Steering dampener-ectomy

[Mollygrubber]

I spent last Saturday in a parking lot with a bunch of traffic cones, doing some pretty tight cone patterns. After about 3 1/2 hours, I was dripping with sweat and exhausted. After considering how much effort I expended, I decided to see what removing the steering dampener would do. Well! This thing steers as light as a feather now! I haven't actually ridden any distance yet since I removed it, but the ride into work tomorrow should be telling. I don't think it would be a good day to break into the '150 club', however.

There may actually be some benefit to the dampener, besides a good upper body workout, but for a bike like this, and the way I ride it, I'll be damned if I know what it is. Anybody else pull theirs off (before it got all rusty and stopped working, that is)? Seems to me it's a bit of an appendix, and it must weigh 2 or 3 pounds.

Peter

[gibbo111]

I havent had a steering damper on mine since I bought it at 3500km , now at 23000km and have never had the slightest shake or lose or whatever with it . Was thinking of putting a hyper pro on it when I replace the shocks with hyper pros at around 30000km but I really wonder if it needs it . A mate rode it once and he is the maddest rider I know and he didnt get any lightness from the front end at all, he has a 1150r and rides it to the absolute limit. Mine was broken by the first owner after a small off. I had mine to 220kmh with panniers on recently and it was like it was on rails( im 55!!}

[celticus]

I have never given it any thought. Taking off the steering damper. I Guess I never noticed that the steering was at all heavy either. Please keep us apprised of your findings.

Mark

[Mollygrubber]

Still like a rock on the highway at 140kph (90mph), but noticeably lighter steering in fast lock-to-lock transitions at low speed. Mine's staying off.

Peter

[deilenberger]

Mine is staying on. I had one incident of head-shake which was unnerving. It was in pouring rain on the NJ Turnpike at about 80MPH, as I crossed over a dashed lane marking. Without the steering damper I suspect I would have been in trouble.

BMW isn't noted for putting things on the bikes that (1) cost them money and are (2) useless. (We'll leave the charcoal cannister out of the discussion, that's caused by California..) I strongly suspect there is a reason beyond decoration that the steering damper is on the bike. Might not bite you immediately - but IMHO it increases the possibilities of being bitten, which I won't do. If mine crapped out, I'd look at a HyperPro.

BTW - some of the dampers were recalled for becoming overly stiff due to a defective plating on the damper shaft. Worth checking with your dealer if yours is one of the ones covered.

[tinytrains]

I can not tell you why BMW installed it, but as a design engineer, I can tell you a manufacturer looks for every penny to shave of a product and still meet the performance and marketing goals. BMW obviously thinks it needs to be there. I would guess there are certain front end loading conditions where head shake "may" occur.

Mine will stay on as I don't care to play test pilot.

Scott

[Mollygrubber]

BTW - some of the dampers were recalled for becoming overly stiff due to a defective plating on the damper shaft. Worth checking with your dealer if yours is one of the ones covered.

Pushing the piston through it's full range of travel by hand is consistently smooth, but there is a lot of resistance. It would be nice if it was speed sensitive like the Honda sportbike version, then it would be no issue. The plating looks perfect so far, and I suspect it's operating 'properly'.

I've had a couple of 'moments' with low temperature-wet road-tar snakes on the highway, but it's always been the rear end that was loose. There may be times when I'm glad it's installed, but until I'm done my motorcop style cone nightmare course I'm leaving it off. I'll just have to avoid WFO crossed-up wheelies coming out of corners for a month. As to BMW not adding devices that are unneccesary and needlessly costly, power brakes spring to mind...

Peter

[Tarmac]

If you ride like a old man, you'll probably never miss it.

If you ever get into a tankslapper without it, you will wish you had it.

You could try replacing it with a fully adjustable unit, im not sure who makes one.

FYI: I've been goofing with seating postions, and if I scoot my ass all the way back, I can definitly feel the front getting lighter.

[peckhammer]

If you ride like a old man, you'll probably never miss it.

If you ever get into a tankslapper without it, you will wish you had it.

Agreed. I've read that it also works to stabilize the bike when hard on the brakes or over uneven surfaces.

>--
Peckhammer

[Matt]

I rarely post here, but a friend died last year in a fatal motorcycle accident. Eye witneses described what could only of been tank slap as he struggled to controll the bike before hitting a lamp post. If only his bike was fitted with a steering damper.

Be cautious before removing a safety device.

[deilenberger]

If you ride like a old man, you'll probably never miss it.

If you ever get into a tankslapper without it, you will wish you had it.

You could try replacing it with a fully adjustable unit, im not sure who makes one.

Hyperpro.. my bike was the fitting test for it.. (even though I put the stock one back on..)

FYI: I've been goofing with seating postions, and if I scoot my ass all the way back, I can definitly feel the front getting lighter.

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.

[Mollygrubber]

Well I've still got some of my peg feelers left, and a 1/4" chicken strip - I guess I qualify as riding like an old man. I feel brave today, I'll assume the risk of riding without a steering dampener. Just like on my FZ750's. And every other bike I've ever owned.

Peter

[deilenberger]

Just an aside on this..

Rode (as usual) to work. On the way home - I started hearing a loud humming noise, that seemed to go with the speed of the bike (not engine or tranny related.. not brakes..) and the bike started handling squirrely, felt almost like a low pressure tire on turns.

Got home and took a good look at the front tire (Pilot-Road-II). It has about 11k miles on it now, and I have a new set sitting waiting to go on.. but the front tire had developed a ridge on either side of center, much like my rear has done several times. The ridges weren't uniform, it was thicker near one side of the sipes and thinner near the other - so it was lumpy ridges.. and my immediate suspicion was they were making the loud humming noise, and causing the bike to feel very squirrely on any sort of corner.

So - since I'm waiting on replacement tire-pressure-sensors from Zadi before I change the tires, I used my other fix-it technique. Got out the floor jack, jacked the front up about an inch off the floor and attacked the ridges with 80 grit in my belt sander. I could feel the lumpy ridge as the belt sander ground it away, and could see where the high spot was on each sipe edge. Took about 30 minutes of grinding, but I ended up with a roundish tire again, without lumps in it. Since I had the sander out anyway - I also touched up the rear tire (which wasn't all that bad - it has been worse - and ground off - several times..)

Went out for a ride - the bike was back. Handling felt great again and no loud hummmmmmmmmmm..

Anyway - I suspect the steering damper helps in controlling the squirrely feeling, but after a point, when you have to ride up on a lumpy ridge to make a turn, it's past even what the damper can help with.

I suspect I'll see > 12,000 miles out of this set of tires (my Conti Road-Attacks were 6,000 mile tires..) so I can't complain. If anyone mentions a noisy front Michelin (I've seen it mentioned before) - belt sander is the way to quiet them down again.

[Mollygrubber]

I suspect I'll see > 12,000 miles out of this set of tires (my Conti Road-Attacks were 6,000 mile tires..) so I can't complain.

That's 12,000 miles including all the miles you've belt sanded onto your garage floor... impressive

[deilenberger]

That's 12,000 miles including all the miles you've belt sanded onto your garage floor... impressive

Yup.. The pile of rubber dust isn't too big. What's interesting is the composition of the rubber really becomes apparent when it's sanded - it seems to actually have some materials embedded in it, probably silica particles (which help with wet grip..)

These tires would be real winners if I lived someplace with some curves... they were wonderful in West Virginia and on the Blue Ridge (and the secret great road in VA - the BlueGrass Trail..) Just need more turns to keep the ridges from building up.

Oh of note - If I didn't have a new one sitting waiting to go on, the rear tire still has enough rubber on it that I'm sure it could easily well outlast the front (probably get to 14k easily) - and that's a first for me. I've always worn out the rears first.

[Mollygrubber]

These tires would be real winners if I lived someplace with some curves... they were wonderful in West Virginia and on the Blue Ridge (and the secret great road in VA - the BlueGrass Trail..) Just need more turns to keep the ridges from building up.

I bet the new ones will get a workout around Redmond this summer...

[deilenberger]

I bet the new ones will get a workout around Redmond this summer...

Unfortunately - due to this thing called work, Redmond isn't on the calendar.. but the RA in Vermont is, I know that area fairly well and there are some really fun roads there. Not straight roads. Not flat roads. Fun roads. It looks like I can retire in about a year - which will free up lots of long-ride time.

[Mollygrubber]

I bet the new ones will get a workout around Redmond this summer...

Unfortunately - due to this thing called work, Redmond isn't on the calendar.. but the RA in Vermont is, I know that area fairly well and there are some really fun roads there. Not straight roads. Not flat roads. Fun roads. It looks like I can retire in about a year - which will free up lots of long-ride time.

That's too bad, I was looking forward to making your acquaintance there. Well one of your long rides could be up to BC, you'll find some VERY fun roads here! Stop in for a cuppa...

Peter

[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

[r12gecko]

Be interesting to know the physics of a tank-slapper.

My damper stays on - I'm with those who've noted BMW would not go to the trouble of fitting it if there weren't some sound engineering and experience calling for the investment.