Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Damn, has anyone noticed how ineffective the stock OEM Ohlins steering damper is?
Obviously Kawasaki finally have,
I would love to fit this to mine when it is released but with it's own ecu this may not be so easy?
Has anyone else changed their stock Damper? And what for?


taken from online report:

2013 Kawasaki ZX-10R Key Features
• NEW Öhlins-Kawasaki electronic steering damper reacts to current speed as well as rate of acceleration and deceleration to help provide the ideal amount of damping force across a wide range of riding scenarios

New Öhlins-Kawasaki Electronic Steering Damper
• Specially tuned for the 2013 ZX-10R, this new electronic damper helps provide the ideal amount of damping force across a wide range of riding scenarios 
• Maintains a high level of rider feedback by allowing lower damping forces under less taxing conditions, but quickly adapts to increase damping and enhance high-speed stability when required 
• Reacts to current speed as well as rate of acceleration or deceleration to help provide light steering feel at low speed, as well as superior damping at higher speeds or during extreme acceleration/deceleration 
• Uses Öhlins’ patented twin-tube design to help ensure stable damping performance and superior kickback absorption

Kawasaki has developed a new electronic steering damper for the 2013 ZX-10R sportbike, in joint cooperation with Öhlins. Controlled by a dedicated ECU located under the gas tank cover, this new damper reacts to the rate of acceleration or deceleration, as well as rear wheel speed, to help provide the ideal level of damping force across a wide range of riding scenarios. The variable damping provides optimum rider feedback by enabling the use of lower damping forces during normal operation, without sacrificing the firm damping needed for high-speed stability. The result is a light and nimble steering feel at low speed, as well as superior damping at higher speeds or during extreme acceleration/deceleration. The anodized damper unit incorporates Öhlins’ patented twin-tube design to help ensure stable damping performance and superior kickback absorption. It is mounted horizontally at the front of the fuel tank and requires very few additional components and ads almost no weight compared to last year’s steering damper

Do you think the new one will work better? I think it will be the same as the old one but electronic.

I got my stock one revalved. It works as it should now

Unfortunately they'll need to make a few more changes than that to better the BMW...

I read in FastBikes Magazine that all the OEM Ohlins were like this on the Kwakas, and that the aftermarket Ohlins kit is better,not experienced enough to know if this is true?
People at track days may have more experience?
Revalving sounds interesting wattie,was it a major improvement? cost?
I was looking at how it (the 2013 Ohlins) adjusts itself automatically for the different surface condions/adaptability with the ecu which sounds better than the old one.
I ride some pretty rough roads so it's good to have as insurance.

KEL10R wrote:Damn, has anyone noticed how ineffective the stock OEM Ohlins steering damper is?

Experiencing tank slappers on a daily basis much?

If its that ineffective, perhaps talk to someone about re-valve and or using a different weight oil.

MadKaw wrote:Unfortunately they'll need to make a few more changes than that to better the BMW...

Everyone knows green is the fasterest mod!

The standard (non electronic) damper has a hole drilled in the needle inside.
You get the needle replaced, with the proper one and it functions just like proper Ohlins.
From memory, it's around the 100buck mark? Don't quote me but.
Zenodamper did mine.

Noticed quite a few bar wobbles out the back of stroud on rough roads under acceleration, yes i am no wsbk rider but am after some others experience on this?

Wattie wrote:The standard (non electronic) damper has a hole drilled in the needle inside.
You get the needle replaced, with the proper one and it functions just like proper Ohlins.
From memory, it's around the 100buck mark? Don't quote me but.
Zenodamper did mine.

Thanks Wattie

Wattie wrote:The standard (non electronic) damper has a hole drilled in the needle inside.
You get the needle replaced, with the proper one and it functions just like proper Ohlins.
From memory, it's around the 100buck mark? Don't quote me but.
Zenodamper did mine.

Izzy did mine, around that price, but that was nearly 5 years, but well worth it, chalk and cheese.

KEL10R wrote:Noticed quite a few bar wobbles out the back of stroud on rough roads under acceleration, yes i am no wsbk rider but am after some others experience on this?

Wattie's given you some good advice.

Even if you don't buy/use from zeno, you're gonna walk out with some invaluable knowledge from him, that's what I got when I spoke to him; interesting fella.

blackster wrote:

KEL10R wrote:Noticed quite a few bar wobbles out the back of stroud on rough roads under acceleration, yes i am no wsbk rider but am after some others experience on this?

Wattie's given you some good advice.

Even if you don't buy/use from zeno, you're gonna walk out with some invaluable knowledge from him, that's what I got when I spoke to him; interesting fella.

thanks for the good advice ppl