Leaking Steering Damper

[al_roethlisberger]

Well, I had heard from a few people over the years that their Bitubo dampers leaked, and were basically junk. I reserved judgement..... but now feel like can unequivocally concur

 

 

While installing my forks, and some other tidbits, I noticed that the damper had leaked quite a bit. That isn't normal for a modern "shock" first of all. Second, when I took it off, I could grab the rod and push it back and forth and it felt and sounded like "gravel" inside the damper as the rod jerked and grabbed throughout the range. What a POS.

 

Well, anyway... no surprise I guess... and aguably not a big deal as I know many people feel like a damper on the 2002+ Sport/LeMans is overkill. But hey, I like the security of knowing it's there

 

So I shopped around eBay for a used Ohlins that I could retrofit, with no success.... and dropped Victor at FBF a note about the Ohlins on the Cafe' Sport, while buying a new fender.

 

He said that coincidentally they too had looked into this, and said that because of the air-deflector around the forks, the aftermarket Ohlins will not fit the LeMans. And the reason an Ohlins fits the Cafe Sport is because it doesn't have a fairing. This is why the Rosso Corsa still has the Bitubo.

 

So, anyway, FBF apparently has a new damper in development for the Ducatis in their "Whats New" section, and are working on one for the LeMans.

 

So if your damper blew up too, and want another one... this may be an option.

 

I know Mike Stewart picked up an OEM Ohlins from an Aprila Mille?? that looks like it might fit because the mount is physically cast into the tube, but I don't think he's tried it yet. Perhaps he can let us know if that works. But otherwise, my experience is that since the Ohlins is a "twin tube" design, it can't be mounted "flat" because it hits the front engine framework, and if mounted "on it's side" it hits the air deflector *sigh*

 

Mike? ...does that OEM Aprilia Ohlins damper fit on your Rosso??

 

al

[Mike Stewart]

I know Mike Stewart picked up an OEM Ohlins from an Aprila Mille?? that looks like it might fit because the mount is physically cast into the tube, but I don't think he's tried it yet. Perhaps he can let us know if that works. But otherwise, my experience is that since the Ohlins is a "twin tube" design, it can't be mounted "flat" because it hits the front engine framework, and if mounted "on it's side" it hits the air deflector *sigh*

 

Mike? ...does that OEM Aprilia Ohlins damper fit on your Rosso??

 

al

Al,

I just checked the fit and the Ohlin Millie R steering dampner has a stroke of 60mm. The Bitubo has about 70mm. so no dice. The shaft mounting also takes a 6mm. bolt and the Bitubo takes a 8mm. bolt.

 

I still think that an adjustable Ohlins steering dampener (70 to 80mm) will fit within the Rosso fairing. Some machine work to the spacers will have to be done, but I am willing to try.

 

Mike

[callison]

Al, maybe one from a Sport 1100 will fit.

 

 

Sport 1100i parts in France

[gthyni]

I have an Öhlins SD100 with 120mm stroke,

a SD110 with 90mm stroke should be optimal

but I got the SD100 cheap

 

It is a world of difference between the Bitubo and the Öhlins,

the Bitubo makes the steering heavy, the Öhlins unit does it's

job when it is needed without being noticeable when not needed.

 

Attaching a list of Öhlins universal SDs

I also have my original Bitubo lying around

give me an offer.

[al_roethlisberger]

Thanks for the offers on the Bitubo's guys, but I think you missed my point.... they are JUNK

 

 

But seriously, yeah... I'm not interested in replacing this thing with another one that's just going to fail later.

 

 

BTW, Gthyni, thanks for the Ohlins tip... but I already have one of the Ohlins "universal" dampers I bought on eBay, and although they will work fine on a V11 Sport/Naked(if you can mount them with the tubes stacked "vertically like on the Cafe Sport, or on a Duc 748)... the Ohlins won't work on a LeMans in any configuration I can figure because of the fairing, the distance between the triple mount and the engine subframe, and the wind deflector around the forks

 

The Bitubo unit works because it is a "single tube" design, and being so narrow, will work within the confines of the fairing, lower triple, and frame

 

I guess I'll just have to keep an eye out for FBF's new one, or find out from Mike if the OEM Aprilia Ohlins he picked up used might fit. That unit saves a little space over aftermarket Ohlins dampers by having the bracket cast into the damper body, so it's a possibility it might just fit. But I'll have to wait and see what he says.

 

Thanks again though. If I can't find anything for a while, I may just have to take one of you up on that offer in the interim *sigh*

 

al