first ride with a WER damper

[zio]

Wow. Love this thing. Can't believe I never tried one before. I have to say I can really tell a difference. Riding my normal loop, which consists of lots of rocks, ruts, and an occasional log, I was instantly aware of the difference. Rock gardens that I normally have to be extra careful through I was able to plow along with no worries. I purposefully went off the trail a lot to see how it handled surprise logs (there are tons of them hidden anywhere you go off the trail at Miami Creek). Dang. This thing is awesome. It makes my front tire feel a lot more planted & sure. Hitting rocks or logs at an angle no longer means huge deflection & bar yanking. It may slide a bit to one side, but my line choice wasn't altered. Very cool. Going up long, steep hills where there are a lot of deep ruts and it requires a lot of big left-to-right/right to left line changes are a snap. Missing the edge of a rut no longer means that my bars jerk and the front tire falls into the rut I was trying to miss. Make sense? As long as there was traction, I could manage to hit the correct side of the rut I was aiming for & get out and keep the line I intended.

Every rider needs one of these. :thumb:

 

[Lonewolf]

good report zio, i am concidering buying a WER dampener for woods and mx use could you answer a few questions about the dampner? about how much does it weight? is installation difficult? also can you adjust on the fly or do you have to stop and make your adjustment? i am concidering the WER dampener because it is not mounted on you handlebars and is cheaper than the other.

 

[Smit-Dog]

I had a WER on my KDX, and it definitely helped in the smoothness and tracking of the bike. Made it a safer, more stable ride. I have yet to see if my new bike will need one or not.

Weight is minimal.

Installation is easy, but some minor plastic cutting may be necessary depending on the model of your bike. Check with WER for application guidelines and instructions.

You cannot adjust it on the fly. Well, you might be able to ride real slow, reach over and down to your front fender, and turn a little brass knob. But the short answer is no. You can make a quick adjustment if you stop for a few seconds. There are not any markings to indicate the level of damping, so you have to pay attention as to how many turns out you are at (the knob does have indentations to help you track it).

If I do it again, I'll get a GPR. For the type of riding I do, there are times when a quick and easy on-the-fly adjustment is necessary. For example, riding real tight 1st - 2nd bar stop to bar stop turns, then switching to a few miles of WFO sandy ruts.

 

[nephron]

I've got the Scott's with their triple clamp and Pro Tapers. This thing was already very stable, now it's just ridiculous and practically drives itself.

 

[Kawidude]

I've got the GPR v2.0 (mounts under the bars) and I love it. It's the first damper I've ever had and I can't imagine riding without one. I highly recommend the GPR for anyone interested. Plus, if you ride a KTM, you can order the orange-anodized version. Bling!

 

[Lonewolf]

how much do the scotts and gpr dampeners weight? they look like they are heavy. adjusting on the fly does sounds nice.

 

[marc_w]

I got a WER on my '00 RM250. I can't say I notice a real difference until I tighten it 1/4 turn out from full-in. People think I'm nuts to run it there, but it's the only setting I feel is worth while.

I ride New England woods/rocks, FWIW.

 

[GREENBEAN]

I have the Scotts and I used the Top of the fender mount with two holes drilled and tapped in the steering tube to mount the arm. I like it a lot to say the least. It is a cheaper way to go than the triple clamp and bar setup like $100. I feel it is safer too although you cant adjust it on the fly..

 

[JTT]

Today I tried a WER damper for the first time too. Thanks to a fellow DRNer jsned (thank bud!) and a little TLC, I got it mounted and tried it today for the first time. It was a short ride, but in a very rocky area. It was noticable right away! My buddy has nearly the same bike and we swapped back and forth just to be sure it wasn't placebo.

Very nice indeed! Like zio, I can't believe I never tried one before. Not noticable most of the time, but markedly better when plowing through rocks.

I'm sold! :thumb:

 

[zio]

My buddy has nearly the same bike and we swapped back and forth just to be sure it wasn't placebo.

Very nice indeed! Like zio, I can't believe I never tried one before. Not noticable most of the time, but markedly better when plowing through rocks.

I'm sold! :thumb:

Yeah, rocks are definitely what I noticed most. Huge difference!
:thumb:

 

[toddmh]

I have a wer damper and wer suspention on my YZ250F,I love it very nice...