You NEED a steering damper/stabilizer

[Dr.X]

Just bought and installed a Scott’s steering damper on my YZ250FX. WOW. This thing is like night and day. It’s extremely configurable and has a good range of different settings. I personally do a lot of riding in rock gardens and really rutty stuff, and that is why it has been most helpful to me. If you do lots of rocky riding, I would make the bold statement that you NEED a damper.

Now I know the trolls will say “if you’re a decent rider you don’t need a damper.” And I 100% disagree. Often times you take a blind corner a good rate of speed and BOOM! There is a football sized rock right in your line and you have no to time to react. In many cases that rock will jerk your bars and fling you off. With a damper, you have a good chance of not only absorbing the hit and lessening the crash, but avoiding the crash all together. Furthermore, IT SAVES YOU ENERGY! The energy used on a 4-5 hour ride from controlling those bars from deflections can be significant. A damper will leave you feeling much better by the end of your ride.

the high price tag of a damper will leave you queezy, but hell, you spent between $3,000 and $12,000 on a  dirtbike. Consider  this a small investment to save your dirt bike and your body some damage!

 

[69fastback]

Glad you like it. I have 0 need for it. 

[EmpireofDerp]

You should have bought a two stroke, no need for a damper when your front wheel is rarely on the ground. 

[redhurricane]

Been there, done that with Scott's and GPR. I now set up suspension to work as it should and have no deflection or headshake that warrants a damper. 

[EnglertRacing]

I like the damper, found they need to be paired with the stabilizer low bend, high bars ruin. Corners....

But I run the damper low speed soo low you cant feel it.

Otherwise it deadens the feedback you need while riding fast

[mxsteve1968]

I have two dampers...… I call them elbows.

[SS109]

I've have bikes with and without currently. Honestly, I don't need one and wouldn't ever buy one again. I'm not that good of a rider as I'm only a mid-pack B rider. Yeah, I ride a few rocks here in AZ  (note pic below!) We ride lots of rocks of all sizes in AZ!) Only reason I still have one is that the last bike I bought came with a Scotts already installed.

[Colorado^]

I have found that a damper really helps a bike hold a line when going fast over the endless rock gardens we have here in CO.  This is 4 clicks out from full damping.  Too stiff for single track, but perfect for holding a line through this $h!t.

Oh yeah, and my suspension is set up properly via Kreft moto.

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by Colorado^

[BOAB]

They're way overpriced for what they are, kind of like $250 foot pegs.  If they were priced reasonably I may thing about it.  Otherwise I just slow down through the really rough stuff, seems considerably cheaper that way.

[EmpireofDerp]

54 minutes ago, Colorado^ said:

I have found that a damper really helps a bike hold a line when going fast over the endless rock gardens we have here in CO.  This is 4 clicks out from full damping.  Too stiff for single track, but perfect for holding a line through this $h!t.

Oh yeah, and my suspension is set up properly via Kreft moto.

 

 

 

Ktm chassis may need a damper. Especially if a 4CS fork is involved. ?

[Colorado^]

29 minutes ago, BOAB said:

They're way overpriced for what they are, kind of like $250 foot pegs.  If they were priced reasonably I may thing about it.  Otherwise I just slow down through the really rough stuff, seems considerably cheaper that way.

For me a $400 for a damper is a drop in the bucket for what it cost to keep my bikes running for a season.

[highmarker]

It was the rake and trail of early ktms that sold dampers. Hasn't been like that for years. Worst headshake bikes I've had we're Honda xrs and crs, and other Japan mx bikes. By the time the 4cs came out ktm had relaxed their steering geometry.

 

[Colorado^]

16 minutes ago, Doctor Shakalu Rotazion said:

Ktm chassis may need a damper. Especially if a 4CS fork is involved. ?

Ya know that 06' 300 in the video needed some serious suspension work.  But the newer KTM/Huskys that I've bought have pretty good stock suspension.  I'm pretty happy with the 4CS forks on the 701, but I know a lot of people don't like them (shrug).  All my bikes have scotts dampers though, even my street machine.

BTW, for me, head shake isn't really the issue, it's more about deflection and tracking straight through the rocks.

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by Colorado^

[BOAB]

4 minutes ago, Colorado^ said:

For me a $400 for a damper is a drop in the bucket for what it cost to keep my bikes running for a season.

Get a Honda or Yamaha, then you can used your money for something else instead of dumping money into keeping your bikes running.  Among our 3 Hondas we buy gas and oil, pretty much it.  Top end every couple years for the CRFs and occasional tires..    XR and 2 CRF450Rs.

[Colorado^]

2 minutes ago, BOAB said:

Get a Honda or Yamaha, then you can used your money for something else instead of dumping money into keeping your bikes running.  Among our 3 Hondas we buy gas and oil, pretty much it.  Top end every couple years for the CRFs and occasional tires..    XR and 2 CRF450Rs.

Being at high elevation I go for the bikes with the most HP.  Maintenance has more to do with how hard your ride and how often you crash (parts) AND how demanding the local terrain is.  Sharp rocks and deep water crossings eat rear tires and kill bearings.

I had one low speed crash this winter on my 701 and it cost me $400 in parts and another $200 in some fancy carbon fiber case covers to armor up the area.

There's one local hill that's almost impossible to ride up.  First time I failed and it cost me a new pipe.  Second try (years later) and it cost me a new radiator, but I made it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GP]

I've worn out three of these over the last 22 years on multiple bikes, especially KTMs.  Now with the FX, and suspension done for me by me, its as stable or more so than my other 2strokes with one.   There is value in tight trees at a fast pace(HS sensitivity max/LS min, ),  and in deep sand .  If I was still into the super tight south jersey enduros I'd probably get one.  I've bent and broken a couple towers and shear pins from tagging trees.  Have one on the Beta all I need is a tower for the FX.

[EmpireofDerp]

1 hour ago, Colorado^ said:

Ya know that 06' 300 in the video needed some serious suspension work.  But the newer KTM/Huskys that I've bought have pretty good stock suspension.  I'm pretty happy with the 4CS forks on the 701, but I know a lot of people don't like them (shrug).  All my bikes have scotts dampers though, even my street machine.

BTW, for me, head shake isn't really the issue, it's more about deflection and tracking straight through the rocks.

 

 

 

The 4cs on my 701 have been gutted and 'fixed' twice. They work "ok". Still very inferior to the OC kyb on my ancient yz250.

[DEL107]

This is almost as bad as an oil thread.

They work. If you need one or not is up to you. The faster the terrain, the more energy they save. If you never leave third gear, never had your feet above your head, or only ride fire roads, save your money.

The guys with 3 GPS/iPhone/Sirius mounts, and six inch handlebar risers on flex bars are the ones running them that crack me up. Oh and a set of those giant ram mount dual sport mirrors...those are the bikes that see some hardcore stuff out there, don't want to get knocked out by your luggage rack if the bike starts swapping

 

[crypto666]

2 hours ago, highmarker said:

It was the rake and trail of early ktms that sold dampers. Hasn't been like that for years. Worst headshake bikes I've had we're Honda xrs and crs, and other Japan mx bikes. By the time the 4cs came out ktm had relaxed their steering geometry.

 

I have found the XRR to be super stable and doesn't need a stab.  My kx on the other hand doesn't seem to be able to tune out headshake, at benefits the most from a stabilizer.  The newer KTMs I ride seem very stable and I don't see much benefit there.  

[Slackkinhard]

21 hours ago, redhurricane said:

Been there, done that with Scott's and GPR. I now set up suspension to work as it should and have no deflection or headshake that warrants a damper. 

my experience is that many folks use a steering stabilizer to 'crutch' a poorly setup suspension. I've found them helpful at highspeeds in the desert washes...