Holeshot steering damper?

[Flexwing man]

Has anyone used a Holeshot damper? I like the way you mount it without mods to the bike. I'm wondering if the damper will hold up over time. I'm not sure if it's rebuildable or not. It would be nice to have one for highspeed runs just for added insurance.
Does anyone else make a damper for the Gen 1s that don't require mods to the bike for installation??

Thanks!

[flbusa]

Hyperpro makes a really nice damper for the Gen1.

Here's some pic's of my old FZ1 with the Hyperpro installed.

[Uncle Alpo]

IMHO Gen1s don't need a steering damper. I've beaten the snot out of mine (street and track) and haven't had any problems with head shake. Sure, the front end gets light when hammering the gas; just keep a light touch on the bars and all will be well. I even got her into a tank slapper last year; I just let the bars flap in my hands and she straightened out.

[Flexwing man]

Flbusa,
Thanks for the pics. I called Hyper Pro today. I had read where some were saying that the seals will leak after a while. I was informed that use to be a problem when they first came out with them. They redesigned them. They now have 3 seals and leaking is no longer an issue. They have a two year warranty on them now. I also called Scott and Ohlins, they don't make dampers for the 1st gen FZs. The only other one is Dale Walkers. Dales is a simpler install, but Hyper Pro seams fairly simple as well. The best price for the HP is $480. Dales is a lot less.

Unc Al,
I agree that the FZs are very stable. The main reason I'm looking at the dampers is because I'm thinking of taking my bike to the Maxton mile. Their rules state any bike going over 125 mph has to have a damper. Other than cost, I can't see any negatives with using a damper. Thanks for the input. It's nice to know how stable these FZs are. I too have run mine up to some very high speeds just a few times as I get it dialed in. I look at a damper as kind of insurance for added stability. I hate the high price of them, but if they save your A..........just once, they're worth it.

[Alpha Wolf]

I like where the HP mounts as you can see what you are adjusting.

Dales fits alongside the frame so it is not so easy to see when adjusting it.

Both will satisfy your need.

[Flexwing man]

Do you have to remove the Hyperpro to take the tank off?? It looks like you would.

[Uncle Alpo]

Originally Posted by Flexwing man

The main reason I'm looking at the dampers is because I'm thinking of taking my bike to the Maxton mile. Their rules state any bike going over 125 mph has to have a damper.

Ah! That makes sense.

[flbusa]

Originally Posted by Flexwing man

Do you have to remove the Hyperpro to take the tank off?? It looks like you would.

I don't remember if you do but... It only take a minute or two to take it off without losing your adjustment.

[Flexwing man]

After a ton of opinions, I'm leaning towards the Holeshot damper. Now the Hyperpro actually looks a lot nicer. After talking with the guy at Hyperpro I'm convinced that their quality is excellent. It's just me, but if given a choice, I prefer a part that is not part of anything else on the bike if it can be that way and still serve it's purpose. If I needed to raise the tank for any reason, I'd have to remove the steering head nut along with the HP damper. That nut should be torqued which is not something your going to do away from your shop or out on the road without the tools.
I'll have to check with Dale to see if his damper is rebuildable. If so, for what his cost, I'll give it a try. I'm guessing if Dale sells it, he's used it and it works. He goes back a long way with bikes that didn't handle nearly as well at speed as the FZs.
I know the FZs really don't need a damper, but I've heard a couple reasons for them that make sense. One guy talked about the wind turbulence out on the highway going around trucks at 70mph plus and the buffeting you get in this situation. With the damper, he claimed his bike tracks straight through it without kicking the bike around at all. The other good reason for me is the example stated in this thread about the FZ actually getting into a tank slapper and just letting the bars flap in his hands and it straightened out. LOL at that one! I for one don't want to be there while topped out at 160 mph. If a damper will keep me from going there, then it's cheap insurance.

[Flexwing man]

Now I'm heading for the HyperPro. I was just given a smoking deal on a new one. The bling factor is kicking in as well. I like the active part of HyperPro damper as far as using it on the street. The straight dampers would be fine for a track. With the straight damper I'm afraid I'd be adjusting all the time so it would be light enough for slow speed riding, were as the active dampers wouldn't require so much fiddling and still work at higher speeds if needed, yet be hardly noticeable at slow speeds.

[flbusa]

Originally Posted by Flexwing man

Now I'm heading for the HyperPro. I was just given a smoking deal on a new one. The bling factor is kicking in as well. I like the active part of HyperPro damper as far as using it on the street. The straight dampers would be fine for a track. With the straight damper I'm afraid I'd be adjusting all the time so it would be light enough for slow speed riding, were as the active dampers wouldn't require so much fiddling and still work at higher speeds if needed, yet be hardly noticeable at slow speeds.

Could you pass along the smoking deal?

I'd like to get one. I miss my old Hyperpro.

[Flexwing man]

Originally Posted by flbusa

Could you pass along the smoking deal?

I'd like to get one. I miss my old Hyperpro.

I got it from Motomummy. Their web site only listed the Hyperpro for 2nd gen bikes. I called them and the guy said he had one mounting kit for the older gen 1 bikes. He said he'd let me have it at his cost, $415 total, that includes shipping. The dampers are the same, it's just the mounting kits that are different, so I was still able to pick a color. I'm not sure if he will sell more of them at that price or not. It would be worth a call. I know it's still kind of pricey, but they seem to be the best damper out there. It's the only active damper on the market in that style. Everyone else was $450 and up if they even had a mount kit for the 1st gen bike.