Steering Comparison 2013 vs 2014?

[batman1]

Can anyone offer a riders report on the difference in the steering between the pre-damped (risk) bike and the new now damped (safe) bike?

Just interested if the rider can feel any difference between the two bikes!

Blindfold test not necessary!

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Here we go again

Just ride & enjoy

 

[GC6269]

Yes Johnny, but which one?

The feather light, tank slapping 2013?

or

The oil tanker, oar through custard 2014?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Does it matter?

Just adjust your riding to suit either bike & get on with it

 

[david a hall]

There are people who wont ride a bike without a steering damper, and the rest of us who say "whats a steering damper?"

 

[batman1]

Here we go again

Just ride & enjoy

Relax Johnny, just asking, and yes I do ride and enjoy. I have just got back from my 3rd European Alps tour this year, and I love and my superb LC!

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Relax Johnny, just asking, and yes I do ride and enjoy. I have just got back from my 3rd European Alps tour this year, and I love and my superb LC!

Good

Enjoy what you've got & feck the rest

 

[stubox]

Relax Johnny, just asking, and yes I do ride and enjoy. I have just got back from my 3rd European Alps tour this year, and I love and my superb LC!

If you've just come back from a euro tour on the LC at what stage did you think 'oh that feels a bit unsafe'......so just carry on riding

 

[Wrinkly]

Can anyone offer a riders report on the difference in the steering between the pre-damped (risk) bike and the new now damped (safe) bike?

Just interested if the rider can feel any difference between the two bikes!

Blindfold test not necessary!

Very very simple..........The non damped bike will feel like the responsive, quick steering, SAFE handling bike that it is.

The damped bike will feel much the same apart from the steering will be slower and not as responsive, much like when you're turning the bars they feel like they are bathed in a very thick oil.

Some years ago I had an 1100ss I think it was possibly my 3rd,anyhow the steering never felt as good as the other 1100 s,s that I'd had.

Always felt as though you had to set up for corners very early and you really had to fight it round on quick left rights or vice versa.

I didn't realise it had a steering damper on but once I did I removed it,needless to say it transformed the bike and it became one of the best handling bikes I've ever owned.

Lets be sensible here,if there was a problem with the steering on the early LC's we would have known about it by now.

It will shake it's head from time to time and it will buck the bars now and again when you hit cats eyes or stones in the road but that is what you get with responsive steering,in my opinion it is never never never dangerous.

It will be interesting to see how many 2014 lc purchasers have removed the damper within the first 1000mls of ownership.

Steve

 

[Norfolkngood]

Is the damper not adjustable then?

 

[batman1]

Sorry I'll repeat the question....

'Can anyone offer a riders report on the difference in the steering between the pre-damped (risk) bike and the new now damped (safe) bike?'

I don't give a toss on what you 'think' about dampers, I'm asking if anyone has actually RIDDEN both bikes and what did you think, so if you ain't ridden both bikes then your reply is superfluous!





.

 

[Timolgra]

If Tetley put the T in Britain, who put............

just kidding

 

[Wapping]

Can anyone offer a riders report on the difference in the steering between the pre-damped (risk) bike and the new now damped (safe) bike?

Just interested if the rider can feel any difference between the two bikes!

Blindfold test not necessary!

From a bod who cannot decide what helmet to buy.

I can say (with absolute certainty) that the 2014 version will be awesome in its awesomeness. 2013 is dead, long live 2014.

 

[david a hall]

Sorry I'll repeat the question....

'Can anyone offer a riders report on the difference in the steering between the pre-damped (risk) bike and the new now damped (safe) bike?'

I don't give a toss on what you 'think' about dampers, I'm asking if anyone has actually RIDDEN both bikes and what did you think, so if you ain't ridden both bikes then your reply is superfluous!





.

I have ridden bikes with them on, I can only imagine that the difference between the death ride, lucky to stay upright, unsafe LC without damper fitted and the couldnt crash if you tried, safe version, damper fitted will be the same as other bikes. If you sit on the back of the seat going up hill thrashing the enginge through the box the slight lightening of the bars will be taken up by the damper, otherwise you wont fucking notice!!!

 

[Yellow Peril]

From a bod who cannot decide what helmet to buy.

I can say (with absolute certainty) that the 2014 version will be awesome in its awesomeness. 2013 is dead, long live 2014.

And gets his question re the helmet in the wrong section

 

[Engineer]

I have ridden bikes with them on, I can only imagine that the difference between the death ride, lucky to stay upright, unsafe LC without damper fitted and the couldnt crash if you tried, safe version, damper fitted will be the same as other bikes. If you sit on the back of the seat going up hill thrashing the enginge through the box the slight lightening of the bars will be taken up by the damper, otherwise you wont fucking notice!!!

Sums it up nicely. The bike does not need a damper!

 

[MinnBobber]

damper

Second hand info but one person reported the damper did not hamper normal steering movement at all. A normal movement of the bars was
just as easy. If you sharply jerked the bars, then you could feel the
movement being subdued.

Second hand report.
Let's hear from others with a 2014 please.

 

[Wrinkly]

Sorry I'll repeat the question....

'Can anyone offer a riders report on the difference in the steering between the pre-damped (risk) bike and the new now damped (safe) bike?'

I don't give a toss on what you 'think' about dampers, I'm asking if anyone has actually RIDDEN both bikes and what did you think, so if you ain't ridden both bikes then your reply is superfluous!





.

Thought mine was a riders report !!

Don't make no difference what bike it's on a steering damper does exactly what it says on the tin.

It DAMPENS the steering.

It's not rocket science.


Steve

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

It DAMPENS the steering.

It's not rocket science.


Steve

Also slows the steering & prevents the bars going 'light' if the front wheel isn't in contact with the road

 

[GC6269]

The damper (if correctly adjusted/calibrated) should only come into play if the bike is subject to unusual steering input, whether by the rider or the bike.

So, under normal conditions, the difference should be little or none.

The faster the bars move, the more resistance of oil passing through the damper, so a normal ride 'should' be just that.

I'm with most others, I don't think the bike needs a steering damper. Throwing mine down the Stokesley road yesterday, at no point did the bars give anything other than a slight shake.

If the damper was offered as a retro warranty fit, I'm not sure I'd want one fitted.