Project Sharkey, 1978 KZ650C2

The steering damper is mounted to the frame using a Heim joint.
It's screwed in where the yellow reflector screws in.

Have taken a picture I will post shortly...

wrote:

Hi Nick, would you have a pic of the steering damper mount  you used on the frame, I'm just about to fit a damper to my sons 650 and are looking at mount solutions..

Why?  Ed
 

Hi Ed, I know from reading previous posts of yours you don't think they are needed, yes the 650 is very stable, I have fitted dampers to every bike I've owned that didn't come stock with them. Have you ever had a tank slapper ?   I have, one bad enough to dent my tank with my thumb, broke the steering lock tab on a 750 Honda back in the early 1980's at speed, frightened the poop out of me, have used them ever since, Think of them as an insurance policy...   Besides this is my sons first bike, just being over cautious...

Thanks Nick, the damper I have has heim joints at both mounts, I'm interested in what you put between the frame and the mount on the damper, The hole in the frame puts the damper to close to the engine if not using something to bring the mount further out, does that make sense ?I was considering using a short piece of tube with a bolt welded in one end and a nut welded in the other....

wrote:

Hi Ed, I know from reading previous posts of yours you don't think they are needed, yes the 650 is very stable, I have fitted dampers to every bike I've owned that didn't come stock with them. Have you ever had a tank slapper ?   I have, one bad enough to dent my tank with my thumb, broke the steering lock tab on a 750 Honda back in the early 1980's at speed, frightened the poop out of me, have used them ever since, Think of them as an insurance policy...

  Besides this is my sons first bike, just being over cautious...



 

I asked because some folks believe they are a cure for speed wobbles even though the speed wobbles may be an indication of a serious problem that needs to be addressed.  My 1977 KZ650 developed bad speed wobbles several years back.  The problem ended up being bad Michelin Macadam tires.  I found the problem after replacing the swing arm bushings, steering stem bearings, shocks, etc., etc. Replacing all those items slightly dampened the problem, but replacing the tires made the problem absolutely go away at any speed.   It appears that the bike in question does not have any wobble so the damper is not being installed to try to correct an existing problem; that's good.  That's why I asked.  Ed

I am going to run a damper on my KZ750 because they are good at smoothing out steering inputs during transitions from one direction to the other.  I had one on an earlier bike and loved the change in feeling on the steering.  Don't use them as a cure for poor handling, but rather for an improvement during aggressive riding/racing.

wrote:

wrote:

Hi Ed, I know from reading previous posts of yours you don't think they are needed, yes the 650 is very stable, I have fitted dampers to every bike I've owned that didn't come stock with them. Have you ever had a tank slapper ?   I have, one bad enough to dent my tank with my thumb, broke the steering lock tab on a 750 Honda back in the early 1980's at speed, frightened the poop out of me, have used them ever since, Think of them as an insurance policy...

  Besides this is my sons first bike, just being over cautious...




 

I asked because some folks believe they are a cure for speed wobbles even though the speed wobbles may be an indication of a serious problem that needs to be addressed.  My 1977 KZ650 developed bad speed wobbles several years back.  The problem ended up being bad Michelin Macadam tires.  I found the problem after replacing the swing arm bushings, steering stem bearings, shocks, etc., etc. Replacing all those items slightly dampened the problem, but replacing the tires made the problem absolutely go away at any speed.   It appears that the bike in question does not have any wobble so the damper is not being installed to try to correct an existing problem; that's good.  That's why I asked.  Ed

     I get where you're coming from Ed. The 650 has new stem bearings, wheel bearings, brakes, it uses my 750R1 forks that were completely rebuilt just before I bought it, {pulled them down to check them and found everything perfect}, which was a pleasant surprise, new rear brakes and all set up almost right, I need a little more preload in the front forks but apart from that, it rides and stops very well, actually I'm impressed just how well these 650's handle. I'm definitely not trying to hide any handling gremlins....

Here's a picture of the Heim joint threaded directly into the frame where the reflector used to be.
There's a lock nut to keep the Heim joint in one spot.

I also have steering dampers on my bikes because I like the feel of them, and the added stability they give.

 

Thanks for the pic Nick. The bracket that goes on my damper has the heim joint in it so i'll have to fashion up a small bracket between it and the frame...

Have close to 1000 KMs on Sharkey so far this season.
Been to a few Meets:

Yesterday I balanced the carbs, CVK32s.
They were all over the place on the synch tool to start, but some adjustments brought them all to the same level, balanced.

Took a test ride and she is running even better.


Still waiting on my painter to finish the bodywork and fairings.


Some other bikes at the Meets:

She looks a bit like pinocchio with her clothes off...!!!    

Does look like Pinocchio with the headlight way out front.

My painter buddy is not going to have the fairing and bodywork done come this Spring, so have decided to put regular handle bars on and move the headlight back to the original position.
I did find riding her last season was uncomfortable with the low Clubman style handle bars.

I will get this gas tank repaired and painted to match these side covers and tail.

Looking forward to Spring.
Winter hibernation time now.