08 GSX-R Steering Damper need help. | GTAMotorcycle.com

08 GSX-R Steering Damper need help.

Impy

Well-known member
Hello and thanks in advance. How can I tell if my stock steering damper is shot. I went for a ride today and when the front tire came up the bike got a little head shake but it went away when the tire went back down on the road. If it is shot can it be rebuilt or do i need to get a new one.
 
My 2005 dampener was shot when the handle bars were stiff to turn, because it seized up.
 
I never thought of that....I have a feeling my dampener may be seized...how stiff are we talking? I can turn it no problem, but it's definitely much harder than a few bikes I've ridden (but i'm not sure if those had any dampener at all)
 
Hello and thanks in advance. How can I tell if my stock steering damper is shot. I went for a ride today and when the front tire came up the bike got a little head shake but it went away when the tire went back down on the road. If it is shot can it be rebuilt or do i need to get a new one.
Pull a super small wheelie and pull one bar all the way to the side then set it down super softly. If it shakes once or twice that's fine, if it shakes a bunch and you crash then either get the damper rebuilt or replace it. The HyperPro RSC dampers are nice because you can have them set so loose you don't even know it's there, but as soon as it starts to shake it locks down tighter than a Nun on Sunday! Love them :)
 
... if it shakes a bunch and you crash then either get the damper rebuilt or replace it. )

Pffff, hahahahaha. Really Dude??
You know crashing is more expensive than buying a whole new dampener, right?

Sent from my tablet using my paws
 
The factory one is garbage. This is based on experience not something I read online. End of story. Get one of these.

eza9y3um.jpg
 
Make sure it's not you just death gripping the bars on hard acceleration. That can often cause this too.

The GSXR steering damper is not adjustable and is controlled "on the fly" by the ECU. This sounds very high tech, but I swear I've never found it to actually do anything. So the problem may not be the damper but the way it is (not) controlled. I've made the switch to Ohlins based on my experience with the brand and I wanted a replacement that used the stock location.

Hope you get a solution that works for you.
 
Pretty sure that's normal. Any time I pop a micro wheelie, there's a chance I'll get a tiny wobble (used to get bigger ones when the bike came down at a wrong angle). If loose grip and throttle (pin it) don't solve it, go buy a really expensive damper because the stock dampener is known to be poop.
 
油井緋色;2207201 said:
Pretty sure that's normal. Any time I pop a micro wheelie, there's a chance I'll get a tiny wobble (used to get bigger ones when the bike came down at a wrong angle). If loose grip and throttle (pin it) don't solve it, go buy a really expensive damper because the stock dampener is known to be poop.
How expensive is really expensive? I bought a new Öhlins for $290.
 
Make sure it's not you just death gripping the bars on hard acceleration. That can often cause this too.

The GSXR steering damper is not adjustable and is controlled "on the fly" by the ECU. This sounds very high tech, but I swear I've never found it to actually do anything. So the problem may not be the damper but the way it is (not) controlled. I've made the switch to Ohlins based on my experience with the brand and I wanted a replacement that used the stock location.

Hope you get a solution that works for you.

Does the Ohlins have any electronic connection to the ECU? I seem to recall a connection of some type.
 
How expensive is really expensive? I bought a new Öhlins for $290.

I didn't know they were that cheap, I just assumed everything suspension related is $500+ (including service fees for install).
 
Ohlins top mount is the way to go!
 
Hello and thanks in advance. How can I tell if my stock steering damper is shot. I went for a ride today and when the front tire came up the bike got a little head shake but it went away when the tire went back down on the road. If it is shot can it be rebuilt or do i need to get a new one.
I have a 2010 gsxr 750 with the same crap of stock steering damper and I have an after market GPR on my race gsxr 1000, the stock one is crap, working or not working it will not save you from a tank slap, so if you do the kind of riding that makes you believe a damper will help/save you, then invest in a "real" damper.

So forget about the stock one regardless if it is working or not and get yourself a good one
 
Hello and thanks in advance. How can I tell if my stock steering damper is shot. I went for a ride today and when the front tire came up the bike got a little head shake but it went away when the tire went back down on the road. If it is shot can it be rebuilt or do i need to get a new one.
How bad of a headshake when in the air? Could it have just been you pushing the bars when the front was really light or was it a violent shake? As others have mentioned the GSXR dampers aren't that great. Aftermarket is the way to go if you really want a good one.

Pull a super small wheelie and pull one bar all the way to the side then set it down super softly. If it shakes once or twice that's fine, if it shakes a bunch and you crash then either get the damper rebuilt or replace it.
Ummm no.

The factory one is garbage. This is based on experience not something I read online. End of story. Get one of these.

eza9y3um.jpg
Great for adjustability for you to play with and get the stiffness you like. I also know where you can get one ;)

油井緋色;2207201 said:
Pretty sure that's normal. Any time I pop a micro wheelie, there's a chance I'll get a tiny wobble (used to get bigger ones when the bike came down at a wrong angle). If loose grip and throttle (pin it) don't solve it, go buy a really expensive damper because the stock dampener is known to be poop.
They said that it shook when coming up, not back down.
 

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