Scotts Steering Stabilizer

This is a quality piece of kit. Superb craftsmanship. Excellent instructions with pictures. Install is a snap. Will hit some ruts and washouts tommorow and play with the adjustments. So far very impressed.

sigh. another goody that i will never be able to afford.

inspector wrote:

sigh. another goody that i will never be able to afford.

I'd save your money. Seems like a superfluous farkle to me...

I have an over the bars mounted version (on my CRF450x) with an "X" type spool hub on it.

The good news is it's easy to get to and adjust it on the fly. ...AND when adjusted properly it is a fantastic device on any bike for the right conditions. I wouldn't live without one on my R1 (different reason for having it, but definitely a necessity).

The bad news is you can hyper-adjust it on the fly and virtually lock the steering up.

.....so I jump off into this high speed sandwash and at speed (40-50 MPH) spool it (the dampener) up to what I thought was an incremental adjustment.

It wasn't incremental at all.

It (the adjuster) went from zero to hero and I learned this shortly thereafter as when I went to "Steer" the bike into the next turn, it wasn't (steering) - at all.

At that point I was knee down like V. Rossi at turn one and when the bike decided to self-correct it got ugly fast.

...and off I went.

So the lesson learned is to just be careful when you adjust on-the-fly ! ...or you can fly ! I did. ...with a bad landing afterwards.

Definitely not a farkle IMO.

That is a beauteous farkle indeed. I find the the R2 geometrically very stable, so it doesn't really need the damper. That said, I have one on my bike and the only time I find it reassuring is in gravel and especially sand. Weight back, light grip on the bars and lay on the torque to power through. Mostly, I set it and forget it. Turn it off for single track though. The KTM 690 I had before though, really did need a damper, the front gets very light and wiggly at speed.

simonpig wrote:

I find the the R2 geometrically very stable, so it doesn't really need the damper.

+10

I want to ride, not keep fidgeting with something on my steering head. Of all the years I've done off-road riding, never have I found the need for it. Now a 4x4, now we're talking.

You will love the damper. I set mine and forget it. It improves the predictability and controllability of the bike in rough terrain so much I wouldn't want to live without it.

[/quote] .....a superfluous farkle......[/quote]

oh oh wait.....I get it....kind of like Hondamatic!
http://www.hondamotorcycles-usedmotorcycles.com/hondamatic.html

Machtig points out the usual use. Set it and forget it.

Varying conditions warrant changing it to obtain intended use results.

You'd want no resistance in slow conditions in deep sand.

Alternatively when you jump out of there onto 60 MPH open desert with ruts, bumps, high speed turns and washboard and you'll dial it up (i.e. fidget with it) .

SheWolf wrote:

simonpig wrote:

I find the the R2 geometrically very stable, so it doesn't really need the damper.

+10

I want to ride, not keep fidgeting with something on my steering head. Of all the years I've done off-road riding, never have I found the need for it....

+10 for common sense

Machtig wrote:

You will love the damper. I set mine and forget it. It improves the predictability and controllability of the bike in rough terrain so much I wouldn't want to live without it.

I have "steering dampeners" on my bike, they are called my biceps.

Machtig wrote:

You will love the damper. I set mine and forget it. It improves the predictability and controllability of the bike in rough terrain so much I wouldn't want to live without it.

X-Racer wrote:

Machtig points out the usual use. Set it and forget it.

Varying conditions warrant changing it to obtain intended use results.

You'd want no resistance in slow conditions in deep sand.

Alternatively when you jump out of there onto 60 MPH open desert with ruts, bumps, high speed turns and washboard and you'll dial it up (i.e. fidget with it) .

I'm recovering from a ~ 30MPH crash on a rocky but relatively open trail that caused a brain bleed which took a month to show symptoms (just weakness) and another month to put me in emergency surgury. I don't know exactly what happened in the crash but figure it was probably getting deflected off one of the fair sized rocks on the trail.

SO - I bought and installed a Scotts Stabilizer on my WRR (which can be switched to my KTM 200 XC-W in a minute). I've never used one before.

Can you folks that have give me any advice on how to adjust if for a reasonable starting point? I'm in Maryland with rocks, roots and some faster forest roads but no sand or real high speed stuff.

THANKS!

BigBird wrote:

Machtig wrote:

You will love the damper. I set mine and forget it. It improves the predictability and controllability of the bike in rough terrain so much I wouldn't want to live without it.

X-Racer wrote:

Machtig points out the usual use. Set it and forget it.

Varying conditions warrant changing it to obtain intended use results.

You'd want no resistance in slow conditions in deep sand.

Alternatively when you jump out of there onto 60 MPH open desert with ruts, bumps, high speed turns and washboard and you'll dial it up (i.e. fidget with it) .

I'm recovering from a ~ 30MPH crash on a rocky but relatively open trail that caused a brain bleed which took a month to show symptoms (just weakness) and another month to put me in emergency surgury. I don't know exactly what happened in the crash but figure it was probably getting deflected off one of the fair sized rocks on the trail.

SO - I bought and installed a Scotts Stabilizer on my WRR (which can be switched to my KTM 200 XC-W in a minute). I've never used one before.

Can you folks that have give me any advice on how to adjust if for a reasonable starting point? I'm in Maryland with rocks, roots and some faster forest roads but no sand or real high speed stuff.

THANKS!

Bigbird, I put my low speed setting somewhere towards the middle, and left the high speed setting where it was from the factory. The damper is a huge help in rocks, especially at speed. It will amaze you how much more solid the bike is in the rough stuff. I used to worry about hitting a big rock at an off angle. No more.

X-Racer wrote:

Machtig points out the usual use. Set it and forget it.

Varying conditions warrant changing it to obtain intended use results.

You'd want no resistance in slow conditions in deep sand.

Alternatively when you jump out of there onto 60 MPH open desert with ruts, bumps, high speed turns and washboard and you'll dial it up (i.e. fidget with it) .

The beauty of the Scotts Damper is it has two damper "circuits", high speed and low speed. I've not found a need to adjust mine yet, though I'm sure if I was a pro rider, I'd be fidgetting with it a lot more.

I put one on the Yamaha B4 this one, 250F, and it was like getting a new/incredible suspension so I moved it to the WRR... I wouldn't ride w/o it. The stability is awesome. Mega biceps are helpful I guess but the human reaction time is like molasses compared to this damper...

Rode my "X" today through a fast single track that has two rocky, rutted and washed out hills one up, one down. The 17" wheel is pretty easy to get "knotted" up in the rutts especially on the downhill. Sails thru it like a knife now. No problem with the biceps here, but I could definitely use some reaction time carrots.

I can't speak as to the need or usefulness of the damper on a wr250r. However, I can speak to it's use on a wr250X.

Last year my wife on her XT225 and I on my wr25x, complete with sumo tires, spent some great days off-roading. Obviously I had a few issues with mud due to the tire choice. I also discovered that the little 17" front wheel can easily get swallowed by drainage ditches if you're not expecting them. The other thing I found which I was not expecting was some real head-shake on acceleration over loose surfaces. This was reminiscent to accelerating a sport bike out of the corner on a rough track. It was very disconcerting and time after time there was nothing I could do to change it. Under similar circumstances it continued to happen. For our Motards in Moab trip in March I decided to make one equipment change. That was to add a Scott's steering damper. Problem solved. No head shake, very stable in big rocks, and I don't spend any time twiddling with it. The factory settings were quite light and seem to work. I just ride.

Machtig - some good notes and observations about the rocks.

As for those who thing arm strength will save you from a tank-slapper, think again. It doesn't matter how strong you are or how good your riding skills are. A tank slapper in loose terrain will soon change your view on life.

The only bike I've ever owned that has "needed" a dampener was the 1100, and even then, I think I had it on "max" all the time, even in the city, really I never noticed the difference. None of my other bikes have needed them, not my 650 or even my RD, which, if you know these bikes, is 10 times more unstable than any WR. Tank slap? Never had that happen on ANY bike I've ever owned, and Shewolf can attest to how hard I ride them. You all should try picking better lines or maybe holding the bars tighter. Honestly, if you can't keep the bars going straight you really should think about just driving a car.

As for the X needing it over the R? You all should have bought an R in the first place. That or stop taking your STREET BIKE off road.

Tibarus wrote:

All you people needing a steering dampener should save your money and just do some bicep curls.

With a steering damper, you can ride more relaxed which helps you control the bike. If you arms were on locked in position, you'll get armpump fast, and riding tense doesn't help you respond to what the bike is doing below you.

The reason most people don't feel the need for a damper is that there is no feedback — it is suppose to work in the background (the scotts anyway). Once you actually start to feel it noticibly is when you've cranked it too high. As mentioned previously the scotts has a high speed circuit, so that even though you have it set at 25% and you cant feel the resistance, the damper will theoretically kick in if a rock or something cause the bar to turn without warning due to this circuit.

ZED wrote:

I can't speak as to the need or usefulness of the damper on a wr250r. However, I can speak to it's use on a wr250X.

Last year my wife on her XT225 and I on my wr25x, complete with sumo tires, spent some great days off-roading. Obviously I had a few issues with mud due to the tire choice. I also discovered that the little 17" front wheel can easily get swallowed by drainage ditches if you're not expecting them. The other thing I found which I was not expecting was some real head-shake on acceleration over loose surfaces. This was reminiscent to accelerating a sport bike out of the corner on a rough track. It was very disconcerting and time after time there was nothing I could do to change it. Under similar circumstances it continued to happen. For our Motards in Moab trip in March I decided to make one equipment change. That was to add a Scott's steering damper. Problem solved. No head shake, very stable in big rocks, and I don't spend any time twiddling with it. The factory settings were quite light and seem to work. I just ride.

Machtig - some good notes and observations about the rocks.

As for those who thing arm strength will save you from a tank-slapper, think again. It doesn't matter how strong you are or how good your riding skills are. A tank slapper in loose terrain will soon change your view on life.

Interesting you bring this up, and this whole tread is timely, as I just posted in the X forum. I had a really bad tank slapper on the weekend. Really bad. In a moment of adrenaline-induced hyper-reality, I somehow got it back under control. Further testing shows my X with Shinko 705 is basically unrideable above 40mph off-road. Any bump can set it off. I need to find out soon if I've got a mechanical issue (loose head bearing) or what. I wonder if the smaller front tire on the X which creates the steeper angle on the front forks is the cause. If so, dropping the rear suspension height should help?

Tibarus, your comments are pretty inflamatory, and up until now I haven't seen that type of flaming on this board. I rode a WR250F for 3 years previous to this, and have never experienced anything like it. My bike as it sits now is different. For one reason or another. I also questioned the need for a damper until this weekend. So until you've ridden my bike, zip it. I finished the 2-day Corduroy enduro on my first try in 2009, so I know how to ride off-road.

As for not using the X off-road... You are aware they are exactly the same bike, save for the obvious wheel and brake differences, right? Why did I choose an X? It was $1300 cheaper than an R, the seat height is lower, which I appreciate with a 30" inseam and trying to come down off a 38.9" F, and I'm going to be doing just as much road riding as off-road, so the larger front brake is appreicated.

I had a Scotts damper on my last two bikes; a WR250F and a KTM 200EXC. I thought it helped. I just sold my WR250F without the damper and under-bar mount. When I eye it up with the triple clamp on the WRR, the hole pattern looks the same. This would be a sweet set-up for the WRR. Does anyone know if the triple clamp hole patterns on the WRR and WRF are the same?

simonpig wrote:

Tibarus wrote:

All you people needing a steering dampener should save your money and just do some bicep curls.

With a steering damper, you can ride more relaxed which helps you control the bike. If you arms were on locked in position, you'll get armpump fast, and riding tense doesn't help you respond to what the bike is doing below you.

The reason most people don't feel the need for a damper is that there is no feedback — it is suppose to work in the background (the scotts anyway). Once you actually start to feel it noticibly is when you've cranked it too high. As mentioned previously the scotts has a high speed circuit, so that even though you have it set at 25% and you cant feel the resistance, the damper will theoretically kick in if a rock or something cause the bar to turn without warning due to this circuit.

All I see from this is it fucking up and making it so you can't steer the bike at all. No chance of that with NO DAMPENER. These bikes are so fucking light it's just damn funny that you people even need one.

Tibarus wrote:

I'd save your money. Seems like a superfluous farkle to me...

Tibarus wrote:

I have "steering dampeners" on my bike, they are called my biceps.

Tibarus wrote:

All you people needing a steering dampener should save your money and just do some bicep curls.

Tibarus wrote:

More carrots and maybe some prescription glasses should help with that "reaction time" thing.

I have the Scotts, and love it. I would say it has saved me from atleast a couple spills, though I will not say I would have went off without it. Rode through a puddle with a submerged rut I couldn't see, front tire went left, rear went right, coming out of the puddle, I had a bad tank slapper, almost threw me off the bike, powered though it and saved it. Felt like the damper saved the front end front tucking and going to full lock.

(My futile attempt to ward off any trolls.) I could have picked a cleaner line, but whats the fun in that? I occasionally ride my X offroad, BECAUSE IT'S FUN!!! I will make the discaimer that I am a puss, and need to do some curls. (My futile attempt to ward off any trolls.)

YamX1KRR wrote:

Tibarus wrote:

I'd save your money. Seems like a superfluous farkle to me...

Tibarus wrote:

I have "steering dampeners" on my bike, they are called my biceps.

Tibarus wrote:

All you people needing a steering dampener should save your money and just do some bicep curls.

Tibarus wrote:

More carrots and maybe some prescription glasses should help with that "reaction time" thing.

I have the Scotts, and love it. I would say it has saved me from atleast a couple spills, though I will not say I would have went off without it. Rode through a puddle with a submerged rut I couldn't see, front tire went left, rear went right, coming out of the puddle, I had a bad tank slapper, almost threw me off the bike, powered though it and saved it. Felt like the damper saved the front end front tucking and going to full lock.

(My futile attempt to ward off any trolls.) I could have picked a cleaner line, but whats the fun in that? I occasionally ride my X offroad, BECAUSE IT'S FUN!!! I will make the discaimer that I am a puss, and need to do some curls. (My futile attempt to ward off any trolls.)

Tibarus, what events have you competed in? You a racer, or a trail riding wanker who just thinks he drives fast?