i am new to the forum and just wanted to say whats up to everybody.. also have a question was wanting to buy a steering damper for the 06 r1 raven and have two that i have my eye on. the first one is the ohlins steering damper and the other is the gpr. if anyone could give me some ideas on both of them that would be great pros vs. cons. also want to buy some stainless steel galfer brake lines in black if anyone knows where i can get a good price on them thanks....

gpr has had some sleaky units at the seal. If it's within 30 days then gpr will cover it, after that it's maintenance. IMO scotts is the one that can't be beat. High speed and low speed valving and they are the only damper to offer that. Most all units are made in the ohlins facility as well.

Ohlins is also a good unit and we sell a ton of those w/o problems as well. 295 shipped since we use dan kyle's kits which are the same as ohlins, but they use a better bolt on the kit and a black bushing and the price is better :)

ohlins or scotts all the way...i can't bash gpr too bad as it's a decent unit, but quality wise it doesn't compete with the scotts or ohlins. We sell more of the scotts and ohlins compared to gpr and all the racers want those brands. You'll get a better warranty and less problems in the long run. But they do all get the job done.

Any questions then just post them up.

Hey Corey, how good is the stock (07) damper really?
I get some nasty tank slap every now and then, but I haven't done a single thing setup-wise yet. The sales guy did this big "They are basically un-marked ohlins" speech on me, which I found as a bit of an insult to my intelligence.
My '00 never ever gave me slappers.

Before installing a steering damper, ALWAYS setup your suspension for your weight. Sag, compression and, rebound must be adjusted to a rider's weight and riding style. While the stock suspension is typically horrid, you can adjust it some to make your bike handle better until you can get it revalved ans resprung.. Once you're there, then replace the factory unit or install new. Don't use a steering damper to attempt to correct a problem, as it won't. It'll only mask it.

Hyperpro also makes a great Damper. Some other thing to consider when purchasing an aftermarket Damper is accessibility and the amount of adjustability.

If you purchase an aftermarket Damper that mounts in the stock location, it is almost impossible to adjust on the fly. However, one that mounts on the Steering Stem Nut or (Top Triple Tree) is much easier to adjust on the fly. For some people this is important and others it is not.

For most people riding on the street, the stock damper does a good job. You really cannot compare a stock Damper to Aftermarket Damper though when it comes to adjustability.


Ride safe.

the stock damper is far from an ohlins. Also once you set a damper you shouldn't have to adjust it. I mean you use it to stop headshake. I never get it while people want to tighten it up when riding hard as it hurts your feedback and you're making it harder to turn in your bike. IMO a damper should be mostly set it and leave it.

Like fjorn said though, set it up for suspension then the first mods should be
frame sliders
damper
brake lines

I would do them in that order, but that's just me. The brake lines you don't need to depending on if you like the brakes as they are or if you want a stiffer feel. The frame sliders are nearly a must and the damper I would recommend as nearly every stock one on the market pretty much sucks. hard to beat the price of the dan kyle ohlins damper kits though. Frame sliders first imo though.

the stock damper is far from an ohlins. Also once you set a damper you shouldn't have to adjust it. I mean you use it to stop headshake. I never get it while people want to tighten it up when riding hard as it hurts your feedback and you're making it harder to turn in your bike. IMO a damper should be mostly set it and leave it.

Like fjorn said though, set it up for suspension then the first mods should be
frame sliders
damper
brake lines

I would do them in that order, but that's just me. The brake lines you don't need to depending on if you like the brakes as they are or if you want a stiffer feel. The frame sliders are nearly a must and the damper I would recommend as nearly every stock one on the market pretty much sucks. hard to beat the price of the dan kyle ohlins damper kits though. Frame sliders first imo though.

At the street level I would agree. However, from Trackday riders on up it is nice to be able to adjust it on the fly. Adjusting the Damper is no different than adjusting suspension other than you can make adjustment on the fly and feel the difference immediately. You should always be looking for that perfect balance between to much and not enough.

For example: Your on the track and all the turns feel great, but there is a rise on the track and every time you go over the rise you get a violent headshake, and it forces you to back off or close the throttle loosing valuable time. You can tighten up the Damper 1 or 2 clicks while on the fly. Your looking for that balance where the Damper does not increase your effort of "turn in" (actually requires a very high setting since you should not be making jabbing turns on the track like you would on the street) and reduces or removes your headshake when going over the rise. Obviously the perfect balance would be: maybe a little more effort (not slower just more effort) on "turn in" but allows you to stay full throttle over the rise.

I'm not saying this is a necessity for everyone, but it is a great benefit for people that wish to adjust it on the fly.


Ride safe.

Forget the GPR one, get the original Scotts... :yes


By the way, welcome to the forum! :hello

corey and fjorn thanks for the info theses are the mods i have on my bike.....greggs flush mount turn signals, termignoni carbon fiber slip ons, k&n filter, lockhart phillips rear brake and signals, fender elm kit, frame sliders, pazzo blk levers and blk sato rear sets that i bought from motomummy....i have a guy who can fit me for the suspension , so what should be my next mods...power commander, veolicty stacks, galfer ss brake lines, or a steering damper...thanks...

I've yet to get headshake with a damper on a halfway decent setting and you don't see many if any threads about it so i honestly don't buy the adjusting on the fly. If that's the case you should be adjusting it prior to a race also or during a practice session. Once it's set there isn't much of a reason to change it and i'll stick with that :) that's why ohlins does it as they do.

drsaenz, it depends on what and how you ride your bike. Personally, I think all sportsbikes now have more than enough power for the street and most people who ride track. Their lacking areas are braking and suspension. Once you get the factory suspension adjusted, I'd go for SS brake lines. You'll get better performance returns from that than you would a PC, vstacks, etc.

Given the mindset I'm at now regarding current levels of performance of sportbikes for street usage. This is my "must have" list of mods:

1) Suspension - revalve/rebuild or replacement of factory suspension is necessary for 99.9% of all riders. Until you can afford to do so, at a minimum adjust the sag/compression/rebound of the stock setup.
2) Brakes - Replace the factory rubber lines with braided SS. Factory pads are okay for general street use, but if you ride hard or do trackdays/racing replace with better compound pads (ie. EBC HH pads) Wave rotors can help depending upon riding style, but most times are not necessary for the average rider.
3) Hand controls - replace stock levers with better units such as CRG or Pazzo shorties. Better, smoother control, less lever rattle while riding and the shorties will help to improve your reaction time some due to not having to negotiate around longer levers. Be certain to adjust your hand controls whether you have stock or aftermarket for best comfort.
4) Foot controls - Most factory foot controls are sufficient to get the job done. But, nearly all aftermarket sets are a significant improvement over factory units. Again, smoother controls, better adjustability (even if fixed brackets are used) will equate to helping you with your riding style and handling. As with the hand controls, be certain to adjust your current setup to what boots you have and the position your feet are in.

That's it. No exhaust, no engine mods, computers, or electrical upgrades are necessary IMO. The only reason for these would be to eliminate the rear fender, replace the fugly factory exhaust can such as what's on most GSXR's or Kwaks now, or to smooth out the appearance. But, again, IMO these are not required. The four I listed above are for safety and better handling/control of the bike. :)

Beyond that, spend your money on upgraded gear if you don't have it already (actually that's more important than parts for a bike). Once you have appropriate gear, invest in some "you time" out on the track. Or, take the various advanced rider courses from MSF. Anything to help improve your skills is the best investment, or personal modification, you'll ever be able to do. :thumbup

I've yet to get headshake with a damper on a halfway decent setting and you don't see many if any threads about it so i honestly don't buy the adjusting on the fly. If that's the case you should be adjusting it prior to a race also or during a practice session. Once it's set there isn't much of a reason to change it and i'll stick with that :) that's why ohlins does it as they do.

Remember you have to actually ride the bike in order to duplicate the head shake. :poke :lmao

Remember you have to actually ride the bike in order to duplicate the head shake. :poke :lmao

:rofl:rofl

nuff said :fact

nuff said :fact

I agree... :mrgreen

r1lover we do ride them :) the 99 r1 only has like 50k miles :) the k7 now doesn't have as many, but it does power wheelie much more often the 99 does at much higher speeds.

nuff said :fact
+1 :old

thanks for the replies and i will see what i buy next. think i might by some ss brake lines fist then a damper..

+1 :old

what size is that MC? i'll be putting a 19x20 on this weekend. where did you get that clear tubing?

what size is that MC? i'll be putting a 19x20 on this weekend. where did you get that clear tubing?
That Brembo MC is 19x20, with Galfer superlight lines.
I canīt remember where i got the clear hose, in fact iīm trying to find some colored transparent hose but no luck yet.

interesting that Fjorn mentioned "masking" issues earlier.....
We all look to maximize our potential by adding new suspension bits....but in reality when a seasoned pro racer can take a stock machine (example: shootout tests etc) and cut better lap times than almost any of us ever could on Ohlins stuff.....

aren't we all just masking our lack of riding abilities? :lmao

That Brembo MC is 19x20, with Galfer superlight lines.
I canīt remember where i got the clear hose, in fact iīm trying to find some colored transparent hose but no luck yet.

can the stock hose be used? let me know if you find some colored transparent i'd be interested in blue :mrgreen

interesting that Fjorn mentioned "masking" issues earlier.....
We all look to maximize our potential by adding new suspension bits....but in reality when a seasoned pro racer can take a stock machine (example: shootout tests etc) and cut better lap times than almost any of us ever could on Ohlins stuff.....

aren't we all just masking our lack of riding abilities? :lmao

Good point. ;)


As to masking, the reason why I stated that is because too many people buy steering dampers to control headshake. When, in fact they should be doing other things to prevent it as much as possible. If someone puts a damper on when their bike is prone to a lot of headshake, is that really fixing the issue? IMO, that's just like today's doctors: Treat the symptom, not the cause.

Good point. ;)


As to masking, the reason why I stated that is because too many people buy steering dampers to control headshake. When, in fact they should be doing other things to prevent it as much as possible. If someone puts a damper on when their bike is prone to a lot of headshake, is that really fixing the issue? IMO, that's just like today's doctors: Treat the symptom, not the cause.

Seen plenty of guys NOT running a damper at Willow Springs, and then bin it going over T6 where you crest a rise while making a gradual right. Anyone running a respectable lap time will get the front light thru there. I know this may be the exception to the rule, but lifting the front wheel while cresting a hill, cranked over to the right, is recepie for a tank slapper. Setup or no setup....I'll take a damper, thank you. :mrgreen

Seen plenty of guys NOT running a damper at Willow Springs, and then bin it going over T6 where you crest a rise while making a gradual right. Anyone running a respectable lap time will get the front light thru there. I know this may be the exception to the rule, but lifting the front wheel while cresting a hill, cranked over to the right, is recepie for a tank slapper. Setup or no setup....I'll take a damper, thank you. :mrgreen


Yes, but that is a particular situation. The same thing occurs up here at BIR when transitioning between turns 1, 2 and 3 (primarily 1 to 2). There can be situations on the street that are similar to these. However, most riders should not need a damper on the road given riding styles, speed limits and most road conditions.

Am I saying to not get one? No, not all. But, I think there's other things to do and get before then.

Yes, but that is a particular situation. The same thing occurs up here at BIR when transitioning between turns 1, 2 and 3 (primarily 1 to 2). There can be situations on the street that are similar to these. However, most riders should not need a damper on the road given riding styles, speed limits and most road conditions.

Am I saying to not get one? No, not all. But, I think there's other things to do and get before then.

Yep...particular section. I agree.

Most bikes that would typically need one are coming with OEM dampers nowadays anyway. OEM dampers serve 90% of the population just fine. I think it's a misconception that the OEM damper needs to be replaced because it's not good enough. It's PLENTY good enough.

kneedragger: you can mask your abilities, but you can also see it in two ways.

1. get faster like you're saying and possibly push it too far and biff it, i'm sure they all biffed it a lot getting to the speeds they reach.

2. learn to ride a bit better and use better parts and get fairly quick...without biffing it :)

All depends on the person I guess.

r1lover we do ride them :) the 99 r1 only has like 50k miles :) the k7 now doesn't have as many, but it does power wheelie much more often the 99 does at much higher speeds.

I was kidding bro.... :poke

interesting that Fjorn mentioned "masking" issues earlier.....
We all look to maximize our potential by adding new suspension bits....but in reality when a seasoned pro racer can take a stock machine (example: shootout tests etc) and cut better lap times than almost any of us ever could on Ohlins stuff.....

aren't we all just masking our lack of riding abilities? :lmao

Well it's a matter of safety for me..... When the front get's light over a few bumps it's always time to watch for it... it happens on even the "best setup" bikes out there as well. Also anything I can do to "Mask" my lack of riding abilities I will.... :lmao

:beer

nuff said :fact

+1 :old

Oh yeah :mrgreen

1st of all:welcome


i would say go with the ohlins.
i had used it on all of my bikes

partial to Ohlins myself :old

My street setting is not the same as my track setting. don't go with "set it and forget it." if you do both, you'll find that you'll need to dial it in like your suspension... street and track are different. as far as maker, I have both GPR and Ohlins. Both are great and neither one has failed. decide if your want rotary type or piston type and work from there.

I have the Olins and its AWSOME!!! got it from A&B extreme