Zombie Killer
XS650 Member
Installed a steering dampener. The bracket is by Dixie International witch picked up from eBay.
Nice. I bought my bike with one already installed and wondered if it was really necessary. Did you install yours to address an issue or to increase the cool factor?Installed a steering dampener. The bracket is by Dixie International witch picked up from eBay.
I installed it because when I get on the highway the front end I will feel it move left to right a bit. I'm gonna take it out this weekend on the highway to see how it handles. .Nice. I bought my bike with one already installed and wondered if it was really necessary. Did you install yours to address an issue or to increase the cool factor?
Nice. I bought my bike with one already installed and wondered if it was really necessary. Did you install yours to address an issue or to increase the cool factor?
On my XS2 the steering dampener is infinitely adjustable. Lol.
Speaking of steering stuff. I installed the Mikesxs tapered bearing kit on my front end about 25K miles ago. I probably adjusted them about 10K ago. Well, I have to wonder if these bearings are correct for this application. Tapered roller bearings are basically for low rpm applications, right? Constantly spinning and wearing somewhat evenly for tens of thousands of miles on a car or truck. I think we can all agree on that, but a few may not.
Anyway, on our shakey little bikes, these bearings hardly spin a 1/3 of a revolution from lock to lock, and are mostly stationary or might deflect 1 or 2 degrees, if that, from center while riding. Ok, it appears that when I come to a stop that I can sometimes feel a notchiness or flat spot. I suspect that these somewhat stationary rollers are vibrating grooves in the races. In a few weeks when I can walk somewhat normally, I'm gonna pull it apart and inspect to see if my theory is valid. Maybe even install a couple of grease fittings.
Anyone with similar suspicions?
Sorry to hear that they are restricting your mobility. Be patient and do your physio exercises. Heal quickly!
View attachment 177539
Not Ready For Winter!
Last fall I told Mrs. Lakeview that she would be parking her car out of the frost and snow in the other bay. Despite storing the FJ09 and a couple XS's off site, between the recycling bins and the garden stuff and my side (pictured today), I ended up scraping the frost off her car all winter.
Plus I was not happy that the condensation in the storage unit left its mark.
So the chore to clear my bay to store 2 bikes and still have space for my lift and room to move around commences.
Flat clear surfaces do not last long around me. lol
Maybe a little pricey, but it looks great! I may search around by me, there's gotta be someone around here.So, it was $85 total. Nice work, but I think I'll look harder for a local shop to do this next time.
Ditto!Ditto!