Early Dominator 88 steering damper.

The steering damper for the 88 has a wing nut adjuster and is listed as part SD4 for solo use and SD1 for sidecar use. Original price, £1/6/8, available from unity equipe, part number.UNA206 for a lot more money.

Many people feel that the steering damper comes in the not essential category.

A steering damper is usefull when transporting the bike in a van and for parking against a tree or wall, aligning the wheels and when a sidecar is fitted. Not much else.

Previously John Shorter wrote:

Previously Charles Bovington wrote:

The steering damper for the 88 has a wing nut adjuster and is listed as part SD4 for solo use and SD1 for sidecar use. Original price, £1/6/8, available from unity equipe, part number.UNA206 for a lot more money.

Many people feel that the steering damper comes in the not essential category.

Thanks Charles, My first 88 was a ?53 model (60 years ago) it did not have an adjustable damper, but, my current ?54 model has, although I don?t use it. Obviously, after 60 years, I cannot remember all the minor details on my old bike. If no adjuster was fitted, would the damper bracket still have been fitted to the frame? If so, what would have been it?s purpose? All bikes, of this period, had a hole in the top nut for a damper rod, regardless of whether one was fitted.

The damper would have been useful for sidecar work. All frames of this period would have had the same damper bracket fitted.I notice that Andover Norton offer top nuts with and without a hole.