MKL's '98 1200C
Daytona Steering Damper with Evo Power & Machine Brackets
The Daytona Damper Installed with Evo Power & Machine Brackets 6/04
Background: This May, a group of friends and I went on a 16 state tour of the Southeast USA, and covered over 4,000 miles in 9 days. Since some of this riding involved extended high speed interstate travel, I decided to try a steering damper on the XL to see how it affected stability. I had gotten used to steering dampers from riding my old airhead BMWs (which have them as standard equipment,) and wanted to determine if the addition of one would help the Sportster's stability in the same way. A quick scan in the catalogs revealed generic dampers for around $190, and name brand units for $350+. I decided on a generic model, the "Daytona," which has a multi-position firmness setting and came complete with its own mounting brackets.
Upon first inspection, the damper itself is of reasonable quality, but the brackets are very cheap feeling and look terrible. The stock bracket which holds the damper to the left fork leg is a very flimsy aluminum unit, and the stock bracket which holds the damper to the frame attaches to the top crash bar mount. This frame mount bracket is made of unfinished pot metal, and once mounted, displayed a great deal of flex when the damper was set to firm. Clearly, the stock brackets were not up to the task functionally or aesthetically, but I figured that was where the cost savings for the generic damper were realized.
Evo Power & Machine Brackets: While on the tour, we met up with our friends at the Yahoo Southern Sportster Riders Group, several members of which are quite handy with metalwork. Enter Don Thigpen (piggy@accessatc.net) of EVO Power & Machine. Don had previously examined the stock damper brackets for his riding friends, and was also dismayed at their dismal quality. To solve this, Don designed and manufactured his own set of brackets to use with the generic dampers. Don's fork tube bracket is made of 6061-T6 aluminum, complete with stainless fasteners, and is twice as thick as the stock bracket. Don's frame mount bracket is made of mild steel, and can be primed, painted (in my case wrinkle black) or chromed to match the bike. Instead of mounting at one point as the stock frame mount bracket does, Don's bracket mounts at the two points where the front cylinder head attaches to the frame, for greater stability. The end result is no visible flex as the damper goes through its entire range of motion. See below for pics:
Evo Power & Machine Brackets (on top) vs. Stock Brackets (Bottom) 6/04
The Test: Once Don's brackets were installed, the real test began - over 3,000 miles in almost every conceivable type of riding environment over 7 days, from crawling in muddy rain on the Blue Ridge Parkway to blasting through Arkansas freeways at 90+ mph against a constant brutal headwind. I can say without question that the damper is a worthwhile addition if you find yourself on extended high speed runs, or need some additional stability in rough cornering - the damper's multiple firmness settings allow you to quickly adjust it to any situation you find yourself in, on the fly. I found firmest for long highway rides and mid-position in town was best for me, and really helped to cure some of the high speed dartiness, front wheel oscillation after hitting bumps at speed or while cornering, and even the effects cross-wind blasts from semi-trucks on the highway. Best of all, with Don's brackets, the device looks just as cool on a proper naked Sportster as it does on an accessory barge like mine.
Bottom Line: I think that the damper is a worthwhile addition if you tour or push the bike hard. Installation is extremely straightforward, and the price is reasonable. However, if you're buying a generic damper, I would strongly suggest contacting Don for his brackets, given the poor quality of the stock units. Nevertheless, even with Don's brackets factored in (~$45 + shipping), the generic damper is still a good value vs. the name brand units for most standard riding applications.
Closeup of Evo Power & Machine Brackets Installed 6/04
LAST UPDATED: 6-04
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