Scotts Damper Technical Information

What is a Scotts Steering Damper?
It is a compact, fully adjustable, hydraulic shock absorbing damper that mounts to your steering head area right above your handlebar mount.  By helping to stabilise the front end of your motorcycle, the rear of the motorcycle will track straighter allowing the rest of your suspension to work the way it was designed to. In addition, the Scotts Steering Damper eliminates that sudden thrust affect of having the handlebars pulled from your hands after unknowingly hitting sharp edged rocks, tree roots or rain ruts. It has also been proven to help minimize rider fatigue and the dreaded arm pumping situation that occurs while wrestling the front end of your bike. Dirt Rider Magazine said, "A Scotts Steering Damper is the single greatest improvement you can make to your motorcycle".  Once mounted, it eliminates the unwanted phenomenon known as “Head-shake” that is commonly found on off-road production motorcycles.  This is more predominant now a-days due to the steeper head angles you find on production bikes. It helps keep your motorcycle going straight in the whoops and smooths out the rocky sections by preventing those handlebar wrenching jolts and more than likely will help keep you a healthier, happier rider.


How does it work?
 Basically, it operates under the same principle as your front forks. Valving inside the unit reacts to the slightest of jolts that are transferred through the forks and crowns of your motorcycle. Internal circuitry and hydraulic valving absorbs the energy that would have been received through your handlebars. The link arm which connects the stabilizer to the frame, reacts instantaneously, absorbing any unwanted movement. Your suspension was designed to handle the vertical movement of your motorcycle. Scotts Steering Stabilizer completes your suspension package by controlling the unwanted horizontal movement that is continually transferred to your handlebars.

 

Where does the Stabilizer work best?
Anywhere there are forces trying to push or pull your front end left to right. If you ride in the desert, Scotts Steering Stabilizer will soon become your best friend. You will find that it completely eliminates the head-shake and instability you get while riding on washboard fire-roads, rocky sections and in high speed sand washes. It helps keep your motorcycle straight in the whoops In the woods. Sharp edged rocks and tree roots that send a shock all the way up to your jawbone are reduced to minor disturbances that allows your suspension to work the way it was intended to. Motocross will find your bike will track straighter through the stutter bumps, big rollers and sweeping turns while assuring secure landings at the end of doubles or tabletops. Being infinitely adjustable, there is no reason not to use it. It has no disadvantages!


Why is our Stabilizer so much better than others?
One of our dampers most important features is that the Scotts Stabilizer only dampens as the handlebar turns away from center. The handlebar "free-valves" back to dead straight. That makes the bike want to go straight, all by itself. This is a huge advantage over other stabilizers. It also boasts a damping control this is adjustable on the fly. It only takes two seconds of one handed riding to change the damping, similar to the time it would take to pull the string on your roll-off lens. Even more importantly, the Scotts stabilizer has a "high-speed" damping adjustment, similar to the high speed adjustment in your shock. Since the stabilizer is literally a little shock absorber controlling the unwanted left to right motion of your bars, it only makes sense that you would want to have a circuit that absorbs the impacts that exceed the normal range of hits, similar to the high speed valving your shock. Most impacts and head-shake at the front wheel are high speed" movements, where on the other hand, turning is generally a low speed movement. If you don't like the feeling the stabilizer provides in turns or while flying a SX jump, you can adjust it out and still retain it’s ability to absorb high speed impacts. NO OTHER STABILIZER HAS THIS FEATURE. Why? Because it’s expensive to build and we own the patent on this concept. Not only is the damping rate and high speed circuit adjustable, but the arc of movement over which it operates is also adjustable, we call those sweep controls. So in summary, the Scotts Stabilizer has 3 fully adjustable circuits all of which are critical to any stabilizers ability to function correctly.


Can the damper be mounted to other bikes I own?
Another nice feature about the Scotts damper is that it is transferable between bikes in seconds. If you have more than one bike, you only need one damper and a couple of mounting kits to be able to transfer it from bike to bike. That way you can use it Saturday on your XR400 for a dual sport ride and Sunday put it on your other bike for a desert race or motocross. Unlike suspension or motor mods, when you sell your bike, you can take it with you to install on your next bike. Most applications use very simple bolt on brackets for mounting. "Dirt Rider" Magazine says "It's the best investment you can make!"


Does it really work for Motocross or freestyle? 
Well, John Dowd, Robbie Reynard, Brian Deegan and Doug Henry think so. If you’re a motocrosser, the Scotts Steering Stabilizer will give you that extra push and confidence by saving you previously wasted energy. Ever land in a pothole and scare yourself? Ever come up short on a double and have the bars yanked out of your hands? Ever have the track conditions steer YOU off course? You won't believe how this little jewel will compensate for errors like that. Just ask someone who owns one! It is infinitely adjustable to all riding situations, so there is no reason not to use it. It has NO disadvantages!


Will it fit on any motorcycle?
In theory, the Scotts Steering Stabilizer can be adapted to fit any motorcycle on the market including vintage bikes. We have however, designed the unit to be a "bolt-on" item for all of the major brand off-road motorcycles. We also offer a weld-on version for those who prefer that feature. We are the official stabilizer for Kawasaki Team Green, KTM America and Husaberg America. Honda off road and the Yamaha factory both use our damper. We have kits that will mount on Suzukis, Husqvarna, ATK's, GasGas, Vertemati and TM's as well.


Is it easy to put on?
In most cases, if you can change a spark plug, you should be able to install a Scotts Steering Stabilizer. If you have any questions during installation we are here to help you. There is no welding (unless requested) and it mounts in minutes in most cases. The unit comes with a step by step instruction manual that would make it easy even for Forest Gump. Remember though, this is a very sophisticated unit that does more for your motorcycle than any other after market improvement. You need to make sure you install it correctly to gain the maximum potential.


Does it need constant servicing like some of the other dampers I've seen?
No Way. In fact when mounted correctly it almost needs no attention at all. Just like your forks and shocks though, you\'ll need to give it some "TLC" many hours of usage. It is designed so there are no wearable parts, however, Scotts Performance Products provides a complete service program should you need it. Simply UPS the unit to us in between rides or races and will put it through our ten point inspection program that includes tolerance checks and oil re freshening. You'll have it back in time for your next race.


Is it worth the investment?
Well every leading off-road magazine in the country considers this product one of the top ten products of all time! That's a potent statement. It is not the only stabilizer on the market, but it is definitely the best and has more features than all of the other ones combined! Remember, we are the originator of this idea and we own the patent! If you plan to continue riding for one year or the next ten years, our stabilizer will still be there when others have long disappointed you. Our unit transfers between bikes in seconds, allowing you to switch between several bikes or upgrade easily from year to year.

Check out these features:

  • It is the only Stabilizer with three fully adjustable circuits.
  • It is the only Stabilizer that has an adjustable damping control that allows 25 adjustment clicks while riding.
  • It is the only Stabilizer that allows you to adjust the amount of degrees of damping you want from centerline.
  • It is the only Stabilizer that has a "High Speed Circuit" designed to absorb those sharp edged jolts.
  • It is the only Stabilizer that successfully works for every type of off-road application... including Motocross.
  • It is the only Stabilizer that easily moves from motorcycle to motorcycle in literally seconds.
  • It is the only stabilizer that's been around for 15 years and has won every major off-road race including the grueling Baja 1000, 15 times.
  • It's the only stabilizer to be tested and endorsed by every leading off-road magazine

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