Talking Steering Stabilizers while riding the 2017 YZ250X - Episode 206

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A few years ago I started putting steering dampeners on my dirt bikes. The theory was that it would make the front end more stable and give me more confidence. That was the theory anyway, and it might have worked. I used them for 2-3 years on two different bikes and then I started riding some of my buddy's bikes and was amazed at how much lighter their bikes felt to me. The difference was simply that they didn’t have the steering stabilizer that I was using.
Yes, the steering dampener/stabilizer will give you a bit more stability, but at what cost? The cost is creating a very heavy feeling front end. Steering is very sluggish and slow when you use them even when you dial back the resistance. I think they would make a fair amount of sense if you are a desert racer riding at very high speeds all the time. It could really “save your bacon” in certain situations and keep the front end from dancing around on you at high speed. For single track junkies like me though, I think it just wears you out faster and makes things harder than it has to be.
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