Custom GPR Steering damper install


I had picked up a GPR steering damper for my KTM when I was racing that, but never installed it. GPR don’t make a kit for the 630, but as I’ve got 50mm Kayaba forks and custom yokes it probably wouldn’t fit anyway.

With that in mind, I had a close look at the kit I had to see if I could make it fit.

The collar and pin I had, that mounts on the headstock will fit, but only just and takes a little grinding to ensure it sits over the weld at the top-tube.
plates

The damper mount and bar clamp itself was a little more challenging. The holes for the mounting bolts didn’t line up perfectly with the holes in my top yoke. Also, the steerer tube nut protruded more, and was fatter than the hole in the bottom of the damper mechanism allowed.

I spent yesterday in my workshop fabricating a couple risers to lift the bracket/mount up enough to clear the nut, and also a turned a couple of spacers that replace the rubber inserts that the bar bolts normally go through, these needed to have off-set holes so the bolts line up with the damper mount.

Hand milling complex shapes is an interesting challenge!

As I’d lose a little vibration damping, I’ll sandwich the spacer plates between some thin rubber. It may not offer much in the way of vibration damping, but it will also allow a good snug fit between the surfaces.

I’ll finish modifying the collar and pin tomorrow, I think, and then see if the whole lot works.

Here’s the yoke and mount as it is now.

damper

 

Update: the spacers weren’t thick enough and the nut on the steerer tube was fouling the bottom of the damper. I’ve made a thicker spacer.

 

 

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