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Seeking feedback for Scotts steering damper

4696 Views 18 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  MikeM, 
D
Greetings:

Thinking of upgrading to an adjustable damper for my 916. Anyone have any info on the Scotts Performance unit?

Thanks & regards.

Frank
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amullo
Isn´t scotts simply an Öhlins-unit with another name?

I seem to recall seeing that info on another thread. Try searching for "Scott steering damper"

//amullo
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Z
amullo said:
Isn´t scotts simply an Öhlins-unit with another name?

I seem to recall seeing that info on another thread. Try searching for "Scott steering damper"

//amullo
Click to expand...
no...not at all....alot of the Scotts are oil filled and more easily serviceable due to design of the rather squarish brick on top of a triple....the Ohlins units are usually gas charged and oil filled and of a strut type design that mounts between the triple and the tank.....at least of the more common ones I've seen...someone feel free to chime in and correct me if I am wrong!
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T
I've heard that the Scott's are very good units, I believe they have both high and low speed damping circuits and have a good range of adjustability. Sport Rider did a comparison of a bunch of dampers, you might try to dig up that article.

I think that mounting a Scotts on a Duc would require a new upper triple clamp. There's a kit up on Ebay currently. bit pricey though at $450.
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amullo
Here is the info i was looking for.

The Scott is MADE by Öhlins, but maybe the internals are diffrent..
http://www.ducati.ms/forums/showpost.php?p=20542&postcount=7

Good thing about the Öhlins unit is that it fits without any mods. And they ARE the best in the world (Hey.. I´m a Proud Swede! I HAVE to say it! :D)
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Z
2
ummm...Scotts is Ohlins US division?....Hrmmmm...I am seriously doubting that based on style,make,and information on their website....but if Ohlins aquired them and are letting them run separatly...good for them.

anyways...here's the Scotts on a 916


and here is the special top triple you need for it...


and here is there website... http://www.scottsperformance.com/index.php
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amullo
OUCH!

Having to replace your triple tree isn´t that easy. It would be less expensive to go with a new Öhlins then getting all those parts and having someone do the work.. I wouldn´t mess around with exchanging triples, because I´ve never done it.

But taking one damper of and fitting another.. That i can do.
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K
Why would you want that on your Duc

Personally I hate the looks of the Scotts damper. I have never owned one but Ive ridden a few bike that had them, the seem to work well. I did own a hyper pro damper (on an R1) it was a great looking unit. I felt that it work just as well as the scotts, and you can get those alot cheaper than the scotts
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M
I used a Scotts Steering Damper for 3 years on one of my bikes. It is an excellent Damper, and I would even go so far as to say it's the BEST (just my opinion of course :D) .... The Scotts Damper is made of Öhlins componentry, and Scotts does have some sort of "relationship" with Öhlins, the details of which I don't know about.

I liked the Scotts Damper so much that I looked into getting it for my 749. According to Scotts, the unit may be listed for the 916/748 series bikes (at 'around' US$600+), but it will fit in with the 749/999 bikes except the Dark which has no Damper bracket on the frame (this can be corrected with a $100 Ducati part). I didn't end up getting it because of the price.
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John
I think the stock damper is sufficient on the Ducati, if anything I would upgrade to the OEM style Ohlins instead of the Scotts. Seems like a major hassle to me to convert. I'm not so sure you have to change out the triple, I don't think people would buy them if you had to. Anyway, didn't need a damper on my Supersport, stock one on the 916 was good enough, but I did put one on my 05 600RR. At the track the bike with a full system and PC would head shake off rises and where I rode often, the road was real lumpy. Thus, conditions that warranted a damper. The first thing I noticed was freeway stability was improved, right away. The second thing I noticed was the stock settings should be turned down when canyon carving untill you get used to it. I had the sensation the damper made the bike hold the line as if you could go in a straight line forever hands free. So, instead of body steering I had to put a little counter steering into it. I was working with the device until I crashed hard and flew off the road at 80MPH. The bike was totalled yet later I managed to have the tow yard salvage it and my PC. Unfortunately my full system was destroyed by the front wheel crushing it. I subsequently sold the Scotts to a buddy of mine who also had an 05 600RR. A week after he installed it, he to crashed hard and totalled his bike. I'm not going to say the damper contributed to the above crashes, but I would like to repeat the admonisment: turn it down til you get used to it. I never had it on long enough to offer a full report. I doubt I'll get another one, I won't be riding that hard in the future to justify it. Crashing can get you killed and is expensive besides.
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D
Great info. Much obliged. I think I'll go with a unit that requires little installation heartburn.

Thanks again.

Frank
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B
Don't be too proud. You know it is a Japanese company after all.........


amullo said:
Here is the info i was looking for.

The Scott is MADE by Öhlins, but maybe the internals are diffrent..
http://www.ducati.ms/forums/showpost.php?p=20542&postcount=7

Good thing about the Öhlins unit is that it fits without any mods. And they ARE the best in the world (Hey.. I´m a Proud Swede! I HAVE to say it! :D)
Click to expand...
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F
I've never heard of steering dampers causing crashes before... usually its the opposite.
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B
Re: the product, the Scotts part and the Ohlins part are indistinguishable from each other ( except for the name, natch). Check the Ohlins site and look under MX/enduro stabilizers.

I'll give Scotts a call on Monday and see exactly who owns what. Ohlins may have merely taken a license from Scott's to build their widget. Or vice versa.


zooom said:
ummm...Scotts is Ohlins US division?....Hrmmmm...I am seriously doubting that based on style,make,and information on their website....but if Ohlins aquired them and are letting them run separatly...good for them.

anyways...here's the Scotts on a 916


and here is the special top triple you need for it...


and here is there website... http://www.scottsperformance.com/index.php
Click to expand...
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jmastrol
Not the triple tree, just the top triple clamp

amullo said:
OUCH!

Having to replace your triple tree isn´t that easy. It would be less expensive to go with a new Öhlins then getting all those parts and having someone do the work.. I wouldn´t mess around with exchanging triples, because I´ve never done it.

But taking one damper of and fitting another.. That i can do.
Click to expand...
Replacing the top triple clamp is not as daunting as one might think, especially on a Ducati. I'm talking 748/916 experience here. Your mileage may vary on other Ducati models. I'm certain that removing the entire triple tree assembly is quite a challenge, but it is not necessary to install the top triple clamp pictured in this thread.

Removing the top triple clamp is pretty easy and does not require you fiddle with the front suspension (e.g. forks or wheel). Just remove the stock dampener, loosen the bolts (two on each fork and one for the lower triple shaft in the center). Gently tap on the under side of the clamp with a soft mallet and viola!, the top triple is off! Regarding my experience: I've not used the Scotts dampener on any bike, I have only installed Ohlins dampeners. I've been very pleased with them over the years but can't say one way or the other how the Scotts unit works. Especially on a Ducati.
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B
no, no....forget the hammer I want some music when i do this !

VIOLA ?????? I've heard of violins in the streets....a horrible thing to experience.....but soft mallets and VIOLA (s) ?

Dude...you need some time with a different crowd....lol....that is music of a different variety !

jmastrol said:
Replacing the top triple clamp is not as daunting as one might think, especially on a Ducati. I'm talking 748/916 experience here. Your mileage may vary on other Ducati models. I'm certain that removing the entire triple tree assembly is quite a challenge, but it is not necessary to install the top triple clamp pictured in this thread.

Removing the top triple clamp is pretty easy and ......... Gently tap on the under side of the clamp with a soft mallet and viola!, the top triple is off!
Click to expand...
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M
Viola??? A VIOLA to beat on a triple clamp??? LOL. Only a musical midget would use a viola. Anyone with the least bit of musical knowledge knows that's what banjos are for. ;)
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B
ROFL.....

No, no, Mike. The banjo is used to beat the shit out of the accordion...player and instrument alike...lol !




MikeM said:
Viola??? A VIOLA to beat on a triple clamp??? LOL. Only a musical midget would use a viola. Anyone with the least bit of musical knowledge knows that's what banjos are for. ;)
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M
What is the definition of "perfect pitch"?

Tossing an accordion in the dumpster - and having it land on a banjo.

LONG list of banjo jokes for the truly bored can be found here...

http://bluegrassbanjo.org/banjokes.html

And here's a link to the musical equivalent of the restoration of Moto Guzzi V-8... a restoration of the incredibly rare Hammond Novachord. Yes, the Hammond of B-3 fame.

http://www.discretesynthesizers.com/nova/intro.htm

Several sets of sound clips, the first set about one-quarter of the way down the page is of vintage recordings and there are some really impressive clips of the restored instrument which can be found near (but not AT) the bottom of the page. Not bad for the analog world, eh?
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