My exerience with damperless Busa

A

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It took a little getting used to the sharp steering. The Busa without the steering damper is stable, wheelie and all. Handling is kicked up a notch. Same feeling I got from switching from 50profile rear tire to 55profile rear tire. It lays down nicely on turns. Without the damper you have a greater radius to turn the bars, so at low speeds ofcourse its much more noticeable, but still noticeable at 70mph. I myself love it.

I am not advising taking it off, just posting that I saw benefits without the steering damper and will continue to have it off.
 
Thanks! I learned something!
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A little easier steering is not worth the risk of a TANK SLAPPER
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Hey guys no problems on sharing and thanks for your concerns. As far as high speed wobbles, I would worry about it either. Everytime you bring it up you risk a wobble and thats what you accept everytime you do it. I've done 70mph wheelies with the same effect as with a damper. But thats about your control anyway, setting it down. The way I can see a high speed wobble happen is a wheelie at a bit greater speeds than 70mph, but that would happen upon bring down. I have had this damper removed and daily driven since mid October.
 
well a friend of mine on a ZX6R 636, just got a speed wobble last night at 140mph and it threw him. And those bikes dont have a dampener, so please consider putting it back on. As a safety percaution. But to each his own.
 
+1 on using a damper to protect against tank slappers.

Also,

I have an adjustable ohlins damper.  When I crank it down to very little damping, the bike feels horrible in the corners!  It wiggles and moves, just feels like its gonna shake out of control at any minute, unstable as a mofo.  I had almost zero confidence in the corners with very little damping.
Then I cranked up the damping.  Felt heavy to turn but simply railed once leaned over.  It was a rock on a rail.  Extrememly stable.
So I backed off the damping until the bike didn't feel heavy.  Basically put in as much damping as possible without making the bike feel heavy.  The ohlins damper has 14 clicks of adjustment(if I remember corrctly).  If 14 clicks is 100% damping and 0 clicks is no damping at all, I'm using 10 clicks of the 14, that's a lot of damping.  I think that's because the busa is a heavy sport bike.

So, I have to dissagree with you, damping makes the bike MORE stable.  If you use too much, than the bike will feel heavy.  Use a little or none, the bike is unstable and is just plain twichy.
 
(Charlesbusa @ Dec. 09 2006,15:05) +1 on using a damper to protect against tank slappers.

Also,

I have an adjustable ohlins damper.  When I crank it down to very little damping, the bike feels horrible in the corners!  It wiggles and moves, just feels like its gonna shake out of control at any minute, unstable as a mofo.  I had almost zero confidence in the corners with very little damping.
Then I cranked up the damping.  Felt heavy to turn but simply railed once leaned over.  It was a rock on a rail.  Extrememly stable.
So I backed off the damping until the bike didn't feel heavy.  Basically put in as much damping as possible without making the bike feel heavy.  The ohlins damper has 14 clicks of adjustment(if I remember corrctly).  If 14 clicks is 100% damping and 0 clicks is no damping at all, I'm using 10 clicks of the 14, that's a lot of damping.  I think that's because the busa is a heavy sport bike.

So, I have to dissagree with you, damping makes the bike MORE stable.  If you use too much, than the bike will feel heavy.  Use a little or none, the bike is unstable and is just plain twichy.
Click to expand...
words of wisdom!
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super.gif
 
(Charlesbusa @ Dec. 10 2006,07:05) +1 on using a damper to protect against tank slappers.

Also,

I have an adjustable ohlins damper.  When I crank it down to very little damping, the bike feels horrible in the corners!  It wiggles and moves, just feels like its gonna shake out of control at any minute, unstable as a mofo.  I had almost zero confidence in the corners with very little damping.
Then I cranked up the damping.  Felt heavy to turn but simply railed once leaned over.  It was a rock on a rail.  Extrememly stable.
So I backed off the damping until the bike didn't feel heavy.  Basically put in as much damping as possible without making the bike feel heavy.  The ohlins damper has 14 clicks of adjustment(if I remember corrctly).  If 14 clicks is 100% damping and 0 clicks is no damping at all, I'm using 10 clicks of the 14, that's a lot of damping.  I think that's because the busa is a heavy sport bike.

So, I have to dissagree with you, damping makes the bike MORE stable.  If you use too much, than the bike will feel heavy.  Use a little or none, the bike is unstable and is just plain twichy.
Click to expand...
Very well said!!!

I would never do a roadcourse style trackday without one. It just feels really nervous like some of the 600's w/o a damper.

I get a little headshake at tracks like Fontana and Willow but I know in the back of my mind that if my damper wasn't there, I prolly wouldn't be here too.
 
I think the engineers at the manufacturers have done more homework than us about if we need dampers or not! They must be putting em there for a reason
 
Here's an idea. Try a lighter weight of oil in the stock dampener. It'll give you that light feel and you'll still have some protection from tankslappers.
 
I get enough headshake WITH the dampner pulling out of corners, I can't imagine it with out it.
 
that is a great idea, if you are not going to use a dampener, at least get one you can adjust like the ohlins, so when you do make those high speed runs, you can click it up, and when you just want to do turns, click it down, anytime adjustment is very handy
 
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