Steering Stabilizer Rebuild: Any Pointers?

[Jack G]

Hello all,

I have recently acquired an old steering stabilizer. It was removed from a first gen 200X but I believe the shock body is the same for most of the ATCs. Only the brackets were unique (I don't believe these brackets are correct for the 200X but they still work).

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Anway, does anyone have any experience rebuilding these shocks or have any pointers?

Thanks!

PS, I could have easily purchased a new shock and built my own brackets for a fraction of the price, but I enjoy messing with the period correct parts and think it's a worthwhile endeavor to restore the one I have. Too many things get thrown out these days.

[jasong_10]

Steering stabilizer on an ATC . . .? Was this a factory Honda option, I've never heard of it, lol.

[Jack G]

Not a factory option that I am aware of. From what I have gathered here on the site is most of them are branded RAM Stabilizer and were literally a VW Beetle steering stabilizer. One bracket is mounted to the lower triple tree (fender bolts) and the other is bolted to the upper engine mount and head.

Meant to help keep the front end true over whoops and I am interested in how effective it would be with roots in the trails where I ride. Mid-turn, they can unsettle the steering enough to send you right into a tree (ask me how I know lol).

Here's a picture of one that is installed:
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[jasong_10]

Cool, I learned something today, lol.

[Dirtcrasher]

Steering stabilizer on an ATC . . .? Was this a factory Honda option, I've never heard of it, lol.

These were HUGE back in the day. They were mounted on most of the popular models.

You may want to reach out to Brian Ward, I haven't spoke to him in ages but he got the brackets made and sent me all the cylinders to thread the ends of them. I believe Rob at Wicked Metals was the guy who reproduced the brackets.

If you search around you'll find pictures of what they had back in the day and you can modify it to work for whatever you have.

Guys would keep their steering rake at an angle where it turned amazing, but they sacrificed straight line stability. By adding a steering damper they regained some of that stability and could still corner like they were on rails...

[Dirtcrasher]

Not a factory option that I am aware of. From what I have gathered here on the site is most of them are branded RAM Stabilizer and were literally a VW Beetle steering stabilizer. One bracket is mounted to the lower triple tree (fender bolts) and the other is bolted to the upper engine mount and head.

Meant to help keep the front end true over whoops and I am interested in how effective it would be with roots in the trails where I ride. Mid-turn, they can unsettle the steering enough to send you right into a tree (ask me how I know lol).

Here's a picture of one that is installed:
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That 2nd picture - That was a full on race trike!! Look at the size of the headpipe and the carburetor with radiator hose rather than the OEM flange mount.

Those guys knew how to make a very fast 1st gen 200X...

Yes, it was the Volkswagon cylinder but the ends had to be threaded 8mm x 1.25"s. I believe Brian sourced every one he could find at the time, that was about 4 years ago.

[Jack G]

Thanks for all the info Dirtcrasher! It does seem that many of the brackets I've seen were of a homemade variety. Or at the very least, very low production.

Here's the source for the second image with the yellow stabilizer. There are more pics of the stabilizer itself as well as the machine as a whole. It gets quite the restoration:

http://www.shed-headz.com/Area51Page/Steves200x.htm

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