Scotts Steering Stabilizer

Scotts Steering Stabilizer

Nothing to shake your head at

FEW THINGS CAN UPSET A SPORT RIDER'S confidence quicker than violent headshake. Accelerating hard over a bumpy road surface or landing a wheelie with the bars turned are common causes of the dreaded steering-stop slam-dance. But a steering stabilizer can help eliminate this tendency, and improve your bike's overall stability at the same time.

Some bikes, such as Suzuki's GSX R750, are equipped with steering dampers as standard issue. However, we swapped our testbike's non-ad justable stock part for an adjustable unit from Scotts Performance Products, a name familiar to off-road racers. The Scotts steering stabilizer's unique de sign and top-clamp mounting provide some advantages many conventional strut-style dampers don't offer.

Its front-and-center location makes

on-the-fly adjustments a breeze, while also pro viding added resistance to crash damage. There's no loss of steering lock, clearance issues with bodywork or dan ger of mashing a rider's thumb as with some side-mounted dampers. And there's plenty of ad justability with separate external highand low speed adjusters.

Scotts offers CNC machined mounting kits for most late-model sportbikes. Installation is a simple 20-minute bolt-on operation that any home me chanic can tackle.

We not only found the Scotts stabi lizer a top-notch performer for track and backroad use, but unobtrusive during daily riding. Adjustments allow free bar movement for sharp parking-lot maneuvers, while still guarding against nasty headshake.

Crossed-up wheelies, anyone?

DETAILS

Scotts Performance Products 2625 Honolulu Ave. Montrose, CA 91020 818/248-2453 www.scottsonline.com Price $450

Ups

Excellent adjustability

Crash-resistant mounting location

Attractive gold anodizing

Downs

Costs more than most dampers

Only available in gold