Steering damper - whats your setting?

[Guest ratchethack]

My problem is a broken memory

I might give it more than two clicks if I could reliably remember to unclick it.

I've got the memory thing too. But the change in feel at low speeds is an instant reminder. I don't think it's ever caught me off guard...? Judging by the posts here, I reckon I must be the Lone Ranger on this one, too...

[Woodburn]

I have a 2001 and up till last week, I rode with the steering damper on minimum, for the 15,500 miles I've put on the bike. Last week I went into a corner marked 20 mph at about 40. I didn't realize it was wet, unlike the two previous dry turns I had just taken at similar speeds. The bike went sideways, really whipping the tail end out. I managed to regain traction by giving it more gas, but just as soon I thought I was in the clear, the bike went into an uncontrollable oscillation and I ended up sliding down the road on the right side, coming to a stop in mud and leaves on the side of the road. Luckily I didn't get hurt and the bike suffered very minimal damage. (broken front and rear brake levers, bent peg, scraped up mistral pipe, dented headlight ring, and grinded-away cylinder head guard, broken spark plug-- all fixed for under $300) I don't blame the the soft setting on the damper. I still think I could have saved it, if given a few more tries! Anyway, I went riding yesterday for the first time since the incident and I had the damper 8 clicks in just because that oscillation scared the crap out of me and seemingly came out of nowhere. It gave me a sense of security riding yesterday. I'll probably eventually loosen it back up to around 4 clicks in. But no more minimum setting for me, unless I'm just putting around town.

 

By the way, the ride when I crashed was the very first ride on my new Rich Maund seat and with the FBF crossover. Both are awesome! I'll post photos soon. Still need to wash some mud off my bike! Neither of the two new parts were damaged.

[docc]

Yes, the damper is for just these high amplitude (wobble) oscillations .

 

Yet, it may worsen the low amplitude (weave) oscillations at high speed .

[dlaing]

Yes, the damper is for just these high amplitude (wobble) oscillations .

 

Yet, it may worsen the low amplitude (weave) oscillations at high speed .

68128[/snapback]

I can imagine why it works better for the high amplitude but,

why would it worsen low amplitude oscillations?

[docc]

If the suspension can be compliant to inputs , the inputs upset the path of travel less. High damping rates allow air flow, road irregularities and handlebar inputs to limit the bikes ability to 'soak up' these inputs and contribute to the tendency to 'weave' at high speed (above 90 mph).

 

So many V11 riders (especially the '00-'01 sports) have found 'soft' to be more compliant: more stable.

[dlaing]

Interesting!

So, both the suspension and steering damping should be compliant for basically the same reason of reducing the transference of energy to the bike.

It is interesting how that is true, but that the other dynamics are reversed.

In suspension damping, you want the compression damping to actually lessen the higher the velocity is.

In steering damping, you want the damping to increase the higher the velocity is.

On a seperate tangent, does the Bitubo push the handlebar to the left or right?

I seem to recall it pushes the steering as if you were countersteering or pushing with the right hand.

This is observable if you have the bike on a rack with the front wheel in the air.

If this is the case, could the force be strong enough, that I am forced to sit a little to the left of center?????

[docc]

Interesting!

. . .t I am forced to sit a little to the left of center?????

68166[/snapback]

 

 

No, no, you could follow Carl and Al and move out of California.

[mdude]

its not the Dark force that pushes the bike off centre, its the force of the longitudinally mounted crankshaft. if it rotated the other way it would push the bike the other way too, if it had balance axels it would have been neutral. similar effect is found on Beemers. the steering damper is passive.

 

A neighbour of mine once stuffed a huge 3 litre engine into a tiny Fiat 500, the engine stuck way out of the back and the force of the rotation was such that he only could do right turns (if I remember it right...or left...)... exiting when racing through the woods... so he took it dragracing and had quarter mile wheelies