Aftermarket steering dampers

[mattcfish]

I think the general opinion is that the stock steering dampers on airheads are pretty much useless...especially after 36 years. I know that Ohlins makes some high quality dampers at a high quality price. I noticed many cheap aftermarket dampers out there (some even come with a free Ohlins sticker http://www.ebay.com/itm/330MM-Motorcycl ... 3a70248b1f ). Could these cheap aftermarket dampers actually be an improvement over the old stock unit? I reallize that they don't fit in the stock location, brackets need to be installed to get them to work, but at the $30.00 price you could buy several spares at the BMW or Ohlins price.
Any experience with different dampers on airheads? Opinions about usefulness/performance?

[melville]

I considered mounting a stock damper directly to the lower triple, using a second ball stud and with the existing R&P hole tapped to 6X1. It would have worked, but the travel of the stock damper was insufficient to allow the stock steering stops to engage. Also, I would have lost adjustability. I think I ran through this idea on the old board, if the archive is functioning.

Here's the frame side ball stud mounted directly in the lower triple if the above didn't make sense:



Looks like I was wearing tie-dye that day....

I looked into other dampers and found a small Ceriani damper had the length and travel necessary to make it happen. I inquired of Storz (the vendor) and they said the usual application for that unit is some modern Ducati. I'd have to tap that same hole in the lower triple out to 8mm, and get an 8mm stud on the triple clamp and at the frame mount. As the damper was $300-400ish, I decided I could wait until I'd ridden the thing to see if I really needed a damper.

Checking your link, the same vendor looks to offer several sizes of these CHEEP dampers--you might see if any fit my idea and report back.

[mattcfish]

Actually I as thinking of mounting it to the frame tube and one of the forks. Sort of like this picture.

[melville]

But everyone does it that way!

[dougie]

Great price - if it is an Ohlins and not a copy.

[melville]

http://www.storzperf.com/jpgs/page18.html

IIRC it's the SD-68 that looked like it might work. Not sure how those knock-off folks were measuring, but maybe their 270mm unit?

[Motorhead]

I once took apart the orginal damper and rebuilt it with Mercon

I added it and pumped it until it quit pushing fluid out I kept it with the fluid side I added up, this will help figure how much you need

and Like a fellow in 5United I sealed it with JB weld the Mercon took care of the seal

Currently I have a aftermarket copy and I think my Home crap one worked better...............

I had the personality of one stroke little and the next harder

[Major Softie]

There are three factors that come to mind: the actual performance of the hydraulic unit, how long it lasts, and the quality of the associated hardware. Fit is, of course, important as well, but I think we are already acknowledging that you're going to have to customize a unit made for something else.

No $30 unit is going to have very good hardware, and even a good hydraulic unit with sloppy mechanical joints would give a horrible riding experience. If the hydraulic unit does not have a nice range of adjustment, then you need some mechanical adjustment to be able to change the mechanical advantage. A really wide range of hydraulic adjustment can make that unnecessary.

How long a cheap unit lasts is pretty much a crapshoot. Could be junk that dies in weeks, might last for years.

[mattcfish]

Price aside, has anyone upgraded there damper to something that works better than stock? What advantages did it produce on an airhead?

[mattcfish]

Great price - if it is an Ohlins and not a copy.

I doubt the sticker is even genuin.