[badkitty]

Can anyone tell me what this is and what it does. Is it something i should think about for my bike at all?

 

[Novaz3]

a steering damper helps to keep your bike stable when riding over things such as bumps, it basically will help keep you bike upright vs following the contour of the rode.Kinda like a stabilizer

 

[Clint]

It's a laterally mounted shock absorber connecting the steering head to the frame. It prevents the dreaded "tank slapper", caused by steep fork angles, low trail, or poor technique. Most street bikes have them from the factory if they need them. Your Kat should have mild enough steering geometry that you won't need it unless you do a lot of stunting. If so, consider installing a stupidity damper.

Here's a photo.

 

[badkitty]

lol...no stupidity damper needed here.

 

[Guest]

like if you hit a big pothole without one, your wheel could dash tpo the side real quickly and cause you to wreck. with one it wont let the wheel do that because it wont let it turn too fast.

 

[Fox]

What a steering damper does is it deduces the possibility of tank slaps/head shakes but not eliminate it completely from happening. Usually in most cases, hitting a pothole or a ripple won't cause head shakes if your gradually accelerating or holding your current speed. It usually occurs when the front forks are extended and the bike is accelerating hard, most of the weight is on the back and front is very light.

Under hard acceleration, hitting a ripple will cause the forks to compress, slightly off centering the front wheel. Then, your forks unload, decompress, centering the wheel, but not completely straight. Then, while the wheel is slightly off centered, the forks compress once again hitting a ripple/pothole imperfection on the road. This process repeats itself causing the handle bars to shake, front end, your arms, your head, your shoulders, and if you attempt to correct it by excerting your upper body strength, tightening your forearms, hands, shoulders, the wobbly travels through the rider and the whole bike becomes unstable.

If such stiffness can cause the whole bike to become unstable, is it possible that if the steering damper is on too tight or on the wrong place, it can have the same effect. Yes it can. I'm not a big fan of steering dampers mounted at the top of the steering head attached to the top of the frame. They work best, when its mounted at the mid-section of the forks and when they are not on too tight.

From my experience, I never had tank slaps or head shakes just cruising around at lesiure. It happened to me twice when, throttle was pinned, and my most recent crash, off roading on my Gixx.

 

[Guest]

. It happened to me twice when, throttle was pinned, and my most recent crash, off roading on my Gixx.

did you watch torque once too many times? or are you one crazy mamma jamma?

 

[Fox]

. It happened to me twice when, throttle was pinned, and my most recent crash, off roading on my Gixx.

did you watch torque once too many times? or are you one crazy mamma jamma?

Not crazy like those idiots on torque.

Umm hmm, it was an action taken to evade gravel on the road. The cushy wet grass was much better crash site, both for me and the bike.

 

[Guest]

oh OH! good idea, ill remember that if that ever happens to me.

 

[Fox]

Remember it was an attempt, a failed attempt. I crashed. I didn't want to embarrass myself more than I had to but guess I'll to explain myself now.

 

[87gsxrnut]

Only place I ever needed one was on the racetrack. On the street, naaah, and I ride plenty fast there too. Most people make the classic mistake during headshake by tightening the grip on the bars and chopping the throttle.

This is what usually forces the bike into a tank slapper.

Instead, you need to do the opposite. GAS IT and loosen your grip on the bars (your grip should be fairly loose in the first place).

The only way to get good practical experience and practice in doing this is on the racetrack where the bike is constantly being pushed.

- Nut