Webmaster posted on November 29, 2008 16:38
Damper or Dampener?
Before I was allowed to take possession of this trick looking bit of 7075Aerospace grade billet aluminium, I had to make one promise to Daniel from Roc Stompa. That being that I would use the term "Dampener", and not Damper as used by some manufacturers. His view is that the Stompa product is not bread, and hence not a "damper". I can certainly see the logic in that!
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Who is Roc Stompa?
Roc Stompa is an Australian company that produces its products on Australian soil. All products are tested by Roc Stompa to ensure design, functionality, manufacture, and finish are maintained to their high standard.
Roc Stompa maintains a constant presence at the trail bike rallies, and the EMD team has spent some considerable time playing with the Dampener Simulator.
Don't be mistaken, the simulation is good at understanding the Roc Stompa design principles, but doesn't quite match up to fitting one to your own set of wheels.
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Under or Above the bars?
The hardest decision for me was to choose a fitment kit for the Advanced Damper. I recently fitted 15mm bar raisers to my Husaberg, and have been really happy with the results. The Under Bar Kit for my bike raises the bars 33mm from standard, so I did initially hesitate at lifting it another 18mm.
In the end though I chose to go with the extra height, largely because of the more protected fitting arrangement. Husaberg have a higher footpeg position that other bikes, and the increased bar height has actually improved the rider ergo's for my height (180cm). I have also raised the forks in the triples about 10mm which has given more steering feel.
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Mounting the "Stompa"
The fitting of the unit is easy, and anyone with very basic mechanical ability will do it with ease.
Basically the process is as simple as removing the handlebars and mounts, and the head stem nut, to fit the dampener collar.
Reassembly using the new bar and dampener mounts is near fool proof. With the Berg the "dome head" head stem nut need the top cutting off to allow adequate clearance from the dampener unit. An easy task, although I believe this is not required for most fit kits.
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Bar and control adjustment is to personal preference. One thing to keep in mind, is if using the under bar kit, the handlebars may need to be positioned differently due to the new riding position. Rule of thumb is to maintain a straight line from your elbows through to the base of you forks when in the "attack" position. "At one with the bike" as they say.
Roc Stompa Advanced - Features
Dampening is activated simply by pushing the control knob. In my opinion, once the damper is set to your "normal" riding style, it will most likely be left on and simply adjusted to the track or trail conditions on a given day.
To initiate zero dampening the control lever is pulled upwards into the Off position. With the underbar fitment this is a little awkward due to the compact nature of the product. Activatvating the damping on the fly is ok, but switching the unit Off would be best done while stationary.
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Wonka's Choice
At the recent Sutto's Motorcycles Demo Day, I talked with Brad "Wonka" Williscroft, Motorex KTM Off Road racer & Team Manager. He uses the Roc Stompa Advanced on his race bikes in both Enduro and desert racing. Brad is six time Australian Enduro Champion, winner of last years Kamfari mud race, and four time Gold medal winner at the ISDE. Basically, more Championships than you can poke a stick at, and his opinion is valued.
Here's what he had to say, " I actually assisted Roc Stompa with the testing and development of the Advanced Damper. Its turned out to be a great product that works very well, is simple to operate, and more importantly is durable."
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"One of the issues I had with the damper I used previously was that it very quickly developed slop and deflection in the arm and post. The Roc Stompa uses high quality tool steel and billet aluminium, and doesn't have this issue .I adjust the dampening on the fly depending on the conditions, especially in the desert racing, and Yellow Mountain race, where riding conditions change significantly"
What I thought of the Roc Stompa
When I first used the dampener, I overshot the first corner through lack of steering. Lesson One - less is better. To get the best effect with the dampener in the mostly single trails we ride, you only need minimal dampening. This way the steering "feel" is retained, but deflection is near eliminated. The zero to centre damping (or lack thereof), is awesome! After speaking with Wonka I had a glimpse at his setting and saw it was near identical to mine, so that'll do me.
Will I be quicker?
Special test times might only be improved a few seconds over a three minute circuit, but where significant gains are made, is in arm pump and fatigue minimisation. I immediately noticed a lack of arm pump, and for the first time in quite a while, I didn't get cramps in my hands after a ride. No matter what level of fitness you are, the energy saving is a good thing !
When hitting some gnarly rocks, or ruts and roots, the dampener inspires confidence, and I found I was willing to hit obstacles harder without the fear of being punted into the tree's.
A couple of blokes at the Sutto Demo day were keen on trying the dampener out, and without prompting were chuffed with the performance. They did feel that the increased bar height was a challenge, though this is personal setup issue. Shorter riders, depending on the bike, may find the under bar mount raises the bar height excessively. This is best discussed with the good people at Roc Stompa as fitment is bike, and rider dependant.
Basically, I loved the dampener and can't wait to get some more trail time to try it out some more, For specifics and technical info on the Roc Stompa Advanced unit we tested go to www.rocstompa.com . They also have the Original dampener, and heaps of bling hard parts.
See you on trails.
Shane
shane@eatmydirt.com.au