *did* notice was that the steering lock is different to the right and the left. Noticeably so.
- Lewellen

... hmmm, I have to admit I didn't notice that. Thinking about it, I'm not sure how that is even possible, as I'm pretty sure there is freeplay in the steering dampener at both locks...

[lewellen]

... hmmm, I have to admit I didn't notice that. Thinking about it, I'm not sure how that is even possible, as I'm pretty sure there is freeplay in the steering dampener at both locks...

Might not be the damper; other options include either the intrinsic design, or manufacturing tolerances on the steering head, or...?

I noticed it in the basic "turn the bike around" maneuver. Go full-lock right and push 1/4 away around a circle. Then go full-lock left, for 3/4 of a circle, and you should wind up aimed right back where you started from. I consistently came out a couple of feet to the right of the line that would put me back in the right spot ... indicating the steering lock is asymmetric, and not as wide to the left.

It bothered me enough that I got very careful at checking my starting and right-to-left-lock transitions. It was quite consistent.

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[ka5ysy]

I noticed it in the basic "turn the bike around" maneuver. Go full-lock right and push 1/4 away around a circle. Then go full-lock left, for 3/4 of a circle, and you should wind up aimed right back where you started from. I consistently came out a couple of feet to the right of the line that would put me back in the right spot ... indicating the steering lock is asymmetric, and not as wide to the left.

It bothered me enough that I got very careful at checking my starting and right-to-left-lock transitions. It was quite consistent.

Good roads,

- Lewellen

Lewellen I assume that you were doing the duck walk of the bike in MSF exercise 2 (the back and forth across the range for clutch control practice)?

I see this a lot on my BRC classes with smaller bikes than the RR, but probably the same thing occurs: most people will lean a bike slightly more one way or the other when doing this. Since the radius of the turn is related to the lean angle as always, the small difference will account for the drift right when making the 270 degree left turn. It can also happen if the bike is not stopped at 90 degrees right initially, or you manage to make a really good right turn close to the stop cone. The starting distance from the cone behind you at the beginning of the 270 turn effects the landing position.

If the maneuver is correctly performed, you should have stopped with the cone on your left a couple of feet, and end up a couple of feet from the cone facing back across the range a couple of feet from the cone again on your left. It is not really designed to put you back in the exact track you came across before the 90 degree turn but keep you to the right of the target cone at each end. It also provides separation of the bikes in case somebody gets out of control. It sounds from your description that you were performing the turnaround perfectly.


I'm also curious why they were doing a BRC with bikes larger than 500cc. The RR definitely does not fit the requirement for a BRC!. Must be a military only course due to the DoD directive that everybody doing any kind of military duty and riding must have an MSF card? I bet the ABS impressed everyone on the stops too!

[gibbo111]

I've given thought to getting a HyperPro adjustable one (I know it fits since Klaus used my bike to design the thing..) [quote][/quote] Hey there Don could you give me the model no of this damper as I want to put one on my bike .Thanks Paul

[TT RDHS]

I've given thought to getting a HyperPro adjustable one (I know it fits since Klaus used my bike to design the thing..)

Hey there Don could you give me the model no of this damper as I want to put one on my bike .Thanks Paul

http://www.hyperprousa.com/catalog.php? ... M%20mount)

[hoflix]

+21346 on keeping it ON, definitely.

But if you really must.... there's few adjustable ones on ebay that look OK to me... some guy in Thailand sells them.
I can't post item numbers, since they are going to expire, but the seller's name is "gamera_speed'.
Shipped to US it's just under 50 bucks apparently


any volunteers? i'd like to see a review....


oh yeah... disclaimer: i'm not affliated in any way, bla bla bla

[deilenberger]

I can't post item numbers, since they are going to expire, but the seller's name is "gamera_speed'.

From Ebay: "The seller UserID you entered was not found.".. auction numbers will work since we can search for completed auctions.

[waynemathews]

I can't post item numbers, since they are going to expire, but the seller's name is "gamera_speed'.

From Ebay: "The seller UserID you entered was not found.".. auction numbers will work since we can search for completed auctions.

Tryhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/STEERING ... 410wt_1165

[Bill Stevenson]

Interesting question and exchange of views. Having read everyone's opinion and after some thought, I am going to side with the conservative group and leave my steering damper in place. Not on this bike, but I have experienced a tank slapper and it ain't no fun. In my case it happened on a mountain road with an undulating surface while leaned way over, going way too fast. It could be predicted that on a high speed two lane road at speed a large truck passing in the opposite direction the wind wash could cause a wobble. Uneven road surfaces in a construction zone, crossing railroad tracks, an grated bridge, and so forth are all encounters beyond normal that could cause instability. Don's point about uneven tire wear is also a variable to be taken into account. All of these possibilities and more are far more likely to be encountered than a three and a half hour cone weave exercise for me. All things considered my damper stays put. Thanks for the question and exchange, I never gave any of this thought before. This forum is really great.

Bill

[deilenberger]

Tryhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/STEERING ... 410wt_1165

Wayne, thanks. Got it.. it looks just a tad questionable to me. Steering dampers are pretty much mission critical, not to say BMW is perfect since they had a series of them where the shaft plating started coming off and locking them up..

Thanks again!

[blueviewlaguna]

not to say BMW is perfect since they had a series of them where the shaft plating started coming off and locking them up..

Now THAT is a nasty failure mode - when was this?

[deilenberger]

not to say BMW is perfect since they had a series of them where the shaft plating started coming off and locking them up..

Now THAT is a nasty failure mode - when was this?

There is a recall notice out on it. The NTSB website probably has it.. dunno the VIN#'s or production dates - but mine wasn't in the range. I believe some R12R's are.

[ShinySideUp]

I've given thought to getting a HyperPro adjustable one (I know it fits since Klaus used my bike to design the thing..)

Well rats! I tried to install the Hyperpro steering damper and it doesn't freakin' fit!

First, they sent me a mounting kit for the GS even though my order and the invoice clearly showed R1200R with the OEM mount kit. I called. They sent me the correct mount and a return label for the GS kit which I've returned.

So today, eager to install a replacement for the BMW damper which has started to feel too loose on a number of leaned-over turns, I had to start by removing the wheel to get to the fender bolts to remove the fender.

I get it all mounted up, and the fork tube hits the damper body well before the fork hits the left steering stop. This means (besides damaging the damper over time) that I can't lock my fork with the wheel turned to the left, the much more stable side.

I tried adjusting the position of the clamp on the damper body from the recommended 22 mm from the end and even with it pulled back so that the back of the body is but 1 mm from the rod end cap at right steering lock position, the fork tube still impacts the damper body at left lock.

I just tried calling Hyperpro and of course they are closed on weekends. So now I have to put the bike all back together with the BMW damper back in place. I'm NOT a happy camper!

[thepeacebullgrunt]

Recently I noticed few nasty rust point on the unused area of the chromed stick of my Steering dampener... (may upload pics soon)

I know I am kind of a "slob" when it come to clean my bike or proceed scheduled detail cleaning. I am everyday near the ocean so one might help the other or am I wrong ?

Do you have the same rust points in this area ?