Steering stabilizer, is one really needed on my ducati? I wondered this very question over and over, I finally decided to take the plunge and get one to see what it would do for my riding style. (search for 'tank slapper' on YouTube and you will know why this could be an interesting accessory)
I decided upon the GPRv4 stabilizer as it appeared to get good reviews and seemed to be a small and light unit.
Upon receiving the package, I set out to install it on the bike. There were a couple of interesting challenges:
1) the documentation gave you the general gist of the tasks, but not in enough detail to perform the installation un-interrupted.
2) documentation stated that the install should be 30-40 mins, about 3 hours later... It was complete, trial and error is your friend.
3) the documentation missed any mention of existing washers, spacers, etc and if they were to be used on the new install (this made it a 3 hour job, if I was to install another one on a different bike, it would be about a 30 minute job due to lessons learned).
4) the bar lower set was about 1 inch shorter than the stock lower bar set, this changes somewhat the riding position as well as steering feel (still riding it to ensure I like the feel, it isn't bad, just different than the stock feel).
After the install was completed, I torqued everything to factory specs and gave a couple of short rides to test the unit and adjust the feel. Every ride I re-checked the torque settings to ensure nothing shook loose. The initial rides were pretty interesting, I continued to tighten the dampening unit to give me stiffer turning, finally ending up on the 14th click (of 20), this setting offers me a good tight feel without working too hard to turn the bike.
I noticed an immediate change in the steering, not only was the bike still ducati responsive, it was also much more stable and 'in-control' than stock.
Overall, the installation experience was a little frustrating, but doable with the right tools (including a torque wrench) and a little patience. I sent a comprehensive email to the company, detailing the challenges with the documentation and offered suggestions on how to make it better. They contacted me within a couple of hours and thanked me for the suggestions, they were very supportive and listened intently, telling me they will adjust their installation manual to reflect my comments.
I will update this blog as I continue to experience the stabilizer.
Happy riding!
