Q: I bought a steering stabilizer. How should I set it up?
A: Certainly, little more takes a rider by surprise than when the front wheel gets jerked out of his or her hands. It's annoying, frustrating and sometimes dangerous depending on the level of speed. When the wheel jerks left or right it's no different than if someone grabbed your front wheel and yanked it to the side as you rode.
Now imagine riding for an hour concentrating mentally and physically on keeping your wheel straight and preventing the constant pushing and pulling by ground elements.
This is what a steering stabilizer or damper helps prevent. It's primarily used in off-road and other long distance high speed racing but is slowly catching on in Motocross. Read "What Does a Steering Stabilizer Do?" for more information.
In terms of set-up after installation, don't crank the dials all the way to the right, that's a good way to get hurt. Dial in your settings based on the instructions included for your specific model. Ride these initial settings to get a feel of how the stabilizer works then make small adjustments until desired results achieved. Check out this video of the Fastway System 3 steering stabilizer which explains settings and demonstrates how a damper affects the handlebars:
Also, keep in mind, a steering stabilizer raises dirt bike bar mounts by an inch to an inch and a half. If this interferes with your personal riding comfort, consider the Pro Taper EVO Oversized Handlebars and choose the "Steering Damper Low" bend.
Interested in a steering stabilizer for your ride? Look at steering stabilizers for dirt bikes here and ATVs here.
