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scotts changes in the last few years?

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Zippy 
#1 ·
i'm considering buying a scotts steering damper that is over 3 years old. between now and then has scotts made any significant changes in the damper that i shouldnt buy this one? do these things wear out over time and mileage? any other reason i shouldnt buy this older item?
 
#2 · (Edited)
I think they changed the material of the pin to SS from some other material that tended to rust. I don't know when that switch was made though.

I think the fix was to keep a dab of oil on the pin. If you don't ride in the rain, it's a non-issue, and functionally a bit of rust there makes zero difference.
 
#3 ·
They changed the mounting kit a little bit for the 929 kit, but you should order a new one anyways.

The newer dampers also have a letter "R" on the top for "ROAD" use, and the dirt bikes use a "D" I think.

Old ones had no markings on them, and a lot of dirt bike ones get sold on Ebay and such. They WILL work on a street bike, as they are the same unit, but you DO NOT want a used dirt bike damper!! They take WAAAYY more abuse and get worn more than a streetbike's ever will.

I bought a used one on Ebay, and it turned out to be a dirt bike unit, I got the mounting kit from Scotts and needed to rebuild a few parts on the actual damper. I also got a bottle of the damper fluid to refill it. The people at Scotts were VERY helpful even though it was a used part. But, I ended up re-selling it on Ebay, and I got a brand new one instead.

Jon
 
#5 ·
You'll need one specific to your bike, if I understand you correctly. FYI the Scotts radial dampers are from an Ohlins design which you might know, as well they provide a high speed and low speed modulation and also a lock out mechanism as well. Shock style ones in my understanding don't-
I have a Scotts one and they are cool. Not the eye candy of the Ohlins but as I described maybe more purposeful. Lastly, the cost of a bad tankslapper vs. the cost of a steering damper is obvious.
Good Luck
 
#6 ·
The original 929 mounting kit had a clearance problem with the bracket that attaches over the gas tank bolts. It hit the forward lip of the gas tank. This caused extra vibration to be transmitted to the gas tank because it made a hard connection with the frame. It also caused some paint chipping on the tank where it made contact.

I filed a small bevel into my bracket to clear the tank. The newer 929 design has this bevel already. If you happen to get an older 929 bracket, you can easily fix it right up with a file.
 
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