The Ducati Hypermotard 821 / 939 is an absolute blast to ride. But with the light front end, and torque laden engine, the front wheel often gets a break from traction. This is when a steering damper is worth its weight in gold!

If you have ever experienced a “tank slapper” or even a simply front end wobble, you will understand the need for a steering damper. That’s right...its a damper, not a dampener!

While the actual workings of a damper may be complicated, the effect is simple. With a damper, the faster the handlebars try to turn, the more resistance the damper provides. With proper settings, the damper wont affect your manual steering input at all. The damper will only provide resistance when rapid steering changes are introduced (tank slapper / speed wobble). If you have ever seen an old screen door with a damper, you will notice a similar concept. The faster and harder you try to slam that door, the more resistance the “damper” will introduce.

Ohlins makes the best steering dampers in the world, but it is Ducabike that makes the bike specific mounting kit. With a high attention to detail, the Ducabike steering damper mount kit fits perfectly to your motorcycle. The damper collar is available in a few different colors to help add your personal style touch to your setup. The bike specific mounting hardware is designed to offer a minimalist mounting solution, while providing a sturdy and secure mount.

Aside from the cool factor of having an Öhlins damper mounted visibly to your controls, the safety that is provided is well worth the money. It only takes one save, for your Ducabike damper kit to be 100% worth the upgrade.

While available for many Ducati makes and models, here is a short video showing the key components in the Ducabike damper kit specifically for the Ducati Hypermotard 821 / 939 (including SP models).

If you come away with anything from the article, at least now you can correct your riding buddies when they call it a “steering dampener”.  The correct term is DAMPER! #themoreyouknow

Shop for the Ducati Hypermotard 821/939 Ducabike Steering Damper kit HERE

Shop for ALL DUCABIKE parts HERE