F800GS steering dampener - Page 5

Ducksbane · 04-01-2010, 09:41 PM

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Will/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.png[/IMG]Found a photo and a link to another website that might be useful ... http://f800riders.org/forum/showthread.php?t=39959

maximuski · 04-02-2010, 11:03 AM

Thanks guys for all your replies. I appreciate all of them!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bayner

Do you have a knobbie or street tire mounted on the front wheel? I've found certain knobbies can feel very 'light' in the steering!

Well I have the battewing stock tires and I'm still looking the meaning of 'knobbies' in my english dicctionary!

Quote:

Originally Posted by robhar54

Did they also slide the triple clamp down on the fork tubes?

Dude, I really don't know but I'll check this with the guy who did the work. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by robhar54

How much of the fork is showing above the top triple clamp?

I'll check it once I get the bike for a ride, not enough light in my underground parking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiTown

If you're shaking it, I must ask WHY?

Well, definitely I don't shake my handlebar for fun, that's for sure. I just think that when you are experiencing something that doesn't feel right, you'd like to test it by yourself in a controlled manner before the bike test it for you, don't you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maddaddy

Is this your first 21" wheeled bike?

It is my second bike with 21" front wheel and I never felt nothing like this in my old Africa Twin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducksbane

I think your problem could be related to the rear suspension. I have noted in various reports that if you load up the F800Gs and don't stiffen the preload on the back it becomes unstable.

That makes sense, so I checked this morning and but what I found was the opposite: too much preload on the rear suspension and too much dampering as well. I'll ride the bike in the afternoon and I'll check how it works. However I'd like to know what could be a suggested preload/dampering setting for -only the rider (75Kgs) - and no bags or any load, for urban roads.

thanks!

bxr140 · 04-03-2010, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducksbane

I think it's important that the rear ride height isn't too low compared to the front.

FWIW, when talking JUST ride height, rear ride height that's "too low" compared to the front would make the bike MORE stable, not less.

Ducksbane · 04-03-2010, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bxr140

FWIW, when talking JUST ride height, rear ride height that's "too low" compared to the front would make the bike MORE stable, not less.

Ever tried it to see what happens on an 800?

I am just suggesting that as they lowered the rear suspension that the OP check his rear preload and ride height and see where the forks are in the triple clamps. My experience (for what its worth) is that if the rear preload is too soft and or the ride height is too low you get instability ... YMMV. I do understand the theory that suggests that if the rear ride height is low the bike will be more stable, this just doesn't seem to be the way it is in this case. Perhaps it is more the preload, but I'm just saying to check, which he has and found too much preload. It would be interesting to see where the front forks are.

Ducksbane · 04-03-2010, 05:04 PM

As another aside it isn't uncommon for a problem that appears to be at one end of the bike to be caused by something at the other. Case in point I had an R1100GS which always handled well and was very stable, but one day accelerating out of a tight corner the front end went crazy ... it was like trying to steer a wheelbarrow full of Walruses. I checked the front tyre pressure and it was fine, checked the back as an afterthought and found 10PSI ... just saying.

itsatdm · 04-03-2010, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducksbane

Ever tried it to see what happens on an 800?

I am just suggesting that as they lowered the rear suspension that the OP check his rear preload and ride height and see where the forks are in the triple clamps. My experience (for what its worth) is that if the rear preload is too soft and or the ride height is too low you get instability ... YMMV. I do understand the theory that suggests that if the rear ride height is low the bike will be more stable, this just doesn't seem to be the way it is in this case. Perhaps it is more the preload, but I'm just saying to check, which he has and found too much preload. It would be interesting to see where the front forks are.

That has been my experience with my bike also. Not to the extent that was originaly posted. I had a slow weave on pavement and a tank slapper on deep gravel. Since I lowered the front, it runs like on rails.
I am still unclear as to what was done to this bike. I know Hyperpro makes a lowering kit, but not sure all of it was installed or just the rear, with some adjustment to tube height in front (or not). Need a little clarification here.

bxr140 · 04-04-2010, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducksbane

Ever tried it to see what happens on an 800?

Yes. It steers like an ocean liner. VERY stable until you try to go in any direction other than straight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducksbane

I am just suggesting that as they lowered the rear suspension that the OP check his rear preload and ride height and see where the forks are in the triple clamps.

Perhaps it is more the preload...

Could be. That's a different issue than ride height though. Also, based on my experience running from stop to stop on the [stock] 800 shock, I don't think there's enough range to make it unstable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducksbane

...one day accelerating out of a tight corner the front end went crazy ...

I checked the front tyre pressure and it was fine, checked the back as an afterthought and found 10PSI ... just saying.

Don't confuse a flat tire with geometry-driven instability. A flat rear tire will make the bike VERY difficult to turn because there's no profile to the tire (its kinda like if you had a car tire on the rear of the bike) but at the same time will make the rear squirrelly because the tire can't hold any consistent shape.

drrags · 04-08-2010, 07:15 AM

I sent my trees off to Gary Emig and this is what I got back

Since this was the first one, the post was a little high and I had to mill down the post and the pin. I was a little cautious and didn't take down as much as I should have. I'm sure the post and pin are of proper length now, after my feedback.

http://www.emigracing.com/BMW8.htm

Chop Chop · 04-08-2010, 03:12 PM

Very very nice. What suspension cartridges do you have? are they zokes caps?

cheers.

drrags · 04-09-2010, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OffAgain

Very very nice. What suspension cartridges do you have? are they zokes caps?

cheers.

It's a bunch of crap. It's some kind of hybrid done by Trail Tricks near as I can figure that's completely non-functional. I'm in the process of replacing the whole mess with forks from a Husky. There's a little bit of machining work involved but it will be vastly superior to what I'm running now. I'll post all about it when it's finished.

klarue · 06-21-2010, 10:37 PM

Hey inmates - dunno if this is old news, but for those of you still holding out for Scott's to give us their take on a steering damper, Jake emailed me a few days ago and said they're "2 - 4 weeks out" from being done. I'm in heavy lust mode for this bit.

johngil · 06-21-2010, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by klarue

Hey inmates - dunno if this is old news, but for those of you still holding out for Scott's to give us their take on a steering damper, Jake emailed me a few days ago and said they're "2 - 4 weeks out" from being done. I'm in heavy lust mode for this bit.

Good luck w/ that. I'm amazed I have mine and it is worth the wait.
Scotts is swamped right now. They said units would be in production in "2 to 4 weeks" after my prototype was finished. That was mid-February.

What you see is pretty much what you will get.

Bartron · 06-22-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by klarue

Hey inmates - dunno if this is old news, but for those of you still holding out for Scott's to give us their take on a steering damper, Jake emailed me a few days ago and said they're "2 - 4 weeks out" from being done. I'm in heavy lust mode for this bit.

Finally!!!

OlyRider · 06-22-2010, 12:45 PM

2 -4 weeks out.

Call back in a week. Ask him if he's 1 -3 weeks out.

Call back in two weeks. Ask him if he's 0 - 2 weeks out.

Call back in three weeks. Ask him if he's 0 - 1 week out.

Call back in four weeks, and ask him where your damper is.

I like these guys alot, and I have three of their dampers now, but they are BSing bigtime about when the F800GS dampers will be available. They have been quoting the same deadline for two months. It's getting old. They would gain more customer service points by admitting they don't have a production run set up than by quoting false delivery dates.

IMHO

EnderTheX · 06-22-2010, 05:38 PM

First off... I'm short.... I haven't lowered my bike but I use the low seat and I can manage. The bars feel fine.

Do you guys have a suggestion how I can get a feel for what it is like to raise the bars? Do you think my height handicap will make getting these dampers uncomfortable?

I really want a damper for off-road stuff, especially sand and high speed small ruts (I don't like how sand makes me feel helpless), but I'm agonizing over the handle bar height!

04-08-2010, 07:15 AM	#68
drrags Dorkus Malorkus Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Reno, NV Oddometer: 1,772	Emig Racing Steering Damper I sent my trees off to Gary Emig and this is what I got back Since this was the first one, the post was a little high and I had to mill down the post and the pin. I was a little cautious and didn't take down as much as I should have. I'm sure the post and pin are of proper length now, after my feedback. http://www.emigracing.com/BMW8.htm __________________ Where am I now? Stooges Eat Baja Surf-n-Turf Bug Murderers Assault South America Bug Murderers Assault Alaska Stooges Assault Baja

04-08-2010, 03:12 PM	#69
Chop Chop Mr Wiggles Joined: Aug 2009 Location: Sunny Coast, Qld Aust Oddometer: 1,419	minor offtopic Very very nice. What suspension cartridges do you have? are they zokes caps? cheers. __________________ Really just like doing nothing with no one.

06-21-2010, 10:37 PM	#71
klarue Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Oct 2007 Location: San Diego, CA Oddometer: 235	Update from Scott's on their F8GS steering damper Hey inmates - dunno if this is old news, but for those of you still holding out for Scott's to give us their take on a steering damper, Jake emailed me a few days ago and said they're "2 - 4 weeks out" from being done. I'm in heavy lust mode for this bit. __________________ '09 Magnesium F800GS - the classic

06-22-2010, 12:45 PM	#74
OlyRider Beastly Adventurer Joined: May 2005 Location: Pacific NorthWest Oddometer: 1,104	Scott's 2 -4 weeks out. Call back in a week. Ask him if he's 1 -3 weeks out. Call back in two weeks. Ask him if he's 0 - 2 weeks out. Call back in three weeks. Ask him if he's 0 - 1 week out. Call back in four weeks, and ask him where your damper is. I like these guys alot, and I have three of their dampers now, but they are BSing bigtime about when the F800GS dampers will be available. They have been quoting the same deadline for two months. It's getting old. They would gain more customer service points by admitting they don't have a production run set up than by quoting false delivery dates. IMHO __________________ Olyrider Ob-la-di...Ob-la-da

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04-01-2010, 09:41 PM	#61
Ducksbane Quaaack!!! Joined: Dec 2007 Location: Northern NSW Oddometer: 1,120	[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Will/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.png[/IMG]Found a photo and a link to another website that might be useful ... http://f800riders.org/forum/showthread.php?t=39959

04-03-2010, 05:04 PM	#65
Ducksbane Quaaack!!! Joined: Dec 2007 Location: Northern NSW Oddometer: 1,120	As another aside it isn't uncommon for a problem that appears to be at one end of the bike to be caused by something at the other. Case in point I had an R1100GS which always handled well and was very stable, but one day accelerating out of a tight corner the front end went crazy ... it was like trying to steer a wheelbarrow full of Walruses. I checked the front tyre pressure and it was fine, checked the back as an afterthought and found 10PSI ... just saying.

06-22-2010, 05:38 PM	#75
EnderTheX Drunken Squirrel Joined: Mar 2009 Location: DFW Area, TX Oddometer: 2,603	First off... I'm short.... I haven't lowered my bike but I use the low seat and I can manage. The bars feel fine. Do you guys have a suggestion how I can get a feel for what it is like to raise the bars? Do you think my height handicap will make getting these dampers uncomfortable? I really want a damper for off-road stuff, especially sand and high speed small ruts (I don't like how sand makes me feel helpless), but I'm agonizing over the handle bar height!