Ok guys, went out for a blast today and i have to say im finding the steering damper a bit loose, she feels a bit snatchy to me on the gas, from what my mates have said im supprised cos they recon they're rock solid!!! Im on 22k so could the standard damper be singing its swan song? I defo fit into the throttle jockey catogory, allways on it, but i need her to be a bit more stable. What you all using?
Mine is solid as a rock mate . Only time i have had a whobble ( and a small one at that ) was full throttle overtaking a mate and i clipped a cats eye gave me a bit of a tank slapper but the H.E.S.D system soaked it up before i had chance to even react so all good
You could test it:- Test procedure is as follows.. Raise and support the front of the bike. Move the steering back and forth several times to get a "feel" for minimum damping. 1. Lower the side stand 2. Shift into a gear other than neutral. 3. Open the throttle fully ( WFO ). 4. Turn the ignition switch on while maintaining steps 1-3. The HESD icon on the LCD display should start blinking ( If not, start over ). For the next 10 seconds, the ECM will set the HESD to maximum damping ( full-stiff ). Compare this to minimum damping. If there is no change, replace the HESD unit. NOTE: This test will not work if the Malfunction Indicator Lamp has indicated a problem exists in the PGM-DSFI ( MIL is flashing ). Also note: Some moto-mags have implied that the HESD provides no damping when it's "off". This is not true! Unless the HESD unit is damaged ( IE-no oil, etc ), it always provides a small amount of damping, even with the key off. Now you can see just how much damping the HESD provides, check to see if yours is working, or just impress your friends with your knowledge of Honda PGM-DSFI's self diagnostics. Or for me Ohlins, Hyperpro RSC or GPR.. If you remove the HESD you will need to get the mod to stop the error code.. Check out dankyle in the USA for full kits, add VAT and 3.8% import tax to the price goods take 1week norm..
Nice, I'll give that a go,,, Had a matris before on a gsxr 750 which i didnt really rate, but when i went to an ohlins on my last gixxer thou i was blown away, Different bike, really solid feel to it
Sounds daft but check your tyres too I had one this year with a bulge in the front, was missed three times but the owner! And be sure your forks comp and reb settings are all good (same each side), one may have wondered off. Good luck..
Brian almighty, we've got a fair few closet pythons on here. Mind you, my mate has the same model bike as mine with a GPR damper on it. When I rode it it felt like it had a flat tyre, turning in slowly then almost dropping into the bend and it put me off a bit. I've read that that the RR2 can be a bit 'slap' happy on uneven surfaces under hard acceleration and although I've never suffered such a thing as yet do you think its worth me looking into?
Some interesting bits on this thread, in particular I did not know about the test Arthur, so thank you. I am still getting used to my bike, just up to my first 1000 miles on it (2006). I have had the damper come in on three separate occasions now under acceleration and each time it has come as a bit of a surprise as I did not think I was hammering it That hard. It is my first electronic damper and although when it happened it was a bit of a shock it did feel controlled and the bars quickly went back to normal. I am a fast acceleration style rider rather than a top speed one and I haven't had a bike shake it's head as much as this one since my 98 R1 seems years ago now. I still haven't got the suspension looked at yet, due to dosh, but my initial thoughts that the front is too soft and/or could be uneven in set up might be relevant bearing in mind what Arthur said. I might not be giving it too much right hand until I have had the suspension checked, the damper works but I am more concerned about how easily it starts to slap. Tyres checked thoroughly and they are OK.
Well I just gave the test a go!!!! All works as it should except for there being bearly anymore damping when it's activated!!! A little but no where near enough for me! New damper me thinks
Iv had H.E.S.D on my bikes for the last 4 years and iv never felt it kick in once . I didn't think it worked like that , As in kicks in when needed . I always thought that the faster you go the harder the damper gets so when your going it is always stiff and as you slow down the damping eases off till your at crawling pace and need to actually turn the bars . Never had a moment on my bikes with H.E.S.D so its always done its job . Being able to feel it kick in sounds like its not right to me. I could be wrong thou
As it's my first H.E.S.D I do not know how it is supposed to work either ! When it happens it is just a very quick limited travel waggle of the bars and it stiffens and then the bars stop waggling, just as quickly as they had started.......well that's the best way I can describe it. It has never felt out of control, just a bit of a surprise. I have to say, I think I prefer the feel of a standard damper, but then I am old
Actually that sounds about right . The thing is , is that you want it to stop the tank slapper as quick as it starts as it could send you down the road . what would you prefer it to do ? Im not being funny here fella but genuinely interested in how you would like a steering damper to behave . Surly the first indication of head shake you want it to be overcome A.S.A.P ??? NO ???
Ok so how deep does the rabbit hole go..... ? As the HESD is so complex in the way it works I feel you need to read this:- Honda Worldwide | Technology Close-up Click on the sections to learn about each part. Also the NEXT icon to move through the pages (dont want you to miss any) and click on the diagrams to enlarge.. Enjoy! The reason I post this is some think the damper reacts to head shake, it does not. The damper is set by a few factors in short:- speed, throttle position and acceleration. The ECU then adjusts the damper.
@ Dan, like I said, I have never had one of these before so I obviously did not know what it feels like when it operates, hence my comments and the hope of hearing other peoples experiences. Kstead has obviously found the feel a little different too. On all my previous bikes with mechanical dampers, and there have been quite a few, I have not had any tank slapping, once adjusted correctly. They have stopped my bars from shaking in the first place and thus I have not really felt anything on the bars. The HESD feels very different, I merely stated my personal preference was for the types I have had before, mainly Ohlins. @ Arthur, thanks for the link, that sounds very interesting I did not realise it does so much, I will have a good read when the brain has been rested. Thinking hurts and I think going through this and trying to understand it will hurt
