Steering Damper

[mohazima]

I have an '09 V7 Classic with HyperPro progressive springs and shocks, bought from GuzziTech.

I've got the suspension dialed to my liking now but the front still feels a bit light at times and on bumps will have the tendency to wobble.

Been thinking about a steering damper. Anyone have any experiences with them? Know who makes one for this bike?

Or is the suspension just not setup correctly?

I admit that the setup has been a trial and error process for me.

Thanks

[Moto Fugazzi]

I haven't tried a steering damper, but I did get a set of Ricor Intiminators:
http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=44780.0
Ken

[AnthonyMartello]

Hi there,

I too did the Hyperpro upgrade (fork springs & oil and rear shock spring) and was very pleased with the result. I'm not a backroad blaster but I have taken it through some seriously rutted roads and it's much smoother than I thought it would be. In fact, I do a little curb hopping and the front wheel impact has really lightened up too.

This upgrade works for me!

Anthony

[Holt]

I'm not sure of the V7C behavior, as they've got the 18" front wheel in contradiction to the 17" Breva dito. I had a clear case of shimmy some years ago though, and was also into the steering damper thoughts.
It all disappeared when I ditched the lousy Lasertech tire(s), and got a pair of Michelins instead.
Might be worth a try.

[Paxo]

Manufacturers for very good reasons always set up handling on the cautious and safe side, so that means for the average person...who ever that is! I've not had any problems with the front end even with a 5 weight fork oil being a little lighter than standard, so I would first check you have the right amount of oil in each fork leg. I used Hagon progressive springs and they are set up with a 150mm air gap from the oil to top of the fork tube rather than a measured amount. I would suspect yours would be approximately the same. You can always try a heavier oil if you find the damping too soft, but go up one step at a time until you get it right for you.

Next, which should have been first! Check your tyre pressures are correct both front and rear, usually around 33/36 psi, but obviously you can alter these to suit yourself. A tyre change can often improve the handling. I ditched the Metzlers ASAP For Bridgestones.

Rear shocks should be exactly the same preload and if you have it, equal amounts of damping rebound. As the unit are new I'm assuming there is no damping fluid leaking out?

I'd be very cautious about fitting any steering damper as often they can mask the problem rather than solve it. They may have a place on quick steering sports bikes such as Ducati or an MV, but I don't think the V7 fits that description.

[gstallons]

I don't know how many miles are on the tires but I would replace front & rear with a good set of rubber & have them filled w / nitrogen......

[minimike]

A Daytona steering dampener & new tires almost totally solved my problems.

[mohazima]

Guys, thanks for all the responses, they're helpful.

Sorry I didn't respond until now. I thought I'd get an email when there was action on this thread but I guess that's not the case!

My bike has the crappy Lasertechs on and I'm sure that's a big part of the problem, but the suspension is still too tight, especially riding NYC streets. I get rattled to death and it affects my confidence in taking corners that may have bumps.

I think the heart of the problem is that I'm running 15w oil in the forks. I decided on this weight because I thought that the Hyperpro kit sold with a 25w oil and wanted to go lighter incrementally. Now I'm not sure where I got the 25w number from and have discovered (by reading the manual, duh) that the stock weight is 7.5w. So that's going to happen.

But I still can't figure out how to adjust the rears. I have the manual but it just doesn't make much sense for me. Anyone with any experience with these shocks and how they got them setup right now, your knowledge is greatly appreciated.

And minimike, how did you fit that steering damper on your bike? Did it require any custom fabrication?

[Paxo]

Firstly before anything else, sort out the oil in the front forks then whatever tyres you choose at the right pressures.

Right, it's best to start off with the rear dampers on the softest preload, that's with the springs fully extended. This is done either with a pair of threaded collars or cams adjusted with a C spanner. They must be set the same. The same applies to the rebound damping and this is usually done either with a screw turned in and out or a marked dial. Keep to the softest setting first. Adjust the preload by stiffening it up to suit your weight and riding style. Only you know what that is. Once that is how you like it now you can sort the rebound setting. This controls how quickly the rear springs settle back to normal after absorbing a bump. Too soft and you'll pogo off down the road. Too stiff and your spine will come out the top of your head. You'll know when it feels right.

As I said previously, don't be too quick to fit a steering damper as it can mask an incorrect set up which can bite you in the arse when you least expect it. I've never felt the need to fit one on my Classic and that's been over some really indifferent road surfaces.

Lastly, take your time to sort it out and once you get a good base setting you can experiment a bit. (Then go back to the first one you liked!) Good luck.

[Holt]

Rear shocks are not adjustable - exept for preload - and the standards are of a; errh, they are not top-of-the line shocks to put it in a modest way.
You may consider buying a pair of shocks of better quality than the standards which I think are Sachs - the early Brevas were delivered with no-name shocks which later were changed to Sachs whith little improvement. I bought a very satisfying pair of Wilbers back then, but they've become quite expensive, so I suggest you to have a chat with Todd here about a pair of YSSs, if you really want to improve the roadholding of your V7C. Also a change of front fork springs for linear springs would be an approvement for driving on the roads of New York, I'm sure. I've been there.
There are descriptions found everywhere how to set the sag.