Ohlins Steering Damper

stmicheal · Aug 16, 2013

Another dumb question for you clever chaps.....

My 02 Mille has an Ohlins steering damper fitted (standard or option??) Its set on its slackest setting, but at slow speed it still feels like your fighting against it slightly to keep the bike straight? I've checked front tyre pressure, so its deffo the damper. Is that just how they are??

Ta

stress · Aug 16, 2013

have you checked your bearings? especially your steering bearings?

redratbike · Aug 16, 2013

If its an R then it's standard if its just an rsv then it's been retro fitted

Tifa1 · Aug 16, 2013

Pull the damper off, the rose joint that attaches to the frame has a tendency to seize.
Make sure the rose eyelet is nice and clean, and can rotate through 360deg in any plane...slam a little grease in there, chuck it all back in and you should be good to go.
Don't forget to use loctite 243 ( the blue one) when you put it back on.

Failing that....as has already been said...your head bearings are ******.

jeff · Aug 16, 2013

Mine's a RSV with a retro fitted Ohlins and I have never noticed it. well I have once when I tweeked it up a couple of clicks but just backed it off one click and its just about invisable. So would say you have something amiss else where
Jeff

stmicheal · Aug 17, 2013

Cheers. Obviously their NOT all like mine. I'll take it apart and have a check.

DelMonty · Aug 20, 2013

Ohlins updated the internals on these after 2002, MCT Suspension put the updated bushes in mine when mine started seizing when they serviced it, which got rid of the steering weave.

stmicheal · Aug 22, 2013

Just to conclude this thread - I took the damper off altogether, and its now fine. Steering is neutral as it should be. Head bearings are fine. The rose mounts are all free and greased, so it just seem that the damping action is too strong. It feels smooth and fluid, just too much damping even on the slackest setting. Seems it wants servicing as DelMonty says.

Ridden 250 miles today, pretty fast on a variety of roads, and its been great. That begs the question, why did Aprilia think that the Mille needed a damper at all........?

DelMonty · Aug 23, 2013

I've heard it was just to tick customers boxes. I went through the whole process you have, new head bearings, then having the damper removed. With the damper off it was handling great and now the damper has been serviced and been put back on it's fine. If the newer bushes are installed during the service it shouldn't seize up as easily apparently.

Tifa1 · Aug 23, 2013

stmicheal said:
That begs the question, why did Aprilia think that the Mille needed a damper at all........?

If you want it to turn in quicjkly, then you're usually set up high at the back, and low at the front..i.e. with a fairly steep rake.
In other words...it's not naturally stable.
When you're on it hard, the front will go light, you hit a road imperfection and she'll kick back through the bars like a bastid.

Hence the damper....It may all be in the mind for some.....but I don't believe in voodoo.
Then again, I usually talk out of my arse.

stmicheal · Aug 23, 2013

As i'm not exactly Marc Marquez proportions, or riding style, mines probably low at the back! Think i'm probably safe without one for the time being, but i'll try and get it serviced. Any suggestions for anyone oop Norrth 'int Lancashire area?

Ohlins Steering Damper

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