You High Speed Desert Guys…

[crwmac]

Just curious… I ride here in the East Texas woods so we rarely go very fast. …can’t hardly get out of third gear unless we hit the blacktop. You guys that ride so fast out in the desert, do you all use steering dampers? Seems like the XR’s would be very dangerous in the dirt at 70+ MPH without one???

Mac

[BWB63]

Most do but, if you stay on the power the front tire floats. You have to keep your butt back off the seat. Tank slappers are scary but, to get out of it you WOT to get out of it, not the brakes.

[justicedone]

I think a good fork brace is more important...just mho

Hitting 70+ on hard pack (hard to find and rare) is a blast !

[desmo900]

I think a fork brace is very important as well..I have a SuperBrace on my XR and take my bike to over 90 mph. all the time Dirt and Pavement.. although a paved road at that speed is a little squirrelly with knobbies.

[SaltyWalrus]

Seems like the XR’s would be very dangerous in the dirt at 70+ MPH without one???

Mac

I am sure a steering dampner makes high speed stuff safer, but keep in mine, the 650R is about as stable as a dirt bike gets.

[Rokatt88]

Yep! She is stable at speed without one. I debated for a while before I put my GPR on. Now she's a Super Chief Locomotive! When (not if) you hit that Object Of Death at speed, you'll be glad you have one! ?

[hill5150]

Yep! She is stable at speed without one. I debated for a while before I put my GPR on. Now she's a Super Chief Locomotive! When (not if) you hit that Object Of Death at speed, you'll be glad you have one! ?

? The dampner is the best damn upgrade one can do and avoid a 90 mph pete rose impression..........................

[irace511]

Steering Dampers Are The Way To Go. I Like Mine Even In The Tight Stuff.

All You Have To Do Is Dial Her Down. And When You Hit The Fast Stuff Dial

Her Back Up. Hitting rocks At 60,70,80 0r Even Worse 90 Is Much Better With The Steering Dampener. ??

[Supplicate]

everytime I hit 80+ on the dirt (pretty much every ride) and things start too feel loose I tell myself the steering damper will be purchased on Monday.

At least... the Monday after I save enough to get one ?

I personally don't know about a fork brace on the R, have yet to ride an R model with a fork brace so can't say if they make an immense change or not.

[hill5150]

The fork brace is awesome with the dampner you have a complete package. A 400-500 $ investment will save you hopefully thousands of dollars in hospital bills............... ?

[irondude]

Stabilizer and very good knowledge of the route is essential to break into the fast mode....actually 70mph isnt that bad-the eyes and brain can still process the ground...its somewhere above 90 that its just hold on and remember to breath.

Every serious racer in the Baja stuff uses a steering dampner. Its about more than just speed wobbles...its also about rock deflection. In fact thats more the issue than 'stability'.

Its also nice at low speed and highly recommended. ?

The new V3 GPR unit looks very cool...

[FZ1426]

Yep! She is stable at speed without one. I debated for a while before I put my GPR on. Now she's a Super Chief Locomotive! When (not if) you hit that Object Of Death at speed, you'll be glad you have one! ?

I gotta agree that good buds definitely rock in the desert. ?

[smashinz2002]

Yeah, I'm over here in southwest Texas, several hundred miles west of you, with plenty of wide open areas. And yes, a stabilizer is a must, especially at high speeds over rough terrain.

But even without one, the 650R is actually very stable at high speeds, you'd be surprised I think. The only reason I use one is that it's sort of rocky around here, and rough, and without the stabilizer, the head shakes a little under hard acceleration. The dampener puts a stop to all that.

[Rokatt88]

I gotta agree that good buds definitely rock in the desert. ?

? I've been with Thumper Talk for 3 years now and this is the first post that has commented on my Sig Line. I have had a few PM"s about it though.

For the record; "Good Buds" means Good Friends. I was trying to spin off of the Carl's Jr. commercials.

Rokatt88 does not advocate riding or racing under the influence! Now, once the light goes down and the moon comes up and the desert creatures all come out to Jam around the campfire and the burning bush starts talking to me...

[xdirtbikerx]

Love my Scotts damper, used to get the occational high speed everything is cool and all of a sudden, whammO steering goes from lock to lock, after installing my damper, honestly, no b.s. i have never! had that happen again.

[resslera]

It's funny someone said something about remembering to breath. I catch myself a lot when going for a high speed run I hold my breath. A couple times I held it long enough where I started seeing stars!

[Desertskyy]

I run with a Scotts

[miguelitro]

had scotts and for the time being have a gpr(130$$ for the dang mnting kit!)

I liked the scotts alot better, some thing about haveing a big easily adjustable knob while going from a fast to slow or slow to fast section, it just wasnt easy enough for me.

mike

[LotsOfBikes]

Once you run with a stabilizer, you will not feel safe on a dirtbike without one. They are that important to me, even if I'm doing a motocross. I use a Scotts.

Going fast in the desert... I love it!! Slow tight sections are a fun, but there's nothing like doing 90+mph in a wide sand wash on a geared-up CR500. Or going down a steep sand dune at over 115. the engine can't rev any higher even though it is pinned WFO. Never, ever without a stabilizer.

[timandchristy8]

Going fast in the desert... I love it!! Slow tight sections are a fun, but there's nothing like doing 90+mph in a wide sand wash on a geared-up CR500. Or going down a steep sand dune at over 115. the engine can't rev any higher even though it is pinned WFO. Never, ever without a stabilizer.

It is quotes like this that make me smile ear to ear and want to move from slow, technical and muddy VA to WIDE SLAP OPEN AZ. Why oh why can't I get a straight stretch that doesn't have pavement.