steering damper

Does anybody make a steering damper for 1982 KZ1000 LTD?

Does it need one?

It does when the swing arm bushings are worn.
KZCSI

Ive seen some guys on this site connect a steering damper between the lower steering clamp and a bolt on the valve cover. Look through the gallery, Ive seen it here somewhere

Here's one I did to the valvecover. I made a plate that acts as the emission port cover. Then I bolted a Heim joint to it. (It's a Toby damper.)



Most KZ's have a location on the frame where a small, round reflector mounts under the steering tube. That is usually the location where an old H2 steering damper could bolt right up. I've done that recently on another 550. You have to drill the fork clamp to mount the other end. You can still buy the dampers brand new. I see them on ebay all the time for about $100. All you need beside that is a drill and some bolts.

They look like this:
KZ damper on ebay


Here's a thread from the archives
If the reflector mount is an add on like he has, you have to reinforce it. Some KZ's have the reflector mount on the frame itself, and that does not need reinforcing.

Also, I always stop down the steering (by welding in a bigger stop) so the movement is reduced for clip-ons, but it's a good idea for when using a steering damper too.

Post edited by: loudhvx, at: 2006/12/24 23:04

Post edited by: loudhvx, at: 2006/12/24 23:05

I am considering installing a steering damper on my 750. I noticed last year that when pulling hard out of corners, the head would shake a bit. I am interested to see how you did this since I have removed the emissions equipment and have material to fashion block off plates. If you still have the picture, would you please post it again. For some reason the photo won't display (perhaps only for me).
Thanks.

If anyone else had pictures of how they mounted a steering damper, I would very much like to see them.

Post edited by: cafekz750, at: 2008/02/28 16:21

i dont recomend useing the original reflector bracket to mount the damper,over sum time it will weaken/break off,at least on a few 900/1000's i tried it on this was the end result,now i simply cut off the original reflector mount, weld up a small piece of flat stock and drill a hole.

I had to make a tower to mount the heim joint pivot. It had to be at an angle because the damper should ideally be perpendicular to the fork leg.

I also had to put a sleeve on the steering stop so it wouldn't travel very far. This was necessary for the clipons to not hit the tank as well.

Here's a top view of the valve cover mount.

If the head shake is happening on smooth roads, you may have other issues to fix. A steering damper is not the cure for tank-slapper or head-shake caused by the bike. It's really only for head-shake caused by bumps or uneven road surface. It will definitley help mitigate all of those problems, but if you head bearings are loose, worn, or notched, or if your tires are out of balance or worn flat, or if the frame is bent, that needs to be fixed as well. I went down with a high-speed tank-slapper, and later figured out it was because my back tire was worn flat. The wider the tire the worse it is. I put on the damper which really made a difference on accelerating or going over uneven bumps, but it was a new back tire that fixed the tank-slapper. (I later found documented evidence to verify what I found.)

I forgot I had a drawing of my heim-joint tower.
I exaggerated the angle for illustration purposes.
When it's all done, make sure the damper is free to move on the heim joints. If there is any binding at any point in the travel, it has to be cured. My damper is free to wiggle up and down, if it doesn't, it's bound. That doesn't mean it's loose. In the linear direction of travel it is secure. It just has to be free to pivot in any other direction.


Post edited by: loudhvx, at: 2008/02/29 15:16

Given the geometry and available power of the KZ's I can't imagine that a steering damper isn't a patch for an underlying maintenance issue.

See my previous post.

KZCSI

Post edited by: KZCSI, at: 2008/02/29 21:19