Scotts vs China Damper - GotDave? -

[@littlegrizzlybiggins151]

I bought mine about 6 months ago purely based on your review. I’ve done about 6K miles with it now and it still functions perfectly. It’s been used almost every single day, had temperature variations from positive 30 to minus 10 and still no issues. It’s saved me a few times and I saved near £500 simply due to your review. Thanks again pal. You were a real help. I owe you a pint.

[@drummerdavemax]

Thanks for the feedback & I'm glad it's working good! ...mine is still working good too! Very surprising considering the price difference vs the Scotts unit, but it's for real! Honestly, the only reason I got the China model for the Duke 690 was because Scotts didn't offer a kit for the bike, but China did! ...ha ha ha! I just happened to find something good for cheap & wanted to let everyone know! Thanks for watching & commenting! Peace dude! :D

[@BigJroskii206]

Where can I find this off brand china damper?? And how much are they??

[@littlegrizzlybiggins151]

@@BigJroskii206 Aliexpress is the best place. I think I paid about £35 for mine including the mount specific to my bike. They’re fantastic!

[@Image-X]

Just a FYI but it’s a steering “damper”. Not “dampener”…. and the knobs give you more “damping”…. not “dampening”.

[@17405pop]

Took a chance and ordered one of these for my MT-09 Tracer before reading any reviews so, I'm very pleased to have come across your video. Thanks!
ps If anyone's interested, mine was cheaper from 'Ali Express' rather than Ebay.
Complete with the whole fixing kit it was only US $98 as opposed to £115 sterling on Ebay.

[@drummerdavemax]

That's a good deal! I'm glad you're having the same luck with yours as I've had with mine! Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@fauzimnoor3430]

can i ve the http link for that product? TQ

[@17405pop]

This is where I bought mine from. I paid $98 + $20 postage to Ireland. I see now that they're selling more and more. Price is $155 - $170 US dollars now but with FREE postage so they've increased in price a bit. Still a bargain though. Also, you'll find these on EBay at prices varying from $150 - $300 US. Good Luck!
Click on the link next too the window BACK TO PRODUCT DETAILS
www.aliexpress.com/item-img/MT09-Tracer-2015-FJ09-Motorcycle-Accessories-Steering-Damper-with-Mounting-Bracket-Kit-for-Yamaha-MT-09/32828788589.html?spm=2114.10010108.1000017.2.4b903e39j2MOjs

[@drummerdavemax]

Just go on Ebay & search "grom damper" ...I tried to copy the link but it wouldn't work, sorry!

[@17405pop]

Well, my Chinese Damper for my Yamaha Tracer arrived and I have to say it seems 1st class. Cant compare it to an 'original Scotts' cos I could never make myself afford one. I did download the Scotts manual though and I've looked at a ''Scotts'' set up video on RUclips.
It made me savvy enough to check the 'Knock-off's' base settings BEFORE I started twidding the various knobs 'n screws. Guess what......it was set at Scotts recommended start points. That's reassuring for me. Subsequent experimentation has confirmed that ALL three hydraulic circuits function as they should. The damper itself looks exactly like the Scotts and the bracket that comes with it is a really, really nice piece of kit. Cant fault it so far.

[@drummerdavemax]

I'm glad you're having a positive experience with it so far! I looked up the Scotts settings & compared mine when I got it too & all the settings were same as the Scotts settings! :D

[@fauzimnoor3430]

hows it functioning now? good as scotts? my tracer also need one

[@drummerdavemax]

I've had it for a while now & it's still working fine! ...no leaks & no issues! It's a great deal in my opinion! :D

[@17405pop]

Ditto 'GotDave'. As stated in my post, I can't compare it to the Scotts as I've never had one but, I can say it works well as per the Scotts instruction manual. What I would say to anyone buying one is DO download the Scotts user manual and DONT just twiddle aimlessly with the knobs and screws. This unit employs 3 hydraulic circuits which work in unison. The set-up procedure's easy when you understand how the thing works. The manual makes it easy to do this. Have a look on here at Pages 6,7,8 for how to adjust
www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjt0veA_aHXAhVjBMAKHa7HB_gQFgg7MAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ktm-parts.com%2Fmm5%2Fgraphics%2F00000001%2FSCOTTS.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1HNMOZKchG8CQpTau2v7dq

[@alexstrijder]

@@17405pop Do you still have it on? How's it holding up?

[@davelambardo6464]

Awesome to hear. I have considered buying a dampner for years. But now I own a bike that HAS to have one. I like cheap

[@drummerdavemax]

Honestly, I contacted Scotts first, but they didn't make a kit for the Duke 690, so I looked on Ebay & found the China kit... but it was because it came with the brackets & stuff that I bought the China version!
Luckily it's been great & hasn't leaked yet! Thanks for watching! Peace!

[@acw19851]

Thanks for the information. An engineering prof. once told our modeling class, "to "dampen" is to make wet but a "damper" absorbs mechanical energy and vibrations. If you don't know the difference, the red pen will go to work." lol. I realize its a petty semantics (to some), but I just thought I'd offer a bit of clarification on the verbiage.

[@drummerdavemax]

No worries! I spelled it like that because that's how it was spelled in all the Ebay posts, so I figured that would make it easier for people to find it! ...& I never see the red spell-check lines because I post the videos using my phone. Peace & thanks for watching! :D

[@antdx316]

Nice, that is exactly what I was looking for, semantics.

[@DNOYPIANGLER]

Thanks Man. I have been looking for some reviews about the knock off and this one I think, the most precise one.

[@drummerdavemax]

Thanks for watching & glad I could help! Really the only reason I got the knock off of kit was because Scotts didn't offer one for my Duke 690 at the time! ...but it turned out to be a good deal! Peace!

[@littlegrizzlybiggins151]

Nice review, thank you! If my new bike gets a bit of a wobble on, I know what I'll be getting thanks to your video!

[@drummerdavemax]

Right on man! Thanks for watching! I was surprised that it felt the same as the genuine Scotts unit, considering the price difference! ...still going! No leaks or issues of any kind! :D

[@littlegrizzlybiggins151]

GotDave? I got my bike on Monday evening and after finding out how easy it is to put it into a wobble, I've bought an eBay damper based on your review. Thanks very much for the info pal!

[@drummerdavemax]

You got it man! I'm glad you found a knock-off kit! ...way cheaper!!! :D

[@littlegrizzlybiggins151]

GotDave? It arrived, it's been fitted for about a week. It's bloody brilliant! Thanks for the review! You saved me a lot of money!! Thanks dude!!

[@stefael3georgiou270]

the only thinks that needs test is reliability...if ti fails its gonna be bad..ist really small compartments inside the damper.and some say the guality inside is not good ENOUGH

[@drummerdavemax]

I've heard people talk about the quality difference, but so far so good! Peace!

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Might be able to toss in a Scott's rebuild kit with Scott's parts?

[@drummerdavemax]

@@exothermal.sprocket ...& upgrade the internals to Scotts quality?!! If all the parts fit, that would be an awesome upgrade! But mine is still working great, so I don't wanna mess with it! ...if it ain't broke, don't fix it bro! :D Peace!

[@drummerdavemax]

@@exothermal.sprocket ...& I know that's not the correct spelling or whatever, no need to delete your comment, I wouldn't be pissed, but check this out... what's the difference between dampner or dampener? :D I just got in the habit of calling it a damper cuz that spelling gets the results when you search for the kit on Ebay. Peace bro! Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@stephen1133]

You should take them apart and do a comparison of internals? Is the chinese one serviceable with scott's parts? Also it would be interesting if you got an experienced rider to do a blind comparison of the two units. Not saying youre inexperienced just, idk, an idea.
The biggest issue I see is if the unit fails and messes with your ability to steer. This is potentially worse than me running a chinese front brake master cylinder for a year. Massive risk involving something that is supposed to increase safety. I wonder how good their manufacturing tolerances are..

[@drummerdavemax]

That's a very good point! And that's a very good idea about doing a blind comparison... Most likely off road, because that would be the best way to really compare steering dampers! But you're totally right about a failure being catastrophic, and honestly I hadn't thought about that until now, reading your comment! ...but you are right, if it bound up or locked up and you couldn't steer all of a sudden, that would be bad! Thanks for watching and thanks for your ideas! Ride safe and have a great day! Peace!

[@m.h3200]

Did you get it from Aliexpress? And is it like, a little bit 'good quality'? Cause i was wondering why everyone get their stuff from china

[@drummerdavemax]

Not sure who the seller was, but it did come from China & works great!
Most of the stuff I buy is through eBay. Many stores put items on eBay because they can sell more stuff (for example, i get my tires off eBay but they come from Chaparral Motorsports, not China) cheaper than their catalog or store prices!

[@jakemitchell-milnes3699]

Just bought a CBR 500r and have ordered a Chinese one with express postage altogether for £81, does the Chinese one fit as well as the Scotts branded one? And how easy was the Chinese one to install? Thanks for the video btw really good as informative 😊

[@drummerdavemax]

That's a cool bike! ...is the legendary 2-stroke 500 I'm thinking of? I'm not sure the difference in mounting, because I didn't try them side by side, but I'd think they're going to be the same as far as how they mount/install. It was pretty easy: gotta take off the handlebar mounts & bolt on the piece to hold the damper unit, then mount the tab onto wherever it goes on the frame (Grom's bolted to frame, Duke 690's used the bolts that secure the ignition lock), & then mount the damper... that's pretty much it! Good luck & thanks for watching! Peace!

[@jakemitchell-milnes3699]

I’m afraid it’s nothing quite as spectacular as that bike! Just the parallel twin, 4 stroke from 2013 onwards, I’m 20 and live in the UK so am still on a restricted Horsepower license but it’s the biggest thing I could get, they seem to think 47hp is enough!

[@drummerdavemax]

Oh, ok I know what bike that is! ...awesome bike for around town & commuting! 47 horsepower is the same as my Beta 500, which is enough power to have a lot of fun, but not crazy power that will get you killed! ...so I understand that it isn't as fun as it could be, but it's a lot safer! In a couple years you'll be able to step it up! Thanks for watching! Peace!

[@burritto3883]

China does not have manufacturing rules and regulations like other countries. they can pay their employees like shit if at all and can use cheap unsafe materials. Without regulations they can save a lot of money with how the do coloring and waste disposal, they have no rules that cost them extra money for permits etc... American manufactures could make less expensive products but they have rules and regulations that cost a lot of money. its sad how people are sometimes when it comes to money

[@farmerjimmy7453]

Are dampers dangerous if they break that would be my only worry about buying China

[@drummerdavemax]

Someone brought that up a while back and my opinion is, if it simply stopped dampening it probably wouldn't hurt, but if it locked up your steering that would be bad! But just to let you know, I've been running mine for years now without any problems! Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@GearUp3d]

I got the Savage brand and please,,,SAVE your money and buy Scott's or other,,, right out of the box it was leaking oil. The box inside already had some oil spill. I manage to refill it hoping that it was just a fluke.. Unfortunately it is leaking. The settings are really useless for fine tuning. It goes many clicks and no change just the last 3 clicks it starts dampening. The material is soft. The lever has a lot of movement before it engages. Waste of money!!!!

[@drummerdavemax]

That's a terrible experience! I'm sorry to hear that! Mine wasn't any brand at all, just said made in China on the papers, but no markings on the unit itself. I definitely agree with you, definitely get what you pay for most of th time! Peace!

[@griffithracingteam2412]

Will the knockoff mount to a Scott's mount?

[@Zero081086]

I think this is a nice product for small bikes that normaly dont came with a damper, but im not sure for super spor bikes :/

[@drummerdavemax]

Totally agree! ...& a lot of the high end sport bikes use electronically controlled dampers that automatically get stiffer at higher speeds!

[@gilesochs]

can you post a link for the chinese duke 690 damper?

[@drummerdavemax]

Im unable to post links because I've been using my phone to upload videos, but if you go on eBay & type into the search "Duke 690 damper" you will see it! It was $140 when I bought it, but now it looks like they've gone up.

[@gerasischristos8750]

www.ebay.com/itm/Steering-Damper-With-Mounting-Bracket-For-KTM-690-Duke-2012-2015-/131878289753?hash=item1eb48f0159:g:b2UAAOSw6WdXiKQK&vxp=mtr

[@BigJroskii206]

Am I dumb or did you install the Duke 690 one on a Grom

[@gerasischristos8750]

I have a yamaha tracer 900 and think to try the china one to see how it works
Nice video!

[@drummerdavemax]

Yeah, if they sell a kit for your bike, go for it! I'm very happy with mine, it made my bike feel way better!

[@gerasischristos8750]

Yes they have and when i try it i tell you my opinion

[@drummerdavemax]

Thanks! I hope you like it!!! :D

[@jefffederman3573]

What is a dampner? I think the term is damper.

[@jasongrimm8038]

So does the China knockoff have the "zero dampening when returning to centerline" like the Scott's one claims?

[@drummerdavemax]

Mine dampens the whole way, both directions... but so does my genuine Scotts unit, so I'm not sure what you mean.

[@jasongrimm8038]

GotDave? The scotts unit claims it does not dampen when the front tire is coming back to center, for example, when you make a left turn you will get dampening into the turn but not when you bring the tire back to center as you are completing the turn. I guess most think it would cause less arm fatigue??

[@drummerdavemax]

Not sure what the reason for that would be, maybe less arm fatigue, but my China damper & Scotts damper both dampen in both directions... only change that can be made to that is the two small screws on the sides of the damper control a "break-away" option like my GPR has, where it only dampens near the middle (when the tire is strait) & none when you get to full lock.

[@jasongrimm8038]

I think I know the deal lol. The one from scotts I'm looking at is designed for dirt bikes. That is why I believe

[@drummerdavemax]

I'll bet you're right! ...I probably got the street-bike version! Thanks for watching & commenting! Peace!

[@Ignas2fly]

Really good :)

[@drummerdavemax]

Thanks! :D

[@mariushoeydal6782]

Where can i get this one?

[@drummerdavemax]

I got mine on Ebay!

[@sanderjoosten3254]

Tf is a dampner

[@neo9234]

I run with a gpr4 because I feel that they are the best

[@drummerdavemax]

I've got a GPR on my Beta & I love it! Thanks for watching & commenting! Peace!

[@paulocometti4317]

Are this bracket works on chines one?

[@drummerdavemax]

Not sure what you mean... this is the Scotts unit, & there are Chinese made dampers sold on Ebay that look & work the same way.

[@paulocometti4317]

I will try that chines ones first,,,

[@drummerdavemax]

Good luck man! I hope it works perfect! Peace!

[@sdqsdq6274]

nice, probably get one when i start riding again , tank slapper is a bitch

[@drummerdavemax]

It sure is!!! ...thanks for watching!

[@bikerbrowzin8400]

Dampner? What's a dampner? Damper! (no n) Hurts English ears to hear the language abused like this. They are good though, I have one on my CBR900 FireBlade, works perfectly, 1/3 the price.

[@drummerdavemax]

I had a guy leave a comment calling me out one time for saying "damper" ...he said it was "dampner"! ...ha ha ha!
They are good! ...& 1/3 the price is awesome! But I do know, if you're looking for one on Ebay, if I use the word "damper" vs "dampner" vs "dampener" ...3 different sets of products come up! ...so you gotta spell it different ways to see all the stuff that's out there! Thanks for watching!