Steering dampener for RM 250

[Schmidty721]

Just wondering what you are running for a dampener on your RM's

I picked up an 06 250 this past winter and thinking I might want to invest it one.

Got my first ride on it this past weekend. Still working on setup for I'm really starting to like how it is handling, but it is feeling a little unsettled during the higher speed sections.

I'm be riding a mixture of woods harescrambles and open MX tracks.

Thanks!

Edited April 22, 2013 by Schmidty721

[naeve44]

Im using a gpr v1 cant tell you how Scotts work. I'd say whatever you can get a good deal on.

[zig06]

IMHO all off-road (woods) riders should have a steering damper of some kind. Go with the one that you like or can afford, something is better than nothing, personally I use a Scotts. And for what it's worth if you find one on eBay and the seller says that it's good (and can gaurantee it) buy it if it's cheap enough. It's because the base unit for most dirt bikes is the same, it's the lever and the mounting system that makes it fit one specific bike or another. Just be sure to factor in the cost of having the mounts changed over to your RM.

[dkbl5]

Scotts. Just welded on the tower this afternoon. Dampers been going from bike to bike to bike since '95. The RM needs it more than any bike I've owned for off-road use.

[Doctor DK]

I'm sure that a dampner would help,,I personally have never had an issue with high speed stability with My RM.....I do keep the head bearings

a little bit of a drag on them when its on the stand.................Dr.D..

[dkbl5]

Once you ride with one for awhile 'em it kinda sucks riding w/o. You'll trust the front more, but may not realize it until you take it off & go ride.

[RhinofromWA]

RMs have a rep of being twitchy. I don't have a damper on my '04, rarely get bars yanked out of my hand. Only had that happen jumping a ditch at speed on a dry lake bed during a harescrambles. caught the lip on the other side and the bars snapped, one hand off but it straightened out and reacquired the hbars. Now the front end is very light and can almost turn the bars and still go straight but when I want it to turn she does...I like the light unplanted feel. Never really felt I needed a damper though I don't know what she would be like with one either..may like it or not.

I also have a '09 YZF450 that feels very planted...the front end is glued to the ground. Still trying to adjust to her. Not nearly as lively as my RM.

Edited April 26, 2013 by RhinofromWA

[rpt50]

I think dampers are important, and there are probably two major considerations:

1. Does it dampen back to center? The Scott's does not--some others do. For some people this is an issue. I really can't say myself as I only have used the Scott's. Maybe you could ride bikes with both kinds?

2. Where to mount? If I were to do it again, and any future purchases, are going to be the low mount (over the front fender). I simply cannot adjust to the elevated bars that result from an under the bar mount. I was talked into an over the bar mount so I could easily adjust the damper "on the fly". Well, it turns out that I never feel the need to adjust it on the fly. I would do the low mount in the future just to get it off the bars (remember what happened to Barcia earlier this year when he came up short?).

I don't have any significant experience with brands other than Scott's, but I can at least tell you that the Scott's damper is very "transparent". When I got mine I set it to the recommended settings and went riding. At first I thought I had wasted a bunch of money, as it didn't feel like it was doing anything. So I decided to do the same loop after removing the damper. Wow! What a difference. It really works, but you hardly know it's there when riding.

I've also heard this comment many times, and it's true: "Dampers are expensive, but a lot less expensive than a trip to the ER."

[naeve44]

I rode and raced years without one and didn't see a reason for one for that much money. After I got one for a good deal it gets swapped to all of my bikes. Its amazing how much more confident you become after riding with one. But the cost is pretty high for the average rider. Ive wanted the under the bars mount with Scotts as I am tall and like my bars raised but I cant switch to a Scotts just for that. That's be a expensive bar riser. So im staying with the gpr.

[Eric@ScottsPerformance]

I think dampers are important, and there are probably two major considerations:

1. Does it dampen back to center? The Scott's does not--some others do. For some people this is an issue. I really can't say myself as I only have used the Scott's. Maybe you could ride bikes with both kinds?

2. Where to mount? If I were to do it again, and any future purchases, are going to be the low mount (over the front fender). I simply cannot adjust to the elevated bars that result from an under the bar mount. I was talked into an over the bar mount so I could easily adjust the damper "on the fly". Well, it turns out that I never feel the need to adjust it on the fly. I would do the low mount in the future just to get it off the bars (remember what happened to Barcia earlier this year when he came up short?).

I don't have any significant experience with brands other than Scott's, but I can at least tell you that the Scott's damper is very "transparent". When I got mine I set it to the recommended settings and went riding. At first I thought I had wasted a bunch of money, as it didn't feel like it was doing anything. So I decided to do the same loop after removing the damper. Wow! What a difference. It really works, but you hardly know it's there when riding.

I've also heard this comment many times, and it's true: "Dampers are expensive, but a lot less expensive than a trip to the ER."

What bike are you running the damper on and what brand and model of bar are you running?

Thanks-

Eric