MXA PRODUCT TEST: SCOTT’S LOW-MOUNT STEERING STABILIZER
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WHAT IS IT? It is a self-contained, fully adjustable, hydraulically damped steering stabilizer that eliminates head shake.
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WHAT’S IT COST? $429 to $449(818) 248-6747
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ÿWHAT’S IT DO?
Once a motocrosser gets it in his head that he doesn’t like something, he won’t change his mind. For some reason, motocrossers think that the Scotts Steering Stabilizer is for desert racers. Not true (even though many desert and enduro riders use it). Designed in Sweden, the Scotts Stabilizer was first used on the famous aluminum-framed Yamaha YZM500 works bike in 1987. Ohlins built it for motocrossthe offroad crowd just glommed on to it.
In fact, many of today’s works bikes, including the bikes of Windham, Preston, Fonseca and Carmichael, have steering stabilizers hidden behind their front number plates. Steering stabilizers are out therejust out of sight.
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WHAT STANDS OUT?
Here’s a list of things that stand out with Scotts’ Low-Mount Steering Stabilizer.
(1) Performance. It eliminates head shake, but that isn’t all it does. Because the Scotts Stabilizer holds a steadier course, the rider doesn’t have to hang on as tightly through braking bumps and whoops. It takes less effort to bomb through the bumps with a stabilizer. In back-to-back tests, every test rider turned faster lap times with the Scotts Stabilizer than without it.
(2) Technology. Unlike a steering damper, the Ohlins-built Scotts Stabilizer doesn’t add unwanted drag to the bike’s steering. Instead, the hydraulic valving absorbs the energy that wants to torque the handlebars out of your grip. Most importantly, the Scotts Stabilizer only dampens movement away from the bike’s center line. There is no drag when turning the bars from left to right at normal speeds. But when the bars swing wildly, the damping slows them on the centerline. Very trick.
(3) Damping adjusters. Since the stabilizer is basically an Ohlins shock absorber, it has a high-speed valving circuit that doesn’t affect normal low-speed turning (only head shake). You can control how much or how little damping you want (the damping can even be turned off completely).
(4) Arc adjustment. Not only is the damping adjustable, but Scotts Stabilizer has three fully adjustable circuits that allow the rider to control how many degrees away from the centerline the damper will control. This is a neat feature.
(5) Mounting. Most racers are familiar with the handlebar-mounted Scotts Stabilizer, but for 2006 they offer a low-mount kit. This is the one that the MXA test crew and Team Moto XXX chose. It mounts on the front fender and doesn’t interfere with bar choice or handlebar height. It did require drilling and tapping two holes in our CRF450 frame, but Scotts provided the drill, the tap and complete instructions.
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WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? It takes a modicum of mechanical skill to install (it is very important to keep the actuation rod perfectly aligned).ÿÿÿ
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ÿFor more MXA Product Tests go to Top Ten Stories
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