Steering dampers/stabilizers: do you need this on your dirt bike?︱Cross Training Enduro

http://www.crosstrainingenduro.com Steering stabilisers and steering dampers! It s kind of weird... you post a few videos on Youtube that show you barely know how to ride a bike, then some guys assume you must know a lot. So I get asked things like will the reticulated turbothruster 2000 fit on my Royal Enfield, and will toothpaste in your engine oil really result in whiter gear cogs or not. To which of course I reply, and excuse the French, buggered if I know. Cross Training Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg Cross Training Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cross.training.enduro.skills/?ref=ts Our enduro vlog series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlur54ugvzNJlUO0y6D10jVOGMLI4Raci Cross Training website: http://www.crosstrainingenduro.com Like to support our vids? http://www.crosstrainingenduro.com/cross-training-support-donations.htm Anyway, many have asked for my opinion on steering stabilisers or dampers, to which of course I reply fornicated if I know... I ve never used one. But I can google this, and tell you steering stabilizers claim to provide better handling of your bike, particularly at speed and when hitting obstacles with the front wheel. A steering stabiliser is just a hydraulic damper that is meant to help both the rider and the front forks control the steering. Typical examples would include the head shake many report from riding two strokes at speed, hitting an obstacle that tries to wrench the bars out of your hands, and of course the instability of almost any dirt bike ridden at high speed such as a desert race. Steering stabilisers ain t cheap, which is probably why I ve never tried one. They can take a fair while to fit, some even need the front end of the bike to be taken apart first. Some fit under the bars, some fit over the bars. Manufacturers like Fastway offer both, and also two-piece versions which apparently make installation very quick and easy. They do raise the height of the bars naturally, although some are designed to still keep the bars quite low which is an important consideration for some riders. While many riders tend to just set and forget, others want to adjust the stabiliser while riding in which case easy access to the adjustment will be important. Any drawbacks with steering stabilisers or dampers? They aren t very heavy but the weight is up high which multiplies any effect it has. They do wear out, but most manufacturers offer cheap servicing when needed. The million dollar question, should you buy one? Try getting your bike setup correct first. You might have an unstable front end due to your handlebar positioning, where your forks are set in the triple clamps, or a crappy front tyre. It ain t rocket science - make sure your bike is setup corectly before spending hundreds of bucks on bling. Once your bike setup is correct, other cheap remedies are a 90/100 profile tyre like the Goldentyre fatty front tyre. A wider front tyre naturally slows down your steering as well as providing more traction at the front. I can personally verify this, as the Goldentyre fatty is now my front tyre of choice. Also, our coach, Chris Birch, says it s a good idea to tighten your head stem bearings down to the point where the handlebar will just stop short of flopping to the left or right. He calls this the poor man s stabiliser and it s well worth trying before shelling out big bucks. Most desert racers seem to love steering stabilisers... as do many enduro riders who are hitting obstacles at speed that keep deflecting the front wheel. But as the speed slows down, you get mixed reports from riders about whether stabilisers are God s gift to dirt riders or not. If you ask for my opinion, again I will say copulated if I know. But if there s enough interest I ll track one down to test and report back. So are steering dampers or steering stabilisers God s gift to dirt bikes? Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Music: www.playonloop.com Music: https://soundimage.org Music: https://audionautix.com/ Music by Tobu: https://tobu.io http://youtube.com/tobuofficial Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music Music: https://soundimage.org Music by Atch: SoundCloud: https://bit.ly/AtchSoundCloud Spotify: https://bit.ly/AtchSpotify Instagram: www.instagram.com/atchmusic