Anyone tried adding a steering head damper?

[Wee Willy]

As my OEM Bridgestone was wearing out, the Feejer began to develop a divergent (means it gets worse as it develops) shimmy issue at around 45 mph. This happened whenever I stopped providing positive control to the handlebars. I characterized this pretty carefully and found it was somewhat speed dependent and divergent almost anywhere it began. If I did not get back in the loop, it might have been an interesting day I suspect. Dampers are made to stop this from occurring. Has anyone ever installed a damper on their Feejer?

Curious,

W2

 

[Fred W]

As my OEM Bridgestone was wearing out, the Feejer began to develop a divergent (means it gets worse as it develops) shimmy issue at around 45 mph. This happened whenever I stopped providing positive control of the handlebars. I characterized this pretty carefully and found it was somewhat speed dependent and divergent almost anywhere it began. If I did not get back in the loop, it might have been an interesting day I suspect. Dampers are made to stop this from occurring. Has anyone ever installed a damper on their Feejer?
Curious,

W2

Cheaper and easier to just replace the crappy OE Bridgestone with a tire that doesn't do that. Try a Pirelli Strada. You'll like it.

 

[Wee Willy]

Cheaper and easier to just replace the crappy OE Bridgestone with a tire that doesn't do that. Try a Pirelli Strada. You'll like it.

Just replaced it with a PR2 (Clicky). Have not tried to see if this solves the problem though. I'll try it again soon as this big machine seems to eat front tires.

W2

 

[Bounce]

many faired bikes with a load on the front do this. don't take your hands off during decel and you'll be fine.

eats front tires? 2f for every 1r seems pretty normal to me. check your psi and forget what the factory says. go with 41/42 or 40/41 (f/r).

 

[madmike2]

Cheaper and easier to just replace the crappy OE Bridgestone with a tire that doesn't do that. Try a Pirelli Strada. You'll like it.

Just replaced it with a PR2 (Clicky). Have not tried to see if this solves the problem though. I'll try it again soon as this big machine seems to eat front tires.

W2

Welllll....by my own experience (purely subjective, I know) the FJR eats Bridgestones. I got 15,000 miles out of my last PR2 front (10K on the rear). I've learned not to push the corner entry which helps this front heavy beast.

 

[majicmaker]

It's the Bridgestone's! What a piece of crap. My front tire did the same thing to me along with developing a bubble on it the size of a half a tennis ball at about

100mph on my way to Daytona Bike Week from West Palm Beach a couple years ago. Could have been disastrous but I got off the interstate in Daytona and

went right to a bike shop and got a new front tire. I went for the PR2's and never will those Bridgestone's darken my door step again!! You won't need a

dampner. More money but, worth every penny!! I'm on the tail end of my second set of PR2's and a third set is in the guest bedroom ready to rock and roll. Not

one shimmy ever. Even when you get to the metal!! :clapping:

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Anyone tried adding a steering head damper?, Does anyone make one for an FJR?Dampers are made to stop this from occurring. Has anyone ever installed a damper on their Feejer?

Not on the FJR -- mine doesn't 'shimmy' (modified, more agressive, geometry) -- but it still "eats" front tires.

I did install an aftermarket, adjustable, hydraulic steering damper on a Concours C-10 (years ago) that exhibited a 'shimmy' problem. I didn't like it and eventually removed it -- when adjusted with enough resistance to damp such slow oscillations, it had very slow, stiff, steering. I think they (steering dampers) are made for more rapid oscillations?

Now-days, most of the things you might need (dampers and mounts) are available thru the aftermarket -- but, finding a place to mount it may be an issue...?

 

[mdisher]

I tell ya what...

Nothing had as big an impact on getting rid of my shimmy as switching to tapered head-set bearings. Properly torqued, they are the shiznit and absolutely the best $50 I've spent on this bike. I'd even put this above the g2 throttle mod.

I had a shimmy with my current PR2's with about 6500 on them. It was bad, check the bearings and they were loose again so I made the switch.

YMMV, but in my book this is a Must Do...

 

[CRMH Eagle]

I replaced the oem with avon storms. Though I have no experience with bike tires to provide a reliable review, I can tell you the storms are a HUGE improvement over in the oem in cornering, wet & dry braking, and in the rain.