Ratial Steering Damper for a 97?

Has anyone here put a damper of any kind on their 94-97 VFR?

If so, some advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have recently completely refurbished my 97:

• All balls steering head bearings
• DID X-ring chain and new sprockets
• Updated fork internals by Traxxion Dynamics
• Penske shock
• All new braided hydraulic lines
• Rebuilt brakes

The Penske provides a bit more ride height, so I raised (made the front-end taller) by about 5mm.

I am running with a brand new set of OEM size Pirelli Rosso IIs.

The front end does not have the best feel or inspire the most confidence.

It feels like it wants to dive into corners much quicker than I would like and feels a bit twitchy mid-corner.

I gave it a bit more steering bearing preload but it still doesn't feel right.

The head bearings feel great, in that they have the proper headset drag that they should and they move freely as they should as well.

It feels like it just needs a decent damper.

Ideally, I'd like a radial damper but no one makes one for this bike, but any experience that anyone has installing one on this bike would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-- Ryan

 

Um, the title was supposed to be "Radial" steering damper.

 

why, with all those quality parts, would anyone mention that he was using the CHEAPEST CHINESE minimum-quality JUNK for bearings ? :worked_till_5am:

 

he works for them maybe>? I have a penske and like the fox shock better.

 

I wondered who would mention the bearings lol.

I'm certainly no suspension pro but I usually hear of guys lowering the front forks and not raising them. You have a solid setup and fresh fluids. It seems to me you just need to tune the suspension. Talk to the guys that installed them, they should be willing to help and work with you to get a better setup.

My 93 has low km but is still a full stock front end with new fluids and tbh I find it handles fantastic for a 25 year old bike. Smooth, leans easily, holds a line well and stays planted. I run original Pilot Powers.

 

Make sure your sag numbers are correct and reset the fork height to where they were and test it. The VFR benefits from having the rear ride height increased and the forks raised in the triples. I would experiment with ride heights before doing any tweaking with adjusters.

 

If you can, go grab a copy of the Race Tech Suspension bible, it has everything you need to know about tuning and working on your suspension. If you're a cheap bastard, like most of us, you can find it in the download section over at www.vfrdiscussion.com.

 

You have a great set up there mate, I would also suggest setting sag and damping is the problem.
A steering damper is not going to fix what you describe, it is only there to stop tank slappers and nervous front ends.
I used one on my old 86, because it had the 16" front wheel and needed it.
The later ones with 17" fronts were very stable as they all have very sedate steering geometry.

 

IMO, Sportbike Suspension Tuning by Andrew Trevitt is a better reference than the Race Tech bible and I have read both of them extensively.

The OP is experiencing a geometry issue. First thing is set the correct sag to ensure the machine has the correct spings, i.e. the suspension is riding in the correct area of the overall stroke, then the next thing is geometry. I would recommend a GMD Computrack chassis measurement, but I'm sure the recommendation would be dismissed as an unnecessary expense. One chassis measurement can save somebody months of guessing and chasing ghosts.

If you don't want to get a chassis measurement, I would immediately go back to the stock fork height and ride the machine, if that helps with the "feel", I would keep raising the tubes in the triple clamps in 2mm increments until the feeling started going away, that would give me an effective range of adjustment that "feels" good to me. I would then start making 1mm adjustments to get it to the exact spot that "feels" the best. Make sure to do your testing on the exact same section of road that is causing the problems. I wouldn't just arbitrarily lower the fork height 5mm because the rear has been increased 5mm. Raising the rear of these bikes is a huge benefit over stock...that is why you can find suspension triangles that increase the rear ride height by up to 15mm.

FWIW, with my 6g, the GMD numbers will provide you a variety of front and rear ride heights that work together. I settled on a 10mm increase in rear ride height via the triangles, with the forks raised 7mm in the triples.

 

I have transplanted a CBR 1000RR front suspension on my VFR, and a Wilber's rear shock as well. It has seen numerous track days, and I have never needed a steering damper. Even with the shorted fork tubes from the CBR, it does quicken steering, but it never made it twitchy, or feel nervous. I agree with the above posts, get your suspension set up properly, and make sure your tire pressures are also correct, as incorrect tire pressures will have an effect on the way your VFR handles.