Steering damper schooling

[Ncdan]

I searched the past post first but didn't find the answer I needed. The steering  damper on my 07 Calvin. Turning directions produces what type results. Such as turning one direction lengthens the damper or shortens it. What effect does this have on the handle of the bike? Thanks for the schooling guys!

[scra99tch]

I just replaced the bracket that the PO had put an aftermarket damper on.  Turns out when fully screwed in the dampner was stressing the bracket and created some stress cracks on the bracket. 

[Huzo]

I searched the past post first but didn't find the answer I needed. The steering  damper on my 07 Calvin. Turning directions produces what type results. Such as turning one direction lengthens the damper or shortens it. What effect does this have on the handle of the bike? Thanks for the schooling guys!

Bear in mind mate that when riding your bike, the bar movements required for equilibrium are miniscule and there is generally a slack part in the connection that means the first small movement of the 'bars does not actually involve any movement of the damper. also if the damper is at 90 deg to a line drawn from the steering stem to the damper pin, then the compression or tension will be the same for a left or right deflection of the 'bars, but stand by for more info coming down the pipe !

[Chuck in Indiana]

I searched the past post first but didn't find the answer I needed. The steering  damper on my 07 Calvin. Turning directions produces what type results. Such as turning one direction lengthens the damper or shortens it. What effect does this have on the handle of the bike? Thanks for the schooling guys!

Neither one. It's hydraulic. The rod is either easy to move in and out or harder, depending on how much damping is cranked in.

[antmanbee]

I removed mine on my CalVin. I think they slow down your steering and make it take more effort to lean or change leans on switchbacks.
I have had several Tonti framed Guzzi's and never used a steering damper. They have all handled great with not the slightest bit of a weave or wobble even pushing up to 80 or 90mph in fast sweepers. I think it inhibits good handling.
Just make sure your steering head bearings are smooth and adjusted properly as well as your swing arm pivot bearings.
I also recommend that your tires are not worn flat and your suspension dampers are adjusted properly.

[johnr]

Mines one of the 'leather internal' ones. Turning the nut either strengthens or weakens the effect. I don't think it's doing anything at the moment and I have very little faith in it.

I liked having the one on my BSA available though. It was a much simpler design being more like the dampers on older girder forks but mounted on the bottom of the steering head. It worked a treat.

They are great for smoothing the effects of small deflections. Usually on the BSA I would have it set so that the fiber and metal plates involved were only just starting to grip but not enough to have any noticeable effect on the feel of the steering. On gravel roads I would tighten it a smidgen (about a quarter turn) due to increased deflections on those roads.

It should never be tightened to the point where the steering feels stiff.

The on the fly adjustability was what I liked most about the BSA ones. I think the more complex hydraulic ones came about because for some reason riders were forgetting how to use the things.

[redrider]

The V11 is set to resist the deflection caused by hitting pebbles and road irregularities. I tried it with max damping- Went back to just barely applied resistance.

[Ncdan]

Screwiness it which direction makes it stiffer or looser, that's pretty much what I need to know. I've never used such a critter and have no starting point to experiment with

[Chuck in Indiana]

Screwiness it which direction makes it stiffer or looser, that's pretty much what I need to know. I've never used such a critter and have no starting point to experiment with

In that case, just try it and see what happens. <shrug> 

[Ncdan]

Meant to say turning it in which direction adds pressure or reduced the pressure, or putting it another way, tighter or looser?

[Huzo]

 :bike-037:Jack the front wheel off the ground and try each way

[Cam3512]

As I recall the stock damper on the Calvin was not adjustable.  I have seen different ones on different years.  It's meant to stabilize the front end at speeds, and prevent any squirreliness caused by the wind effects on the windshield in combination with weighted saddlebags.  You should not feel any difference in steering at any speed.

[rocker59]

Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey.

[Chuck in Indiana]

  <shaking head and shuffling off>

[rocker59]

Sorry about this but I just sent this same message to a guy on a BMW forum that had just twisted (sheared) all four lug nuts on a R1150R trying to remove the wheel!

Duh!!!!

Ooops!   

[Huzo]

Sorry about this but I just sent this same message to a guy on a BMW forum that had just twisted (sheared) all four lug nuts on a R1150R trying to remove the wheel!

Duh!!!!

Bloody hell !!!...?

[RANDM]

Stone the Crows - how could you do all 4 with out realising
something was wrong? Wot, did he have the Rattle Gun of
Doom or something?

[Kentktk]

Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey.

Unless it`s an F4 MV Agusta rear wheel. So not always.

[oldbike54]

 Of course there is the case of some British cars that had righty/tighty on the wheels on one side, and lefty/tighty on the other side , and the bearing locking ring on lots of British motorbike hubs that are righty/loosey- lefty/tighty . Maybe that poor beemer guy grew up with one of those 

 Dusty

[Huzo]

 

Unless it`s an F4 MV Agusta rear wheel. So not always.

My F4 had 230 Nm I never gave it that much but had to remind myself it was Left hand thread!! Fell for that once (and only once)

[Tom H]

If i remember right. My first car, 60's Buick Special had the lug nuts "either" lefty loosey and righty loosey depending on which side of the car. Can't remember which side was what now. Been a long time.

Tom

[Chuck in Indiana]

Of course there is the case of some British cars that had righty/tighty on the wheels on one side, and lefty/tighty on the other side , and the bearing locking ring on lots of British motorbike hubs that are righty/loosey- lefty/tighty . Maybe that poor beemer guy grew up with one of those 

 Dusty

Even so, if I broke one, I might think about the reason why. Breaking all four?? Uhhhh....

[Orange Guzzi]

A hydraulic damper resist shock loads, not slow input loads like turning of the front wheel left or right while sitting still or moving slowly.  The resistance from adjusting increase the amount of shock needed to offset the steering from a shock input such as a bumps in the road or side wind and buffeting from a windshield. 

There can and will be a little movement that is not dampened.  Depending on how long the arm is from the point of rotation to the mounting point of the cylinder.  The longer the arm, the more movement will be un dampened.  Mounting  a damper directly to the pivot point will give the most accurate dampening.  I believe the correct way to say it is the Arc of a circle is longer the further from the center point you move.  Multiplying the amount of free play of the damper internal disc. 

I hope I confused you all, because now I am.  Take a damper, mount it in a vise, hit the rod end with a hammer.  It will move, but not all the way.  Now lay the hammer on the rod and it will slowly move to the opposite end. 

[oldbike54]

Even so, if I broke one, I might think about the reason why. Breaking all four?? Uhhhh....

 Well ...

 

Ha!
I'm afraid this poor guy doesn't have a clue, but maybe has learned??

And BTW we are talking about lug nuts not single hub nuts.

 ... except over time I've encountered at least 10 Brit bike wheel hubs that were destroyed because the owner , or in a couple of instances a "professional" mechanic had refused to read a service manual , or make a phone call , and just kept whacking away at the reverse thread bearing locking ring until something broke .

 Dusty

[rocker59]

If i remember right. My first car, 60's Buick Special had the lug nuts "either" lefty loosey and righty loosey depending on which side of the car. Can't remember which side was what now. Been a long time.

Tom

Yep.  Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile.  And MoPar.  Many pre-1965 cars had left-hand threaded lugnuts on the left side of the car.

There was usually an "L" stamped on the end of the wheel stud to remind you.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-0607-junkyard-crawl-lefthand-lugs/

[Tom]

 :1: on Dodges.  '66 Monaco.  Leftside was L and rightside was R.  IIRC and I don't.

[StuCorpe]

I want to replace the friction type steering damper on my 03 EV with a hydraulic one.  Does any one know or have a part # for one that would be a direct fit? The friction one is worn out, you can see the wear marks on the bar where it is of reduced size by several thousandth of an inch. I'm guessing it is close to 1/64".

[CPRMan]

My CalVin had a friction damper, marked + and -. The handbook says "To harden or loosen the steering, turn in or out the knob". In reality, I couldn't tell the difference!

[kirby1923]

We are not talking about 40+ year old brit bikes or Buicks here, we're talking a modern vehicle with lug nuts and like Chuck said it one breaks it would make sense to stop and figure out what is going on   no?

:-)

[RANDM]

Not just earlier models gents.
My wife runs a '07 Peugeot 307 wagon and for the first 2 yrs
couldn't get a steering alignment done. We got all sorts of
stories : they're a bad design that you can't adjust properly,
Your cars been in a serious accident and the chassis bent ....
...... Blah bloody blah blah ....... Had a few arguments
getting refunds, it was not a "happy time".
Finally found a small family owned tyre shop who did alignments
too. Admittedly he came to a sudden stop in proceedings
on the left hand side but actually looked at it - yup the adjuster
on the left had left hand threads and all 3 previous places
Couldn't figure it out and made up whatever excuse they
Could to excuse they're stupidity.

Maurie.