Steering damper, I got head shake,

Think I'd lean towards the head bolt and possably bad front tire ballance? There was a writeup on "Pats" place, I believe he took it off when all was said and done, because it just seemed no matter what there was bar/tank issues, and lock to lock one side good, the other side only partial turning radius was available.
 
Cooper'n said:
Well I got a new set of tyre's put on and the shake went, I think it was because I had a flat spot on the rear tyre, It wasn't a big shake it was a slow wobble more then anything. I've had big tank slappers at over 200kmh that scared the *#!* out of me but this was just annoying and frustrating. Tyre's I put on are Mich pilot power 2CT and Ill never got back. Thanks all for your reply's, Much appreciated

Cheers
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I second the rear tire, mine developed a shake at about 140 kph, could for the life of me figure out what was the cause. Change windshield back to shorty still had shake, check all bolts, tire pressure etc still had shake. Then changed back tire (was down to almost no tread on 3/4 of tire) the shake was gone.
 
Sprint steering dampner, works well on the road & track, fully recommend Sprint, it is very good value for money.
 
Buildercher said:
Sprint steering dampner, works well on the road & track, fully recommend Sprint, it is very good value for money.
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Can you post a good close up shot of it? I have one that looks just like it. had it is rebuilt with new seals about 10 years ago. I might look at putting it on but need the fittings.

Cheers
 
I just do street riding and I am in the process of becoming a self-taught, over-the-hill, old fart hooligan (wheelies, stoppies & burnouts only - I won't be sitting on the tank, standing on my head or any other monkey business). I suppose the steering damper is like paying for insurance. I don't know for sure whether I'll need it or even if it's working. I have Conti Road Attack tires and with my wheelies I've never had any shaking of any kind yet.

I was wondering...with the different styles & brands of dampers...some are shock absorber type (Ohlin) and some like GPR...
If it is a top mounted damper, can you still get under the tank to change air filter etc? or do you have to remove the damper each time?

(Hey NJFZ1, it does wheelie a bit easier with the 16/47 gearing).
Thanks in advance.
 
The GPR is top-mounted and you have to remove the brace to get under the tank but not the damper itself.

The stock setup for the FZ1 is quite stable and a tank slapper is rare. If you are raising the rear and/or dropping the front to change the rake, then each mm of change makes the bike slightly less stable on the straights but more exciting in the corners.

Most slappers are when you get the front light and touch down with the front wheel not pointing in the exact direction the bike is headed. This is typically when you wheelie or hit the apex in a corner and go WOT to exit. Again, stock isn't much trouble at all. Changes make this more pronounced.

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks. If you do get head shake or the dreaded tank slapper, will the damper actually stop it or rather does it prevent it from occuring in the first place?
 
Falcon2 said:
Thanks. If you do get head shake or the dreaded tank slapper, will the damper actually stop it or rather does it prevent it from occuring in the first place?
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It will stop it. You might incur a slight wobble in the front but the damper brings it quickly under control. Since most are adjustable, you can leave it set on soft until you know you are going out to carve up a canyon. Then be sure to set it on a firm setting.

To test, I had to scare the crap out of myself and try and force a shake. Do you know how hard that is when you've taught yourself all your life to bring the front down with the tire pointed where the bike is headed? It was a tough decision to put all my faith in that damper and force the front to come down way out of line. But, that also gave me all the confidence I needed to now trust that device. :tup:
 
I just get my FZ1s a week ago and don´t know if it´s normal the shake i get hitting 220-240kph (135-150mph). My front tyre still has good tread but not shure of his shape, it´s not well rounded, i´m thinking that may be the problem i hope.
 
I put the GPR on last week and I have to say I love it. I was noticing the front end feeling quite twitchy at speed and the damper has taken care of it all. Next step will be the Penske
 
The flightiness of the FZ1 adds to the character of the bike!!!. But since installing the Sprint dampner my bike feels alot better, more planted and i can push it harder. For example, on my local track there are a couple of sweepers what are a little bumpy. Before the dampner i had to be cautious, now the bike feels more stable giving me more confidence to can carry more speed. Good times
 
Head shake with Shinko tires.

chili said:
With the stock Michellin Pilot powers my steering was always very stable all the way to top speed, even when they were past due to be replaced. Well, due to wearing them out right at Christmas gift buying season I went with a set of Shinko tires,(don't try this at home). Now at about 130 or a litlle less i start to get headshake. I went thru two sets of the Pilot Powers and never once experienced any wobble other than when lofting the front tire. I guess you get what you pay for. Chili
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I also used Shinkos for the first time after the 4th tire change, and I get the shakes when approaching 120+. I believe it is due to the tire compound being so damn hard. Supposedly they get high mileage, but that remains to be seen, as this was the main reason for going with the Shinko's. This was also the first time that I brought the wheels to the tire shop to get the tires mounted. It was impossible to get the rear tire in with four tire levers and two people (usually change them by myself). Can't beat the price though, $170 for both with free shipping (mounting only cost $25 for both of them).

Decreasing the air pressure by 4 in the front and 6 in the back made them feel a little better.
 
If I am going around 60 mph on my gen 1 and I let off of the handlebars a bit and let it drop to around 50 mph I get pretty bad shake, loose steering head bolt?
 
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