Steering friction damper

[riptragle1953]

Vincent Hydraulic Dampener Long Ago

Before you saw them on modern machines I build this hydraulic dampener for John Prerney's Touring
Rapide..... which saw some high-speed touring in fact!

 

[riptragle1953]

Looks Good and I'll bet it works just fine.

 

[bmetcalf]

Was the bracket pinned to the crashbar? Was the other end attached to a bracket on the unused lugs on the lower crown?

Before you saw them on modern machines I build this hydraulic dampener for John Prerney's Touring
Rapide..... which saw some high-speed touring in fact!

 

[bmetcalf]

The Comet version mentioned above has a pencil scribing method that cuts down on the trial and error. I think I did make a sheet metal prototype to test what the pencil work indicated.

Some sources are:
http://www.mandp.co.uk/productinfo/510661/Handling/Steering-dampers/Kawasaki-Style/Damper
http://www.partsnmore.com/parts/kawasaki/h1/?filters[category]=chassis&filters[page]=2
http://www.tga.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=143
http://www.fastfromthepast.com/servlet/the-1004/Steering-Damper-Stroke=85mm-/Detail

Here is a picture of the damper on my Rapide. http://www.strokemanhost.co.uk/vincent/pioneer2007/IMG_0598.JPG

Finding the exact location for the mounting holes on the brackets has to be by trial an error. I ensured that the damper did not become the steering lock stops. I also ensured that the steering lock range used as much of the stroke of the damper as possible.

 

[TouringGodet]

Wow, is that the real Rip Tragle?

 

[riptragle1953]

There is a rather complicated articulated clamp/linkage that connects the body to the fork bottom that allowed
full action of the sliding dampener without much fore and aft swing. The dampener "tightness" adjusting knob
is on the other side of the dampener.

 

[riptragle1953]

More on the Dampener

Since I started rooting around the photo files I found other pictures of the dampener set-up:

 

[davidd]

I use the Kawasaki damper. It has a rubber eye with a steel bush in the front that I put a allen bolt through to a small fabricated strut. In the rear it is bolted to a plate that slides over the head stud and is held with the head lug nut. Some tabs are welded on to keep it from rotating. Mine is mounted higher than can be done with a stock tank, but the same principle applies. Make certain that you have clearence to the rear for the rod to extend and swivel slightly. I added a float bowl mount to the outer edge of the plate when I moved the bowl from the F106.

David

 

[riptragle1953]

And a good job of it too. Thanks for the photo!

 

[riptragle1953]

Go here: http://www.mcmaster.com/
these folks have about every kind of hardware you can think of.
Could the rod end be threaded for a female threaded swivel ball fastener perhaps?