Steering Dampers

What does a steering damper do? And, most importantly, should your bike have one?

A steering damper can be a lifesaver, it’s as simple as that. Should your bike have a steering damper fitted? Yes, it should. Allan Cunynghame, owner of GPR Australia, has been riding since Christ was a boy and he’s a big fan of steering dampers.

“Over my 45 years of involvement in motorcycle riding I’ve had the opportunity to ride many different motocycles covering all facets of motorcycle sport,” he told us. “Some of those motocycles were very well behaved and others not so much.

“I discovered steering dampers in the 1970s while sharing a motorcycle with Hans Appelgren at an event in Victoria, and I thought it was a gift from God. If you have a motorcycle set up correctly you won’t believe how much confidence an adjustable damper will give in pretty much any situation you can imagine.

I believe it’s a must for any adventure bike.”

But a steering damper isn’t a necessity and plenty of experienced riders choose to do without them. Why?

That’s a very good question and we’re glad you asked.

Put simply

Keeping things as simple as possible, a steering damper is designed to slow down the side-to-side movement of the handlebars.

That’s the concept.