Accutrax steering damper

[marin man]

Has anyone ever used or owned one :?:
I think the principle behind it is to help your steering return to centre,Is this correct :?

 

[Pogo]

On a motorbike a steering damper increases the resistance to the turn of the handlebars. It 'damps' the action, used mainly to stop 'tank-slappers'; an extremely violent shaking of the handlebars that can result in death.

Not ever experienced anything, anywhere like a 'tank-slapper' on my MTB,
so can't imagine what or why you would fit a steering damper to a push bike;
maybe if you are doing extreme stunts and drops it could be useful in preventing the handlebar being wrenched out of your grip if you ballsed it up? :?

 

[Senri]

I actually had the same idea, but if I remember well, Sheldon Brown is writing somewhere that he had this problem on a few bikes on high speed decents, probably coupled to a specific steering geometry.
I have to say that I hope never to experience it!

 

[MJN]

I can remember oddessey making one in the early 90's for MTBs but I don't know anyone who used them, don't know of any racing motorbikes that don't have em but I think they're a bit more of a handfull to ride!!!

 

[marin man]

There is one in my 1997 answer manitou catalogue fitted to a manitou frame,and a few people in the grid seem to have them fitted :?
Thats why I ask

 

[velomaniac]

I have experienced tank slappers on heavily laden old school touring bikes on fast descents. Frightens the bejeezus out of you :shock: Temporarily cured it with bungee cords used as guys from the bars to the frame, a damper would have been good.

Dawes and others cured this by larger diameter top tubes that stiffened up the frame by the head tube.

 

[Dr.Robotnik]

Seemed like they were going to be the big thing in DH when I raced in 1995-1997 era, but never took off because they were a hideously expensive solution to a rare problem.

Looked awesome though and I really wanted one. Would love to add one to my Sunn for nostalgia and just to finally try one out.

 

[mikee]

they were "first" used on mammoth mountian bitd
i think herbold had one fitted ,miles rockwell too
think they used the TWP one tho
there was a bit about it in a mag i had bitd
a small hydraulic vane type damper as opposed to the cylinder type ones

a lot of mx folk use this type today