stabilizer ?
- Thread starter kennym4
- Start date
Has anyone mentioned that what op is feeling may be the stock way it was supposed to be ?
Both the oem and Ohlins aftermarket damper I put on 'wiggled' up and down and the mounting bolt was as tight as you could get it.
This is a great discussion from some of the most respected riders here on the forum but again his concern was that his damper 'moves' and he wanted to know if it needed to be tightened right ?
Both the oem and Ohlins aftermarket damper I put on 'wiggled' up and down and the mounting bolt was as tight as you could get it.
This is a great discussion from some of the most respected riders here on the forum but again his concern was that his damper 'moves' and he wanted to know if it needed to be tightened right ?
Pardini I can only say a couple of things...
1. Once you ride with one you will notice a difference immediately... You can click the dial and feel the difference as you turn it.... Trust me, like I said there are many folks here than can attest to the change...
2. I dont think there is a real discussion if they work or not, the real debate I think has been more of which one works best and why adjust it.....
If you were here I would put you on my bike and tell you to take off.. Until you ride with a stabilizer that you can't really understand it I guess...
Like I mentioned above this is trying to describe how something feels, I can explain all day what it feels like to have sex but in the end until you do it yourself you won't get the full understanding.. (That was the best analogy I could come up with)
mr8ball
Registered
What is the best one to buy? I might have missed it but I have noticed my bike feels choppy when I am going into a curve. This might be what mine is coming from. My bike has 15K on it now. Do you guys think it could be bad? I have never done a willie and the roads are pretty good where I ride. I had an mis hap I posted about a while back. I don't know if its me but the bike just does not seem to handle as well. Maybe this will help me out. I will have to look at mine tomorrow. Thanks
A stabilizer won't cause those problems. Check your tires for wear, proper air pressure...also when was the last time you had a suspension adjustment? If ever...stabilizers are band aids for improper bike set up and a lack of riding expierence. Sure in a EXTREME set of circumstances they can help prevent a 'tank slapper'...but they also eliminate 'feel' as to what the bike is doing in a corner.
Posted via Mobile Device
When I put on the Ohlins replacement in stock location i immediately felt a huge diff in stability and trackability.
The normal road I ride on has a couple dips that lead up to a slight 'hill' where at speed the front wheel will lift just ever so slightly.
You go over the 'hill' at a slight lean after coming up to it thru the dip.
With the oem damper suspension would compress and then you would go over 'hill' lifting front wheel a few inches again on a small lean. When wheel returned to the ground bars would always wiggle just a bit, only just a bit.
Now with aftermarket Ohlins replacement I take same road, go thru same dip, compression of suspension and lifting of front wheel. When wheel returns to ground bars do not move one bit and bike tracks perfectly straight.
It made a huge difference a huge one. I run around town with it 14 clicks from zero but when I go out west to this road I click it 3 more times. Only thing is sometimes I forget to click it back those 3 times and around town I can hardly even park it cuz it feels like wheel is locked straight...
The normal road I ride on has a couple dips that lead up to a slight 'hill' where at speed the front wheel will lift just ever so slightly.
You go over the 'hill' at a slight lean after coming up to it thru the dip.
With the oem damper suspension would compress and then you would go over 'hill' lifting front wheel a few inches again on a small lean. When wheel returned to the ground bars would always wiggle just a bit, only just a bit.
Now with aftermarket Ohlins replacement I take same road, go thru same dip, compression of suspension and lifting of front wheel. When wheel returns to ground bars do not move one bit and bike tracks perfectly straight.
It made a huge difference a huge one. I run around town with it 14 clicks from zero but when I go out west to this road I click it 3 more times. Only thing is sometimes I forget to click it back those 3 times and around town I can hardly even park it cuz it feels like wheel is locked straight...
mr8ball
Registered
I put the tire on new at the time. It had about 800 miles on it I think. I did have a little to much air in it. It feels like the bike hops when going into a turn now. I had a friend of mine help me set the bike suspension (06busa) He is pretty good at it. He told me maybe the tire has flat spots on it. The day I had the mis hap the tire had blue spots on it and you could tell it had been hot. It might just be me. I am going to let my friend ride it and see what he thinks.
kennym4
Registered
Hey Blanca, I noticed how it moved around when I first got it, but now it's moving up & down more, and I feel it in the bars......unless it's something else, but I took it apart, and couldn't find anything.
Thanks
Excellent thread. I heard about the phone call you guys crack me up
I have an Ohlins on my Busa, and the OEM on my Gixxer 1k (SteveO, I may need to correct that). However, since I can't ride for shait, I have no idea whether or not it's really made any difference (and hopefully I don't as that means I where I'm not supposed to be).
I am so grateful for a forum where I can learn about all this stuff would nearly be impossible otherwise (unless I lived in WA down the street from Tuf)
P.S. Saiid, the OEM (and replacement Ohlins) damper are always a little loose in up and down movement on purpose, just not right and left movement. Don't overtighten! Refer back to this thread:
https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/gen-...roup-buy-my-k8-install-experience-w-pics.html
I have an Ohlins on my Busa, and the OEM on my Gixxer 1k (SteveO, I may need to correct that). However, since I can't ride for shait, I have no idea whether or not it's really made any difference (and hopefully I don't as that means I where I'm not supposed to be).
I am so grateful for a forum where I can learn about all this stuff would nearly be impossible otherwise (unless I lived in WA down the street from Tuf)
P.S. Saiid, the OEM (and replacement Ohlins) damper are always a little loose in up and down movement on purpose, just not right and left movement. Don't overtighten! Refer back to this thread:
https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/gen-...roup-buy-my-k8-install-experience-w-pics.html
Last edited:
Pardini I can only say a couple of things...
1. Once you ride with one you will notice a difference immediately... You can click the dial and feel the difference as you turn it.... Trust me, like I said there are many folks here than can attest to the change...
2. I dont think there is a real discussion if they work or not, the real debate I think has been more of which one works best and why adjust it.....
If you were here I would put you on my bike and tell you to take off.. Until you ride with a stabilizer that you can't really understand it I guess...
Like I mentioned above this is trying to describe how something feels, I can explain all day what it feels like to have sex but in the end until you do it yourself you won't get the full understanding.. (That was the best analogy I could come up with)
Cap I don't doubt that it feels different or that you like the different feel. I'm saying that I have never had even a hint of a symptom that a damper is designed to correct or perhaps hide. The OEM unit WORKS or maybe it doesn't and everything else is kosher. The bike doesn't shake, wobble or wiggle. How can it get any better than that? Could be you guys push harder than I do, don't know, different tires, pressures, set up? If it works don't fix it.
Now on the C 14, I would drop the $$ on one for it. It has some slight shake/wiggle. I've looked, can't find anything that will fit it. Doesn't have any damper stock. I think it needs one, there I have symptoms, but not on the Busa.
I guess thats why all the race guys have em huh Rich, maybe someday they might have an much experience as you...
cap
This is actually good advice. Stabilizers do help to an extent, the rest is rider preference and the already mentioned extra confidence from that.
I drag knees and stunt, and I wish I could afford a GPR.
8Ball, either your tires are bad, the suspension's not right or if this developed after your wreck, maybe the forks are tweaked in the clamps and need to be adjusted. I'de also check for a bent wheel, just watch them close as you spin them on stands, if you can't see it bent, chances are you won't feel it bent.
I'll bet on tires or forks.
I was so proud of my way earlier post and no one said a word so I'm going to repeat what I believe is a critical point.
When carving at my limit (and the bikes) when I am on the edge of the tires, including slicks, if a significant track surface irregularity is crossed, an oscilation can be induced. If a dialed in decent damper is mounted....THE BIKE'S REACTION IS MINIMIZED. You can watch that occur in MotoGP and WSBK every weekend. I notice the increased stability on the track on my Busa even between 2 clicks and 9 clicks!
To me, this is not an arguable situation, tour a paddock sometime and count the bikes with and without dampers.
I'm not talking about dampers "masking" another out of balance issue on a bike, I'm talking about its application on a perfectly dialed in motorcycle.
Maybe not everybody needs one, but I've never seen someone with a high end damper get rid of it!
Doyle
When carving at my limit (and the bikes) when I am on the edge of the tires, including slicks, if a significant track surface irregularity is crossed, an oscilation can be induced. If a dialed in decent damper is mounted....THE BIKE'S REACTION IS MINIMIZED. You can watch that occur in MotoGP and WSBK every weekend. I notice the increased stability on the track on my Busa even between 2 clicks and 9 clicks!
To me, this is not an arguable situation, tour a paddock sometime and count the bikes with and without dampers.
I'm not talking about dampers "masking" another out of balance issue on a bike, I'm talking about its application on a perfectly dialed in motorcycle.
Maybe not everybody needs one, but I've never seen someone with a high end damper get rid of it!
Doyle
Good response Doyle... I don't want to argue with anyone about this but it just seems like the us and them thing going on.. Those that have them love em and those that don't have them or never rode with one that don't see a need.. No one is right and no one is wrong. All I can do is explain my experiences and pass those on to others so they are more informed.
Good luck Kenny !
The rod types are adjustable too...on the track I do like it cranked up to about 80% of max damping. On the street this can be dangerous...at speed it's ok, but if you are forced to slow down quickly, or you forget to adjust it down...then in a low speed situation the steering can be so stiff that you could lose control and spill.
Posted via Mobile Device
Zoinks!
Registered
I agree with you 100%. I noticed your earlier post and was pretty surprised no one commented on it. I still have the OEM damper on the busa, but I did do the fluid change to 90wt. It has made a difference in the bike's stability in rough corners, and it saved me from a sticky situation. I was following a cousin cause I didn't know where we were going. We were turning at a stop sign and he nailed it as soon as he started going. I had to keep up, so I got on it hard while I was still leaned over some and didn't notice the front had come up on me some (it wasn't much at all, which is why I didn't notice). When it set back down I got a decent amount of head shake, but the damper did its job well and took care of it quickly and didn't let it progress into a tank slapper situation.
Although I've never ridden with an aftermarket damper I can see the improvement that one can offer, given that you ride in situations where it would be helpful.
IG.
Registered
Cap, I wish I was closer. I do know what you mean about winds. I did experience that once or twice in strong side winds - my rear was breaking lose, but nothing wiggled up front. I even stopped to inspect the bike.
Actually, if the rear breaks lose and goes out of alignment, the front better continue tracking as it was. In such a case a stiff damper may force the front out of alignment with scary results. This is a flip side of the damper being too stiff.
To answer you question, a bump on the track, a rough or uneven surface alone would not turn the front wheel - as a matter of fact it is well known that the bike's front wheel will track on imperfect surface all day long trying to adjust its path - more extreme examples are going over a bridge groves, or stripped road surface. What makes the front get dangerously uneven in such conditions is the steering input that the rider applies.
So, what I am saying that the way to go about it is to try minimizing such input, or removing steering input altogether for a moment during things like going over rough or uneven surfaces, or when the front gets light going over a bump, or right before the front catches air. I would rely on a damper when I failed to remove my steering input, or when it was impossible to do so in time. But I wouldn't continue applying my steering input all the time no matter what conditions, and hoping the damper will save me.
Overall reduction in steering input after the initial turn in is done can be achieved by simply moving the upper body to the inside of the turn and lower so that the rider's eyes are facing the mirror and the outer arm rests on the tank.
Another way to momentarily remove the steering input is to relax both hands for a moment. Sure the bike might straighten a bit during that moment, but the steering input can be quickly re-applied.
V-shaped tire profiles on most sport tires also help a lot - once the bike tipped, a rider feels very neutral while staying in turn.
But, if the road is really bad... or the wind is really strong and gusty.... well, then you better not lean too much. LOL
Most of us had their bikes on the stand when the front is free to move. It takes very little input to move the front wheel when the front doesn't have a solid contact with the road - that's how relaxed the hands should be. As a matter of fact, if the front catches are the slightest wind my turn the front wheel, so it becomes the rider's responsibility to have it straight - otherwise the front will flip like a sail.
Last edited:
So do you or do you not have a stabilizer on your bike? If not then this is just as I posted above.. another person that does not have one offering advice... I would have to ask again, if they aren't any good and everything can be adjusted by other means then why do racers have them on their bikes on the track? Do the same principles not apply on the street as on the track? Apparently not, but then I ask why would suzuki put a stabilizer on at all if it were not useful...
Guys I get it that maybe I am not the best rider trust me I got that one and I get it everytime I get lapped at the track. BUT you can't tell me that there isn't a purpose, Suzuki won't put self cancelling turn signals on the busa because of cost even though it would be just a few bucks. Dont you think that the engineers put the factory stabilizer on there for some reason??
Im okay if you guys don't want to buy one, I ask though... have you ever ridden with one that you can adjust on the top?
cap
Similar threads
