I have heard and seen them here and there, what are they for and why $400!?!

 

Steering dampers are basically hydraulic shocks that slow the rate of steering head movement. They are good to have anytime your front wheel loses contact with the pavement or even a slight weight shift from front to back. When the front tire comes back down to the ground or weight shifts back to the front if the wheel is not pointed straight, it could easily turn into a "tank slapper" which almost always results in crashing. The steering damper won't allow the wheel to move so freely so its harder to lose control.

 

It also helps a lot for hand fatigue. It reduces microvibrations that wear your muscles out over a long period of time. Any track racer (street or dirt) will have one ofr fatigue and stability. Any hardcore stunter hill have one for stability.

 

so if i keep it on 2 and dont ride for 12 hours at a time there is no need. gottcha, thanks guys.

 

The liter bikes nowadays come sold with a damper, so you can see them on the triple tree at your local shop. I think the one on the CBR1000RR is an electronic one, but usually they are hydraulic looking. Any time you watch those videos where the front wheel and handle bars are shaking back and forth violently is what the damper is supposed to help prevent. It usually happens when people are coming down from a wheelie and the front tire isnt aligned properly, or sometimes just going too fast.

You dont really need one.

 

since we are on the topic i bought my f4i because it looked and ran great for a great price, the dampener just happened to be on it already. my question what are the different settings supposed to do? like for example what is the difference between the little click **** on the end of the hydraulic being turned all the way clockwise as opposed to counterclockwise?

 

Steering damper are exactly what the name implies; primary function is improve stability at speed, and if you go fast and don't have one, you really don't know what you are missing. They can however be tricky to set up; to high of setting can really cause the bike to become hard to turn, and too low, well you might as well have keep your $400 in your pocket. Do you need one, guess that depends on how your ride, do they help make today's high powered bikes easier to ride at speed, hell yes. The 06 1krr has the electronic damper, and its okay, it definitely keeps the bike stable at speed, but it also adjusts itself, the faster you got the higher the damping, which also makes the bike less flickable in the twisties; for me I wouldn't own a sport bike with out one, but I may end up taking off the stock one and going with a scotts rotary, or maybe an ohlins, upside to the scotts is that it is easily adjustable while you are riding, going fast dial it up, going through twisties dial it down....

 

i dont do too much hard riding, but every other weekend i do like to open her up. i do have an F1 so i may not need one, but i can still get it up to 130MPH+. Ive heard these older bikes handle better anyway..any idea on this?