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wobble and stifness in front end

bikebombs

Member
I have a Sputnik sidecar on my 1976 R60/6. Front end wobbles At 15 - 20 mph. I had a hydraulic damper from front fork but it was very hard to steer, and no wobble. Took it off. I am Replacing the 43 yr. old bike damper with an OEM replacement. Any feedback from experienced hack riders is welcome
 
I would find a damper that works for you. I take the stiffness over the wobble. I hate wobble. I have a VW one on my GS rig. More to slow the steering down as I also have a CSM trail reducer. Once at speed you don't even notice.
 
The best, but most expensive solution is a leading link mod like a Unit leading link. Next would be a trail reducer, as mentioned. A damper would probably be the least expensive. The OEM never was sufficient for a hack. The VW is a better choice but you'll have to come up with a mounting system. There are some higher end dampers that offer adjustability but I haven't tried them. A damper does add stiffness to the steering and that's the trade off. Although the leading link and trail reducer help a great deal, some folks still choose to run a damper with them. With a damper you might consider wider bars for better leverage. My eml has the leading link with a VW damper. It drives very well, like a sports car, no head shake. My dirt hack has a Heddingham front end, now the Unit leading link, and no damper. It drives very well also, no damper needed and zero head shake. Good luck and hope you can sort yours out.
 
wobble and stifness

The best, but most expensive solution is a leading link mod like a Unit leading link. Next would be a trail reducer, as mentioned. A damper would probably be the least expensive. The OEM never was sufficient for a hack. The VW is a better choice but you'll have to come up with a mounting system. There are some higher end dampers that offer adjustability but I haven't tried them. A damper does add stiffness to the steering and that's the trade off. Although the leading link and trail reducer help a great deal, some folks still choose to run a damper with them. With a damper you might consider wider bars for better leverage. My eml has the leading link with a VW damper. It drives very well, like a sports car, no head shake. My dirt hack has a Heddingham front end, now the Unit leading link, and no damper. It drives very well also, no damper needed and zero head shake. Good luck and hope you can sort yours out.

Hi All, I crawled over the front end for a few hours. I found that DMC had tightened the damper down on both ends,to the point that it wouldn't move. I loosened the bolts just enough to allow rotation and the stiffness is gone. Before doing so it took 45 lbs. of force to turn the front wheel. I now smile the entire time that I drive the hack. Thanks to everyone for your feed back. Cheers from Vancouver Island
 
Glad you were able to get it sorted out and that it wasn't a more complicated fix. Also thanks for reporting back. Take care and enjoy that outfit.
gp
 
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