(Not)Coming Soon....

va_rider

va_rider

Wizard
fz1boone.blogspot.com
Been talking to JonDaddy about steering dampers... and as always... talking to JD ends with me spending money...(first the tires... now this..)

So.. I just ordered a steering damper for a 06-07 Suzuki GSXR 1000. $24.00 shipped for the OEM damper... plenty of them available on eBay all of the time...

The plan is to get the damper in the mail, hold it up in various spots on the front of the bike, and then mount it.... Obviously I won't have full details until I get the damper and see how everything is going to work... but... I see this one happening rather easily... I'll take pictures of the process and be sure to post up here... if all goes well, I see this being a steering damper for the Gen 1 for under $50.
 
haven't even gotten the parts in... but I'm pretty sure I've got the mounting covered. the center bolt will mount on the fairing bracket.... then, to mount to the fork.... I'm thinking one of these puppies:

mem9953.jpg


$20 for 2 of them on eBay.... so... enough for 1 damper, and can sell the other to someone else looking to mount a cheap damper....

Now, I'll be anxiously awaiting parts to come in... but... I'm pretty sure I've got it figured out...

So far:
Damper : $14.95
Shipping: $8.00
Total : $22.95

Clamps : $17.38
Shipping : $6.95
Total : $24.33

Grand total so far :
Parts : $32.33
Shipping : $14.95
Total : $47.28 (but... considering I'll be using one clamp... take the $24.33/2 = $12.17 ... which changes total to $35.12 )

So... in reality... we're looking at $35.12 so far.... I think I'm looking good on being under $50 by the time I'm done.
 
The only question I would have concerning this mod would be the stroke and overall length of the damper.

According to Hyperpro's website, the specs for their 01-06 GSXR 1000 OEM mount damper are: Stroke: 75mm / Overall: 243mm

Also, I would assume the OEM damper is non-active. If I understand correctly, that means there is no adjustment for different speeds/driving conditions?
 
nope... no adjustment.. any adjustable unit you look at (even OEM from R1) is going to be over $250 for the damper by itself...

I'm mainly doing this out of curiosity... I really don't need a steering damper.. I get a little wobble now and then.. but nothing that I'm not used to... but... I'm interested on whether or not it can actually be done for under $50....

granted, if you're worried about adjustability and all of that jazz.... you're going to be looking at a $300-$400 unit.... I'm not sure of the amount of damping that the stock GSXR damper will provide on the FZ given the different geometry and whatnot... but... it's all part of the process.. I'll figure it out and report..
 
va_rider said:
nope... no adjustment.. any adjustable unit you look at (even OEM from R1) is going to be over $250 for the damper by itself...

I'm mainly doing this out of curiosity... I really don't need a steering damper.. I get a little wobble now and then.. but nothing that I'm not used to... but... I'm interested on whether or not it can actually be done for under $50....

granted, if you're worried about adjustability and all of that jazz.... you're going to be looking at a $300-$400 unit.... I'm not sure of the amount of damping that the stock GSXR damper will provide on the FZ given the different geometry and whatnot... but... it's all part of the process.. I'll figure it out and report..
Click to expand...

Sounds like a cool idea. Can't wait to see how it turns out and if this will work on the Gen II.
 
va_rider said:
haven't even gotten the parts in... but I'm pretty sure I've got the mounting covered. the center bolt will mount on the fairing bracket.... then, to mount to the fork.... I'm thinking one of these puppies:

mem9953.jpg


$20 for 2 of them on eBay.... so... enough for 1 damper, and can sell the other to someone else looking to mount a cheap damper....

Now, I'll be anxiously awaiting parts to come in... but... I'm pretty sure I've got it figured out...

So far:
Damper : $14.95
Shipping: $8.00
Total : $22.95

Clamps : $17.38
Shipping : $6.95
Total : $24.33

Grand total so far :
Parts : $32.33
Shipping : $14.95
Total : $47.28 (but... considering I'll be using one clamp... take the $24.33/2 = $12.17 ... which changes total to $35.12 )

So... in reality... we're looking at $35.12 so far.... I think I'm looking good on being under $50 by the time I'm done.
Click to expand...

Does the damper end rotate so you can use a vertical or horizontal bracket? I like the looks of the brackets you found. I've looked aroiund on ebay and the only ones I've found are $45.
 
I'm thinking that the end *should* rotate... I'm not sure, since I don't have the damper yet... but.. if it won't rotate, I can just get a eye bolt and thread it into the end of the bracket so it's facing the right direction....

Good question though... I hadn't thought about that... but these questions and talking through it make me think about how things will mount... if the questions keep coming, I'll have all of the mounting figured out before the parts even get here... Good Job!
 
va_rider said:
I'm thinking that the end *should* rotate... I'm not sure, since I don't have the damper yet... but.. if it won't rotate, I can just get a eye bolt and thread it into the end of the bracket so it's facing the right direction....

Good question though... I hadn't thought about that... but these questions and talking through it make me think about how things will mount... if the questions keep coming, I'll have all of the mounting figured out before the parts even get here... Good Job!
Click to expand...

I have not personally seen the GSX-R damper, but I assume it's like most of them. Don't see how the piston wouldn't rotate so that shouldn't be a problem.
 
va_rider said:
I'm thinking that the end *should* rotate... I'm not sure, since I don't have the damper yet... but.. if it won't rotate, I can just get a eye bolt and thread it into the end of the bracket so it's facing the right direction....

Good question though... I hadn't thought about that... but these questions and talking through it make me think about how things will mount... if the questions keep coming, I'll have all of the mounting figured out before the parts even get here... Good Job!
Click to expand...

No problem, I'm getting very interested in this. I would like a damper, but I can't justify $400 right now. This might be a good option.

Here is the exploded diagram from Motosport for the 07 GSXR 1000 showing the steering damper. I think the eye bolt might be the route to go.

Genuine SUZUKI OEM Parts :: STEERING STEM Parts for SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2007

I'm thinking of going with this bracket even though it is twice as much.

http://www.iconfullfacemotorcyclehe...L_FORK_TUBE_BRACKETS_CLAMPS-8-9745-87869.html

http://www.ronayers.com/catalogs/pu/parts.cfm?topsecid=1&subsecid=7&secid=126&type=1348
 
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I'm thinking the main difference on the Gen 2 would be that you'd need to get a larger bracket... the bracket's I'm looking at go from 37-43mm or something close to that... but bigger brackets are available... i think up to a 61mm bracket.... so... I don't know what the O.D. of the forks on the Gen 2 are... but... I'm thinking that would be the one main difference.
 
va_rider said:
I'm thinking the main difference on the Gen 2 would be that you'd need to get a larger bracket... the bracket's I'm looking at go from 37-43mm or something close to that... but bigger brackets are available... i think up to a 61mm bracket.... so... I don't know what the O.D. of the forks on the Gen 2 are... but... I'm thinking that would be the one main difference.
Click to expand...

I looked at the Yamaha website and the specs list a 43mm front fork.
 
the Yamaha website is correct... it's a 43mm fork.... ... ... on the inner tubes, which are down at the bottom of the forks... so you can't hook a steering damper there.. you'd have to go higher on the forks, which will be much larger than 43mm...
 
Didn't know they measured from the inner tube. I will have to check mine when I get home. Thanx for the info, I was going to order them this afternoon.
 
well.


Just got the damper. This isn't happening. It's a little of what we like to call... no way in hell.

First off.. the damper has a movement range of 4".

It's designed to be mounted to the frame, and then to the triple tree, so it doesn't have to make as wide of an arc.... there is NOWHERE you can mount this on the FZ to accommodate that range of movement.

So... I tried... I took off the fairing, the headlight... everything... just no way to make this work.
 
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