[monoog]

Hey out there,

Here is a noob question. I understand what the the steering damper does, but where or when would you want to really stiffen the steering. On full setting the damper barely allows the front end to turn. How stiff would you want the front end?

cheers

 

[lee]

I guess it all depends on how fast you're going to be going, if you're going to wheelie at speed whatever might bring the onset of "headshake". I've set mine at about the mid point and can feel the "drag" in the damper but yet can still turn the forks without alot of effort. Hopefully that will allow me to manuever and damp any oscillations. It's a personal preference thing and what makes you comfortable.

Every time I look at yor Avatar it reminds me of McQueen in "The Great Escape".

Jumped any fences lately?

 

[monoog]

Thanks for the answer cloudrider. That's where the avatar came from. It's a still from The Great Escape. That's what started the whole bike thing for me. I saw the movie when I was about 12 and then it was a countdown until I could buy a bike, which I did at 16. After that movie I couldn't think about anything else besides bikes, well maybe girls.

cheers

 

[lee]

I'll be damned. No wonder it reminded me. For me it was "Easy Rider". Walked out of the theater and was done for. Bought a '48 HD Pan and chopped it. Horrible bike but I've been doing it ever since.

Lee

 

[Visitor Q]

Stunters crack it up real high to keep the front wheel strait when doing certain tricks so that they can remove their hands from the bike, steer with body weight and balance.

I like the adjustably of the Ohlin’s over the stock, customize it to your riding style. I like it stiffer than the stock damper, helps stabilize the bars a bit and helps with vibration.

Also a must for track days!

Jason

 

[gillistheman]

I wouldn't mind the adjuatable damper. I notice when turning, the bars hardly move at all, and if i try to de-celerate during a turn, i get quite a bit of front end wobble. I think i could use it a little bit stiffer for high speed riding. Might be an investment i make.

 

[monoog]

I like the adjustably of the Ohlin’s over the stock, customize it to your riding style. I like it stiffer than the stock damper, helps stabilize the bars a bit and helps with vibration.

Also a must for track days!

Jason

Hey jason, I think that I'll have to play with the damper a bit this spring and maybe get a wee bit of the vibration out. I hadn't really paid much attention to it last year.

Cloudrider

Amazing how much impact a movie can have on a young lad. I watched The Great Escape about 40 times. That fence jump stuck with me for years. My first bike was 175 Kawasaki enduro and I tried jumping everything. I usually ended up on my ass. McQueen was a hellava rider. He was a very respected racer. Didn't do that jump though, in the movie. His buddy Bud Ekins did it. The bike was a 1961 Triumph TR 6 Trophy Bird, stock. Quite a jump in its day.

cheers

 

[Visitor Q]

Hey jason, I think that I'll have to play with the damper a bit this spring and maybe get a wee bit of the vibration out. I hadn't really paid much attention to it last year.

What I would do is go all the way soft with it, click it up 3 position, go for a ride and then make adjustments from there. I am not sure where I have mine set but it’s all what you feel comfortable with.

Jason

 

[monoog]

Thanks VQ, will give it a try.

monoog