steering damper/stabilizers-Question

There has been a couple of people tell me that you can just tighten up the steering head bearings. I'm to scared to try that, thinking I might do some damage.

Dan,

The way some other rider say about over tightning and or really tighten them up sounds scary.. But a 1/8" turn from normal is what I suggest to try.(not 1/8 turn)

This works well for deflection, roots and the oooh crap situation.

I change steering head bearings every year and have never removed a bad bearing yet..

Funny thing... you may be really suprised how many riders think their steering damper is working but it has been out of oil and never knew it til it was rebuilt..lol

Don't let W.E.R. Works Enduro Riders damper slip thru your fingers if it across's your path as the are less costly new.. are all interchangable with fender and frame mounts and Drew also supports the site and has a zillion miles under his belt and has been in the damper biz about that many years and may have a rebuilt unit he would sell you..

You never told why you think you need this device ... If you are having issues with the handling, you might want to set your suspension up correctly first ... Adding a device to a bike that is set up incorrectly might just mask the original problem ...

The steering head bearings do very little work really as they only move a few inches back and forth but must be tighten to remove any slack from them ... Just jack the front wheel off the ground and grab the fronts or front tire and pull back and forth ... If they have slack, it will be very obvious ... n fact, it will be very obvious when riding the bike as any time the front end gets high or comes off the ground, you will feel a bump from up front ...

Just tighten as needed but not to the point of binding the movement of the forks from side to side ...

Love my motosportz damper! Works great on rutted up trails and tracks.

Hi Ray Ray,

How this all started with me getting interested in a damper was, I was racing (MX)with a guy who had a stablizer. When asked his opinion, he told me he couldnt ride without it.
Your right, having your suspension set up correctly cures most all handling problems. Then look into a damper/stablizer. I just wanted to hear other opinions and experiences.

Interesting ... I'd set my bike up correctly and then check my wallet for the extra funds ....

I wish scotts or BRP would make a mount for the 09 SM, they say the TE/TC mount won't fit.

I have a submount from Protect that they made custom for my 07 SMR510. Not sure if it will fit the 09's but if you're interested pm me.

Does anyone know if they interchange?

Distance between the mounts appears to be 93mm.

Just an FYI, there's an under-mount n the works from HDB as well. If you're interested, drop a line to paul at highwaydirtbikes.com

I use a GPR V4 and haven't had any issues. This is the second bike I have used it with - the first a KX250. It doesn't seem to help so much in the tight trails but I'll swear by it in the faster rocky desert like conditions.

The TE's and TC's use the 85 mm mount. The SM's are wider.


I went through this working with Protect. The SMR clamps are different from the TE's. I removed the handlebar clamps from the top triple and measured center to center the mounting holes. I don't have the SMR510 anymore, just the damper mount and collar.

Thank you, you answered my question. Damn!! That would have been a great deal...oh well