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Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:31 am
by Canadian FJR
Planning a future project with the FJR and will be needing a steering damper. Any suggestions on where to find one.
Disclaimer: I am fully aware that the FJR does not require one for normal use. I was never accused of being normal.
Canadian FJR
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 11:40 am
by fjrob
Sounds like a speed run to me
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 12:14 pm
by wheatonFJR
Evel Knievel?
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 12:42 pm
by natehawk750
Scotts and GPR dampers are the most popular I've seen... most damper companies have their own bike specific mounting brackets and hardware.
Care to elaborate on said project?
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 2:04 pm
by Canadian FJR
A few years back I tried land speed racing on an old TL1000s and it did surprisingly well. Ended up breaking a couple of records. That bike is gone to a new home and thinking it would be fun to ring the FJR out. I doubt that very few people truly know what its top speed is in stock form. The only issue is that one needs a Steering Damper for any speeds over 150mph.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/101319891 ... 321517534/
Canadian FJR
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 2:40 pm
by ionbeam
Canadian FJR wrote: ↑Tue Apr 21, 2020 2:04 pm
A few years back I tried land speed racing on an old TL1000s and it did surprisingly well. Ended up breaking a couple of records...and thinking it would be fun to ring the FJR out...
Well, this should be interesting.
My stock '04 at redline was showing ~158 mph on the GPS. Creeping a bit more into the red may have produced around 164ish before the first stage of speed limiter kicks in. If you are focused on staying alive and not the tach, when the speed limiter kicks in it will scare the shi... err, stuffings out of you. First thought, I blew the engine. At the drag strip where the (Gen I) rider is in 4th gear, near redline, entering the timing trap it is possible to blow through both speed limiters at once and that is a *real thrill*.
My Gen I would pull to redline just fine, not as strong as my 1998 V-Max (with a 140 mph redline) but it will pull redline with the windscreen down and the rider trying to get under the paint. I doubt that a Gen II, Gen III and certainly a Gen IV can pull redline in top gear with a stock setup. I have ridden two other Gen I FJRs which couldn't pull redline. A '03 would be the
ticket best tool for this job, with it's rumored 'introductory horsepower'.
Waiting for the next chapter...
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 2:48 pm
by natehawk750
That's legit!
Well you know as well as I do anything is possible with a good fabricator...
Maybe get a Scott's or GPR stabilizer and then get a fabrication shop make the mounts.... getting the Damper is easy it's the brackets that will be tricky to source.
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 2:56 pm
by wheatonFJR
ionbeam wrote: ↑Tue Apr 21, 2020 2:40 pm
Canadian FJR wrote: ↑Tue Apr 21, 2020 2:04 pm
A few years back I tried land speed racing on an old TL1000s and it did surprisingly well. Ended up breaking a couple of records...and thinking it would be fun to ring the FJR out...
Well, this should be interesting.
My stock '04 at redline was showing ~158 mph on the GPS. Creeping a bit more into the red may have produced around 164ish before the first stage of speed limiter kicks in. If you are focused on staying alive and not the tach, when the speed limiter kicks in it will scare the shi... err, stuffings out of you. First thought, I blew the engine. At the drag strip where the (Gen I) rider is in 4th gear, near redline, entering the timing trap it is possible to blow through both speed limiters at once and that is a *real thrill*.
My Gen I would pull to redline just fine, not as strong as my 1998 V-Max (with a 140 mph redline) but it will pull redline with the windscreen down and the rider trying to get under the paint. I doubt that a Gen II, Gen III and certainly a Gen IV can pull redline in top gear with a stock setup. I have ridden two other Gen I FJRs which couldn't pull redline. A '03 would be the
ticket best tool for this job, with it's rumored 'introductory horsepower'.
Waiting for the next chapter...
I had wind aided 162 (stock speedo...so ya, slower) going down a slight incline on an unnamed state highway in central Illinois. Smooth as butter with the wind. Didn't seem so fast when the horizon is so far away and the cornstalks aren't up yet. 2004 FJR.
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:12 pm
by ionbeam
The amount of distance you cover at that speed is really remarkable. So is the gas mileage
After a redline run, 70 mph feels like you are walking.
Horsepower is not a real unit of measurement, it is the result of a calculation -- (torque x engine speed) ÷ by 5252 Alternatives for a speed run is to work on wind resistance & drag, and/or increase engine speed, and/or increase torque. It will probably take an ECU flash to kill the speed limiter. If the speed limiter is turned off, someplace around 10,000 rpm, look down at where the engine is between your legs.
Do ya feel lucky?
Wonder what Canadian FJR's plan is...
Re: Steering Damper
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:41 pm
by raYzerman
I had a couple of real bad tankslappers back in the 70's with my wiggly framed '58 Norton, who knows where the steering head bearings were at... IIRC, that happens on decel down around legal speeds or lower when gyroscope effect of the wheels/tires is less... could be wrong.
If you haven't already, torque the steering head bearings the old fashioned way, where it takes a pound or two of resistance to turn the bars. This will be higher than Yammy's 13 ft. lbs., will be around 18-ish, which I always did on mine with no detrimental effects whatsoever, never had a head shake on my FJR's.