H2 Steering Damper

I was looking at a beautiful H2 at a bike night. It had a black side piston steering damper that the owner insisted was a stock item. I can't remember there ever being a stock side damper. I do remember the black nob dampers that were friction. They ran down the fork tube. But this was a piston damper and I don't remember any bike coming with one.

We had a 500 triple when I was in High School and it had one also. I think they were a stock item on some models.

Actually those were Kawasaki OEM items and the 2 stroke triples as well as my 1973 900 Z1 came with a bracket on the frame and a hole on the lower triple tree where they bolt right up. I think this was the first accessory I put on the bike and it did improve handling. It's still on there 33 years later.

Got one on my 1974 Z1 too;) Pat

I've got one,if Anyone's interested...:whistle:

They were an option on some bikes. I just got done installing one on my buddies 81 gpz550. Many Kaw frames have the mounting point on the frame. Kaw disguises the mount with a reflector.

The problem on the gpz is that you have to lower the oil cooler to have clearance for the damper. Then you have to put a collar on the steering stop in order to reduce the handle bar's swing-travel. Then you have to drill the lower triple clamp in just the right spot. If I do another one I'll take photos.

It takes a good afternoon, but is the single most important handling device I can think of on the GPZ550. Those death machines love to shake their heads violently. :woohoo:

My '74 750 had it.

My 650 could use one, it kind of wanders and wiggles at speed. My tire pressure is correct, and I have tapered head bearings that were tightened by feel to just flop the forks gently to the side, I wonder what else could cause the wiggle?

72-73 H2 had the black knob adjuster on the top of the triple clamp, 74-75 had the damper under the triple clamp. All H2s had steering damper. You needed them on a H2.

Sandy I'm interested in that damper . Give me a shout okay bud.

I put one on and it helped a bunch. I didn't have any high speed wobble or anything just every time the wheel came off the ground the steering was to easy to turn and was to easy too have the wheel pointed in an other direction than straight. I just used the reflector tab and made a bracket to attach to the fork tube. Made the ride allot nicer. like hitting bumps and stuff the wheel doesn't shake at all now. Definitely recommend one.
Mike

They were standard item on all H series two strokes from 74 to 76, nice piece for any bike, they are adjustable, I have one thats going on my SR cafe bike, I ride a 74 H1500 all the time and way into the triples,have several, I am building a 75 500 into a cafe bike, the other cafe is 650SR that looks nothing like an SR, I also have a nice 70 H1 500 I'm restoreing,here's my 74 H1 500

Post edited by: agawam, at: 2006/08/11 00:13

Post edited by: agawam, at: 2006/08/11 00:18

They were standard on the 73 H-1 and 74 H-2 models. On the 73 H-1 you have a mounting point on both the left and right side of the bottom triple tree.