BigMac Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 Not wanting to get into all sorts of discussions about whether or not to fit an SD to the XX. I've been caught in two situations over the last 5 years with mine where I've needed to swerve and pull up hard. Once on uneven road and the second time I bumped a cats eye. Both situations resulted in serious tank slap bringing me down. After eliminating as best as possible probably issues with suspension, head bearings, tyre wear and pressure I decided to try fitting a damper. I also think they look cool too(lol!) So I purchased a Hyperpro bracket. You could make one yourself or develop with someone who can bend and weld stainless. The bracket was very poorly manufactured and Serco the Oz distributor were very unhelpful even when provided with photos of how and why it wouldn't fit. It was just 0.75mm too small - doesn't sound like much but enough to make a difference. I waited 6 months for it to arrive and didn't want to wait another for a replacement. My dealer was very helpful and offered to refund me completely even though the distributor wouldn't take the product back. With a mate we found a way to install the bracket by filing back some of the bikes frame. Success! Problem number 2. The Hyperpro literature recommend a 120mm stroke on the SD so I chose the appropriate WP. Alas 120mm is too short for a standard install. I've overcome this by turning the damper around. It seems that WP have manufactured their current range with short bodies, but when mounting down the side of the bike the shorter body reduces mounting play because of the dual chamber design on the newer SD's. The end cap and tie-end are interchangeable but a real bitch to remove due to the threadlocker applied. So I used bench vise to grip the chrome shaft with some aluminium (aluminum for our US friends) protection on the jaws. The real test - how does it perform and is there a noticeable difference. It really depends what damping force you desire to dial in. But for my purposes headshake from tyre wear is reduced to almost nil and there's a marked improvement in stability when bringing the front down after... (yep I'm too old but still a young lad at heart) Does it slow down steering noticeably. Again it depends on how hard you dial it in but the simple answer is no. My old R1 was fitted with a Hyperpro constant force unit many years which required weekly testosterone injections to deal with. Was it worth it? All up I've paid about $750 (OZ cash) and in normal commuting it hasn't made a difference worth the dollar. On the track through the chicanes or braking into a corner theres a really noticeable difference and a new feeling of confidence. The real test will be if I'm ever in another situation like before and manage to stay upright. Hopefully I'll never have to write back with the results of that test. Safe travelling to you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erixx Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 pics please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMac Posted February 19, 2004 Author Share Posted February 19, 2004 I'll have to work out how to post pics for those that want to have a look. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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