Steering Damper

[kat]

Can anyone recommend a decent steering damper for a SV650S? Preferably under £150. The only one they had in the shop I went to was an Ohlins one for £350, which I can't really afford!

[papasmurf]

Originally Posted by kat

Can anyone recommend a decent steering damper for a SV650S? Preferably under £150. The only one they had in the shop I went to was an Ohlins one for £350, which I can't really afford!

One solution in the M&P catalogue is a replica Kawasaki one for about £40, (if you can fit with a few clamps and bolts.)
IF you can find somewhere to hang it and you don't mind what it looks like, a Volkswagen Beetle 1973 version onwards steering damper is about £30 brand new. and a couple of racing car track rod ends from the Demon Tweeke catalogue are about £7 each. M&P do a wide range of front fork mountings for steering dampers for a few quid each.
Be advised these dampers are NOT adjustable and make the steering VERY heavy at a standstill.

[Rerb]

A question for you Kat,

Was the bike brand new or second hand?

If the bike is second hand could someone have fiddled with the suspension settings?
Before splashing out I would make sure there isn't a problem that a damper would just mask.

[deano]

I've never ridden a bike with a damper and from what I've read, they're a "must have" which you probably "don't need". certainly for my level of riding I won't be considering one

[BLACKPANTHER]

Do you need one on an SV650? Their main aim is to prevent tank slappers ( and screwing up slow speed steering with the cheepo S.D's ), so if you had a very light, very powerful sportsbike, R1, ZX10R, then maybe it'd come in handy, but ( and no disrespect ) I wouldn't have thought you'd need one. If it's more for show, then you're better off saving up and getting a high spec one.

[kat]

Yeah the only reason I'm thinking of getting one is that my friend just had a nasty accident on her Z750 which was caused by a tank slapper. I know that SV650's aren't exactly renowned for tank slapping, but I would have thought it could happen to any bike, and there are some really bumpy roads round where I live, so its just to be on the safe side.
One more thing I forgot to ask, do steering dampers affect the handling of the bike at all?

[papasmurf]

Originally Posted by kat

Yeah the only reason I'm thinking of getting one is that my friend just had a nasty accident on her Z750 which was caused by a tank slapper.

If you get a "tank slapper" do not throttle off, gently apply the back brake, this should stop the tank slapper, then you can stop normally and change your underwear.

[BLACKPANTHER]

Originally Posted by papasmurf

If you get a "tank slapper" do not throttle off, gently apply the back brake, this should stop the tank slapper, then you can stop normally and change your underwear.

Tell this bloke that Papa!

YouTube - Crash: Isle of Man

I think nearly everyone who thinks they've saved a 'tankslapper' really just had a bit of a bumpy moment. Once the bars start going full lock to the stoppers ten times a second, it's all over. It's never happened to me, but I always buy heavy bikes, which don't seem to have these problems. Just remembered you're on dial up Papa, so for your benefit, the vid shows a particularly bad tank slapper on the Isle of Man.

[papasmurf]

Originally Posted by BLACKPANTHER

It's never happened to me, but I always buy heavy bikes, which don't seem to have these problems.

Long wheel base bikes are most prone to tankslappers. I have had a full on let go of the handlebars tankslapper before your wrists get broken on the K75S. Fortunately I was in the process of getting the sidecar running properly I was not going fast so nothing too drastic accident wise happened except inside my underpants.
After I had got the sidecar set up properly I fitted steering damper as advised by an expert.
(The outfit still will try to tank slap even with the steering damper if you give it a huge handful of throttle in 1st or 2nd gear.)

[argila00]

Shit! What causes that?