Using Honda Showa Steering Dampener on YZ?

ginger969
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Edited Date/Time 5/14/2016 7:34pm
Anyone doing this with the Ride Eng mount kit?

What are the results with the front end?

Worth it? Any particular year crf the dampener has to come off of?

Thanks!

SP
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FWYT
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5/13/2016 1:22pm Edited Date/Time 5/13/2016 1:22pm
Well, not a YZ but I have one on my KTM mounted with the Ride Engineering kit. The Ride piece is excellent and I really like those little dampers. You'll want to change the fluid it in it, which is easy, while you're at it. Probably something a little more viscous. The damper itself has a limited range of adjustability so you sorta need to get it in the ball park first with the fluid.

You can pick them up used all day on ebay for $70-$90 but I'm sure people have them laying around, too. Not sure if they are different through the years. I know they are different outwardly but not sure about the stroke length and stuff. I think they are the same.

On my KTM, it took out just that right amount of nervous headshake, like when you let off the gas. Yeah, I know they were intended for cornering but I corner like a pig dog so I can't tell. Smile
colintrax
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5/13/2016 1:27pm
I know it's not what you're asking, but I recommend you get a Scotts instead. The honda damper doesn't make any sense IMO.
JBernard_401
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5/13/2016 1:42pm
The scotts is for desert racing/offroad. Pretty extreme for mx and I've never seen anyone use it. Especially since they are like 600$. I'm sure the OP is just wanting something to take the slight headshake or nervousness out if it, and for that the crf unit could be an easy fix.
colintrax
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5/13/2016 1:49pm
The scotts is for desert racing/offroad. Pretty extreme for mx and I've never seen anyone use it. Especially since they are like 600$. I'm sure the...
The scotts is for desert racing/offroad. Pretty extreme for mx and I've never seen anyone use it. Especially since they are like 600$. I'm sure the OP is just wanting something to take the slight headshake or nervousness out if it, and for that the crf unit could be an easy fix.
Except the honda damper doesn't do anything for the first few degrees. I run a scotts on my bike, on tracks and trails. Eliminates headshake, and makes the bike feel more planted in nasty corners.
They aren't $600 either.

The Shop

IceMan446
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5/13/2016 3:43pm
colintrax wrote:
Except the honda damper doesn't do anything for the first few degrees. I run a scotts on my bike, on tracks and trails. Eliminates headshake, and...
Except the honda damper doesn't do anything for the first few degrees. I run a scotts on my bike, on tracks and trails. Eliminates headshake, and makes the bike feel more planted in nasty corners.
They aren't $600 either.
It will if its valved right.

Race Tech makes a kit for it.

slipdog
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5/13/2016 4:08pm
colintrax wrote:
Except the honda damper doesn't do anything for the first few degrees. I run a scotts on my bike, on tracks and trails. Eliminates headshake, and...
Except the honda damper doesn't do anything for the first few degrees. I run a scotts on my bike, on tracks and trails. Eliminates headshake, and makes the bike feel more planted in nasty corners.
They aren't $600 either.
IceMan446 wrote:
It will if its valved right.

Race Tech makes a kit for it.

It's not about the valving, it's because there's way too much bleed. It has both an adjustable bypass like an off road truck shock and an active bleed in the piston. Because of that it requires too much shaft speed before the valving can activate and you don't feel any damping.

Though I've never seen one, I'd imagine the main advantage of the Gold Valve is they have no bleed in the piston. I epoxied mine closed and run a higher viscosity fluid. It makes it feel like a Scotts style without the heavy steering feeling when you turn your bars in the air.
5/13/2016 4:13pm Edited Date/Time 5/14/2016 8:40pm
I use the later 22mm version on my RMZ450; love it. I home made the brackets; it is mounted to the top triple clamp.
Slosh 112
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5/13/2016 4:27pm Edited Date/Time 5/13/2016 4:28pm
Im retro fitting one to my RM125, Ive got Ride engineering clamps on the bike that already have the lower mount for the HPSD in the lower clamp, I bought one off eBay for $180 off a brand new CRF, I had been using my friends damper off his 09 CRF450 its a lot smaller in diameter due to the smaller pistons the earlier models ran. I though they went from 20mm to 22mm piston diameter in 2012, didn't think it was stepped upto 28mm?

If your going to run one just test it completely standard first, even though everyone says they do nothing in stock trim, how would you know if its any better if you don't try it standard. When my set up is done I'm going to test the smaller damper and the new one back to back in stock trim, then test again with them filled with thicker oil and go from there to see which one I like.
GuyB
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5/13/2016 4:53pm
kzizok wrote:
Damper
Maybe his are wetter than others.
kzizok
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5/13/2016 5:22pm Edited Date/Time 5/13/2016 5:24pm
kzizok wrote:
Damper
GuyB wrote:
Maybe his are wetter than others.
You have a point! Gotta quit assuming.
mattyhamz2
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5/13/2016 5:35pm
The scotts is for desert racing/offroad. Pretty extreme for mx and I've never seen anyone use it. Especially since they are like 600$. I'm sure the...
The scotts is for desert racing/offroad. Pretty extreme for mx and I've never seen anyone use it. Especially since they are like 600$. I'm sure the OP is just wanting something to take the slight headshake or nervousness out if it, and for that the crf unit could be an easy fix.
Sean Collier runs them. Ran them when he raced the Nationals. Pay attention to his bar pads. I bought his 08 kx450 from him and it had one also. Made a huge difference for me at Glen Helen on race day and Thursday practice when the track was beat. If I didn't have a wife and two kids and bills to pay I'd have one on my yz450.
colintrax
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5/13/2016 5:39pm
IceMan446 wrote:
It will if its valved right.

Race Tech makes a kit for it.

Valving has nothing to do with it. A couple degrees off center hardly moves the piston. It works with the bars turned, but it's pretty useless for a twitchy front end. Twitchy can turn to head shake.
Run the Honda DAMPER if ya like, but I think it's silly. (It's a damper cause its filled with fluid kzizok)
Cygnus
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5/13/2016 5:43pm
colintrax wrote:
Valving has nothing to do with it. A couple degrees off center hardly moves the piston. It works with the bars turned, but it's pretty useless...
Valving has nothing to do with it. A couple degrees off center hardly moves the piston. It works with the bars turned, but it's pretty useless for a twitchy front end. Twitchy can turn to head shake.
Run the Honda DAMPER if ya like, but I think it's silly. (It's a damper cause its filled with fluid kzizok)
Sorry, that's wrong. A damper is a valve that restricts flow.
colintrax
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5/13/2016 6:10pm
Cygnus wrote:
Sorry, that's wrong. A damper is a valve that restricts flow.
That definition doesn't fit the honda lol
CASH476
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5/13/2016 6:14pm
colintrax wrote:
Valving has nothing to do with it. A couple degrees off center hardly moves the piston. It works with the bars turned, but it's pretty useless...
Valving has nothing to do with it. A couple degrees off center hardly moves the piston. It works with the bars turned, but it's pretty useless for a twitchy front end. Twitchy can turn to head shake.
Run the Honda DAMPER if ya like, but I think it's silly. (It's a damper cause its filled with fluid kzizok)
Cygnus wrote:
Sorry, that's wrong. A damper is a valve that restricts flow.
Flower, water, cook on the camp fire. Straya.
adam8781
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5/14/2016 7:34pm
I have played with these, i find correct headset bearing tension made a much bigger difference.

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