Kevin frazier
Widowmaker!
track, you were at the tracknot at all, touched 265yesterday kmph / 165mph and didnt feel need for it, it was 80kmph speed limit road
Have you ever felt the need for steering dampers on the Rocket 3?
- Thread starter topdog999
- Start date
Claviger
Aspiring Student
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- '21 Z H2, '14 R3R, '02 Daytona 955i
I'll chime in and add, that spot in the headstock is absolutely fine unless you have a habit of dropping your rocket on the ground.
On the new bike, you'll need to find another way, that spot is not steel, and is therefor not trustworthy on the new frame.
Don't drill into aluminum cast frames.
The damper is not really needed unless at high speed and changing lanes across things like these, or negative g-outs (heaves) that launch the front up into the air while using a smaller than stock front tire. The net fork geometry is nearly identical old/new, 32 rake and 5.48 trail vs 32 rake and 5.3 trail.
For the new bike, after looking at the front end a bit, only good point I see is a fork leg clamp and somewhere under the bike, like a ring clamp around the steering stem lower bearing cup. This gets it out of the way and doesn't need any drilling in the frame to mount. I don't have a new model around to measure but I'm confident there is an existing part that could fit if one were to search a bit.
Above upper triple mount doesn't appear viable due to gauge placement.
That said, I don't care how stable a bike is, over about 130 you should use a damper, and every land speed organization I know of agrees with that position. While it may behave fine 99/100 times, that 100th time there may be a stray chain link, river stone, some random debris that clips the front tire, or simply an unexpected rise in the pavement entering a corner causing the front end to get light enough to induce a high speed wobble.
When you need it, you need it.
On the new bike, you'll need to find another way, that spot is not steel, and is therefor not trustworthy on the new frame.
Don't drill into aluminum cast frames.
The damper is not really needed unless at high speed and changing lanes across things like these, or negative g-outs (heaves) that launch the front up into the air while using a smaller than stock front tire. The net fork geometry is nearly identical old/new, 32 rake and 5.48 trail vs 32 rake and 5.3 trail.
For the new bike, after looking at the front end a bit, only good point I see is a fork leg clamp and somewhere under the bike, like a ring clamp around the steering stem lower bearing cup. This gets it out of the way and doesn't need any drilling in the frame to mount. I don't have a new model around to measure but I'm confident there is an existing part that could fit if one were to search a bit.
Above upper triple mount doesn't appear viable due to gauge placement.
That said, I don't care how stable a bike is, over about 130 you should use a damper, and every land speed organization I know of agrees with that position. While it may behave fine 99/100 times, that 100th time there may be a stray chain link, river stone, some random debris that clips the front tire, or simply an unexpected rise in the pavement entering a corner causing the front end to get light enough to induce a high speed wobble.
When you need it, you need it.
Last edited:
Micksan
Supercharged
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Way back in the old days,I was riding the older version of the BMW (Airheads) . One of the procedures that was common to prevent the wobble, was to check the front for slack. It was a very simple test. Put the bike on the center stand. A flat car jack will also. You want the front heel off the pavement, just enough to turn from one lock to the other. Next is to push on the handlebar end with one finger. you should be able to push from one end to the other. If after the midpoint it moves on its own to flop over the other stop. Next, grab both fork legs, and shake. if there is movement or slop, the bearing needs replacement. Tighten the clamp triple clamp enough so that will require some pressure from your finger to move the handlebars all the way across. This will give you the proper top setting.
The other cause of wobble is the age & condition of the fork oil & spring. If one side is different than the other, say from a small oil leak. Forks should be serviced every 15 to 20 K miles.
