I was out riding my 2012 14R accelerating hard in 3rd gear and at about 110 mph it started to get some headshake so I let off right away. I didn't want it to turn into a tank slapper. Back in the early 70's I had a 1970 Mach III 500 triple and once in a while, not all the time, it would get into a bad tank slapper at about 80 to 90 mph, so bad that I didn't know if I was going to wipe out or not. I know what it's like and I don't need it to happen again, especially at the speeds the 14's are capable of. I found an old thread on here where Romans had put a Hyperpro stabilizer on one of his 14's and really liked it. I ordered one from Motomummy on June 2nd. Of course, they took my money right away. I then got an e-mail from them and was told it will be 4-6 weeks because they were out of the mounting kits. Friday I got another e-mail from them and it said it will be another 4 weeks before they get the mounting kits. Is it worth the wait or does anyone have a stabilizer that works really good for them at a decent price? This one was $396. Brock-Ohlin stabilizers are over $700. I know they're good but probably not any better than Hyperpro and cost twice as much. I don't know if I should cancel the order from Motomummy, get my money back, and order a different brand. Any suggestions?

give me a few i know the one i got was 79 bucks and works just as good as the highest priced

link

80bucks

https://www.amazon.com/Newsmarts-Aluminum-Steering-Stabilizer-2006-2012/dp/B07HH74VS9/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Steering+Damper+Stabilizer+%26+Mount+For+ZX14r+black&qid=1562086674&s=automotive&sr=1-3

* Last updated by: Zxpredator on 7/2/2019 @ 10:58 AM *

Zx, is that a Newsmarts stabilizer? I couldn't find it on Amazon. I'll check it out again.
Ever heard of FXCNC stabilizer? Amazon has a lot of those. Thanks for posting.

To Steering Damper or Not

No disrespect to anyone here but on a high performance motorbike like the 14, DO NOT GO CHEAP OR COPIES!
Saving a few dollars is not worth the risk when your safety and well being relies on it.
Only trust the original and it's related quality.

Check out the attached link. Especially 3/4 down page 2 where an original Hyperpro damper is mentioned...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/3/2019 @ 4:26 AM *

the 14 doesn't need a stabilizer.If it did,kawasaki would have put one on there.But adding one is totally fine just in case;)

@mokaw.Yep,I'd cancel that.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 7/3/2019 @ 12:38 PM *

Agreed I’ve never had the front get out of line with me even in some hairy situations.

Yannih, thanks for the thread. The Hyperpro looks good. I saw a while back on zx1441r.com a thread by Lee Pritchard (smokin zx14) where a friend of his was at a dragstrip on a 14 and a headshake turned into a violent tankslapper at a high speed and he was thrown off the bike and was seriously hurt. So, it can happen on a 14. I don't need to be one of those few. Just trying to take precautions. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do yet. Thanks everyone for the advice.

I think everyone is right here.

The 14 is a very stable bike steering head wise and 99 out of 100 times you would probably be right without a steering damper.
But I decided to get one as an extra safety precaution as I use to ride at higher end speeds (270-300km/h) and wanted every bit of kit designed to help protect me.

So if anyone is doing faster speeds, it can only help and certainly can't hurt...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/7/2019 @ 7:25 AM *

Look at Scott's: https://https://www.scottsonline.com/litrack/257.pdfwww.scottsonline.com/Stabilizer_Purchase2.php?Bike_ID=7486&BI_ID=1138634

Here's pics of mine - it sits right on the steering stem and I have a GPS over mine:

Read up on the damper controls on page 8: https://www.scottsonline.com/litrack/257.pdf

Once you read how you can dial the Scott's in I'd be surprised if you'd want anything else. I've had them on road race bikes, enduro race bikes, and street bikes. I too have lived through a couple bad tank slappers and have no desire to ever experience one again. I won't ride without one.

Forgot: $529 and worth every penny. You don't have to live with stiff steering to have the safety of a damper.

* Last updated by: SteveStLaurent on 7/4/2019 @ 2:00 AM *

Thanks Steve. I'll check it out.

Just to mention Brocks Ohlins damper is the only one you
can use a front strap tie down for drag racing. The others
the mounting bracket is in the way of the strap and will cut the strap.

I have the one zxpredator posted on my first gen street bike and my second gen race bike. And they work great. I have compared them to the "namebrand" and they look identical to me and I have had zero issues from either. Got them on ebay. Piken is also correct. unless you have something to protect the strap the bracket will cut it.

cbibb, what's the quality of the newsmarts? Are the mounting brackets solid? I've read where some of the less expensive stabilizers have brackets that broke and the adjustments weren't very good. One guy said when he had his at the lowest setting it was still so stiff that he had a hard time turning the front wheel and it almost caused an accident. These weren't Newsmarts. They were FXCNC. How long have you had yours?

Both of the ones I have are fxcnc. I have had the one on the race bike for about 5 months and the street bike about 4 months. We ride the street bike about 1,000 miles a month riding only the weekends. They each have 24 clicks of adjustment. I have them both set on 18. At the tightest the handlebars are pretty hard to turn. At the loosest its like you have nothing on. I am very happy with both. I was getting bad headshake from the 2-3 shift on the race bike. All of that is gone. Smooth as glass. And when getting on the street bike (stock length)we know how light the front end gets. I never had a problem on the street but I liked the damper so much on the race bike I put one on. The brackets are very strong. It is a carbon copy of the hyperpro. Maybe the one you read about had them mounted wrong or something??? If you get the ones I have (or similar) let me know and I can send you some close up pics. even then hyperpro instructions are pretty vague. And if you use a front strap all you have to do is grind and sand the top part of the bracket to make it smooth and it will not cut the strap.

* Last updated by: cbibb on 7/6/2019 @ 9:30 PM *

Again no disrespect to any contributors who are only trying to help but why consider a carbon copy of any original?
If your reasoning is to save a few dollars then I would submit your priorities are a little mis-guided.

Your health, safety and well being are invaluable and depend on the best.
Are you willing to potentially lie in a hospital bed wondering what if?

Just my 2 cents worth...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/6/2019 @ 10:22 PM *

No disrespect taken but the bottom line is that if something works, it works. If there were issues with them we would not be recommending them. There are thousands of products manufactured that are "knock offs" that perform just as good as the "name brand". If they didnt look like quality pieces they would not be on my bike. There are plenty of "name brand" products that fail. There was a guy on a road race forum who was re-building the "name brand" dampers because they were leaking and failing from extended use. Do you ever buy anything used?? Does that mean your priorities are mis-guided because its not brand new??

cbibb, completely understand where you are coming from.
Of course you are correct when you say originals fail too, but a very simple question for you that should provide all the answers needed.

Which have a higher failure rate, originals or copies?
And no, I never ever buy second hand when my safety and life depend on it...

Again I repeat, if you compromise your safety even by a fraction for the sake of saving a few dollars, IMO it is mis-guided...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/7/2019 @ 7:19 AM *

How about you buy a Chinese copy and just pop the Hyper-Pro in when it comes in? Change the brackets over the next time you need to remove the damper. You will need to take the whole bracket off every time you remove the fuel tank fairing anyway.

The 14 shouldn't have head shake unless there is a problem with steering or tires. The most I have ever felt was a single whip when the front tire touches down. I would try a Hyper-Pro copy since it is unlikely you will ever have a genuine tank slapper on the 14. If you have real concerns, go with a genuine design. I use a Hyper-Pro and I do notice that I will get that little whip in the steering when the damper is off. It's totally absent when the damper is on.

You should send a Hyper-Pro in every couple years for maintenance. For the cost of that, you could get a brand new Chinese damper every year.

Rook I definitely dont agree that the 14 doesnt have head shake unless there is a problem. Maybe stock length, stock suspension etc. But Lee's friend (Smokin) got hurt VERY badly at our local track from a tank slapper. That same track is the one that I was getting bad head shake from the 2-3 shift while racing. Granted my bike is 70", lowered and the front is strapped, so the front suspension is rock hard. With the damper installed all the headshake is completely gone. I will say that I have never had an issue on the street bike (stock length/stock suspension) but I can definitely see an issue if you are really on the gas and the front is very light and there are some bumps or something in the road. I didnt NEED one on the street bike but I liked it so much on the race bike I put one on. I will say that I like the way the bike handles with the damper installed.

After 60K miles on my 14R, and several thousand on a first Gen, I firmly believe that a stock, properly adjusted 14R does not need a damper. But, if you are going to use one, I highly recommend the Scott's. I've had several and the function and quality are top notch.

Rook I definitely dont agree that the 14 doesnt have head shake unless there is a problem. Maybe stock length, stock suspension etc. But Lee's friend (Smokin) got hurt VERY badly at our local track from a tank slapper. That same track is the one that I was getting bad head shake from the 2-3 shift while racing.

Yikes. Well, that's why we have them....just incase.

I went into head-shake a few times on my 14r and one of those times I thought I was going to wipe-out so I went home and ordered a Scott's steering stabilizer and she has never went into head-shake since (over 4.5 years)

I cant find the beat the fucking dead horse smilie

Use the search function lazyass this has been explained in detail before

There is a reason some of us have a high quality steering damper and some will argue you dont need one - unless you do

Its your ass not mine

Yes it can happen..My case was rider input and side wind .. Extremely hard acceleration, During the two/three shift, the front wheel lifted slightly and I was twisting the throttle so hard that I pulled the bars slightly to the right. Cross wind from the left When the front wheel set down I was still applying pressure and I got a slight headshake. not much but I know what they feel like . 40+ yrs ago I got of an H2 at 100+ mph due to violent HS .

I have a GPR and like the way it mounts , plus pretty simple install..Little note came with it that bike shud be turned lock to lock occasionally , if it sits long periods of time. Prevents flat spot in seals which lead to leaks.

* Last updated by: chrly on 7/11/2019 @ 6:52 AM *