Steering dampner

Does the VFR800 need a steering dampner? And is anyone running one?
If so what brand do you recommend?
Just bought and 06 VFR800.

 

some will say you dont lol. scotts perfomance makes a good damper. personaly i think its cheap insurance if it ever saves you. on my last bike avoiding an accident,i couldnt recover from some really bad headshake.so now i will always have one but thats me.

 

Simple answer..

Nope, you don't need one. The VFR is one of the most inherently stable roadbikes on the go, unless you seriously f*ck up the steering geometry.

The previous poster doesn't say which kind of bike he had a problem on..?

Rod

 

i was on a buell firebolt and was another bike that i can show were tons of people say it doesnt need a damper. but in all things its preferance.personaly i will always have one.

 

as you say..

It's down to your preference as you say, but a Buell Firebolt has an extremely short wheelbase and a very steep steering head angle - exactly the conditions to provoke a tank-slapper. The info really isn't relevant to a VFR though , is it ?
I stand by my original post - no, you do not need one.

Rod

 

you never need one to you really need one. guess we will disagree.to each his own but wish i had one on the last bike.its cheap insurance,8 months out of work and 2 bone grafts later.this wouldnt be the first time someone has done somthing to there bike it didnt need.

 

Hey Flyfisher!

Here's my concern. There is alot of information out in what I call "squid land" that is not the type of advice you want to follow. What I mean is instead of learning how to truely ride a motorcycle, they buy every latest and greatest aftermarket items for there bike (i.e. tires, streering dampners, etc.) which just masks their bad habits riding and the fact they can't ride.

However, if you want one because you want one, then hey man, its your bike! Put whatever aftermarket item on it you want. A SD won't hurt your VFR.

Phycocircus has one because of a past experiance, which is not wrong either.

However, the question was:"Does the VFR need one"?

I am with Rogue, no the VFR does not need a steering dampner.

BZ

 

thanks Bubba for the honest reply

 

No problem, that's what we are all here for:smile:

 

If your dragging knee on the street and taking the bike to the track a few times a month? yes you need one...

If your having good times in the twisties and commuting? No you don't need one.

 

I've had a few nasty tank slappers doing some high speed runs on the freeways and I get some wobble out in the canyons when I run over a crease in the pavement, so I've been looking into getting one. It really depends on what ur doing with ur bike. I ride canyons pretty hard every weekend and ride with a fast group. She'll be on the track pretty soon too. Day to day commuting, I've never (Knock on wood) been in a situation where I've wanted one, just when I've pushed her hard on some of the shitty roads and freeways out here.

 

I have put over 1000 mi. on the bike so far,lots of those miles are chasing my buddies on thier GSXR1000 through the twisties,or should i say pushing them
through the twisties. And have bever had a reason to need one. I absolutely
love this bike! After spending 11 years pushing a GL1500 to its limit,it is nice to be riding a bike that has a greater limit than mine.