Review: Ohlins Steering Damper SD 020

I've been procrastinating the purchase of a steering damper for a really long time. Until recently, where I pushed hard enough while exiting a corner at the track and experienced a mild acceleration head-shake. Head-shakes can be caused by uneven surface, improper suspension setup, incorrect throttle inputs, and many other reasons. Most of the problems can be resolved by improving bike setup and rider skill, but you cannot fix surface imperfections. That's where a steering damper comes in handy, to save you from the dreaded tank-slapper.

I finally bought a steering damper. Not just any steering damper, but an Ohlins Steering Damper SD 020 for the Yamaha R6. Ohlins, a world-renowned suspension company, used predominately by the best race teams in MotoGP and WSBK, there is no question about their quality.

The Steering Damper
Everything you need for installation comes in the box. Just follow the instructions and install, a simple 10-minute job. Damping adjustment is done by turning a knob, which is conveniently on the side of your clutch hand, you can adjust it on the fly to accommodate to changing road conditions.

Adjustment
The steering damper has an adjustment range of 18 clicks.  Turning the adjustment knob clockwise increases the damping, making it harder to steer; turning it counterclockwise decreases the damping, making it easier to steer. The owner's manual recommends an initial setting of 10 clicks from full clockwise. The recommended settings should work as a starting point to fine tune to your preference and road conditions.

Ideally, a steering damper should not hinder the operation of your motorcycle, and only react when it needs to. At the recommended settings, it seems to perform just fine. If you hit a bump hard enough, the steering damper should be able to react to prevent a tank-slapper from occurring.

Functionality
It does its job extremely well, period.

Price
The Ohlins Steering Damper SD 020 costs SGD$900. This is slightly more expensive than the previous model which did not come with the installation brackets. If you do your sums by adding the price of the older steering damper and custom brackets, it works out to be about the same, except that you have Ohlins branded brackets now.

Conclusion
A steering damper is not just for track riders, it is especially more important for street riders because of varying road conditions (e.g. pot holes). Race tracks are generally smoother, and are the same every lap. Public roads can be treacherous, and can differ every time you  go past the same stretch of road. Invest in a good steering damper like the Ohlins', it could have prevented the terrifying tank-slapper in the video below.

RB Rating: 10 / 10

Ride safe.