Good deal on a Hopey?

[K2ozm99]

http://www.msdhw.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2197


Seems to me to be a good deal. Id like any feedback you Hopey owners have since Ill need to act fast on this one.



Does it only take up the height of a spacer under the stem? How does it attach to the stem/steerer? Any difference with Silver and Black models?



Check this out...





That's a pic of a Damper (Scotts) for a streetbike. The bike belongs to my friend Alex and he keeps it w/ me for safety reasons, and I have been installing lots of his upgrades for him. My other 2-wheeled vehicle besides the OZ is a 97 Yamaha YZF600R (Thundercat to the rest of the world). I recently lowsided it and sustained a little bit of damage. Thankfully I got away pretty clean, cept I landed on the part of my arm where I had 7 stitches from goofing up on a Jump w/ the OZ. Luckily it had been healing about 2 weeks and I only broke the scab a little. Here's a post that explains the story:

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58700
Other pictures
http://www.data-recon.com/gallery/index.php?cat=10002


I got to get on here more often!

[Dennis]

yes, a good deal, seems like a no-brainer to me.
I love the Hopey on my Oz.
if you don't pick this thing up quick, I may have to.
[smiley=groucho.gif]

[keen]

 The bottom bracket sandwiches under the upper HS race & the dampner fits into the fork's steer tube. The posted Hopey is the first generation as it has a press fit dampning rod and what appears to be alum. locking wedges. Excellent deal though. I can't attest to their perf. or durability I have had mine only a few weeks and have it set really low. Only drawback I have heard, may be a rumor, but they stress the frames head tube???

[K2ozm99]

Err, the upper headset race, so does that mean that the cup has to be banged out from the headtube or what? I am pretty bad with all the terminology with regards to this part of the bike  

Only part that worries me about what keen said is that I already have some cracks in the plastic coat of my frame, bout an inch back from the headtube at both the top and bottom. The k2 rep said not to worry about it, that only the plastic/nylon layer cracked and not the carbon weave but I have lost some confidence in the integrity of that part of the frame now. I think with 5" of travel tho, Ive got a lot better shock absorbsion up there then when I got the cracks, jumping the bike with the Noleen Carbon Smartfork.

http://www.data-recon.com/~ivank/public/mntbike/ozproject/oz_crack1.jpg
(similar on the top)

Think its still a good idea? Shouldnt be too hard to install myself right? How do the locking alum wedges get tightened/loosened?

[Carbon_Angus]

you will need to remove your starnut

also depending on what head tube length the Hopey came off of...be sure your head tube length is the same or shorter of the bike you want to put on (so you can trim the rod if necessary) the Oz head tube is a little long...so check into that

also does it come with steel binders or aluminum .. if aluminum you should get the steel ones. you can get them from Hopey direct.

it's cool if you go downhill over areas that are rutty  or rocky. it can climb better, but that takes some practice. if you just XC/trail bike, i'd...pass on one and i have one my Oz, too....go figure, just not as  :-*enammoured(sp) as I once was with it. i heard of guys putting them on road bikes to help them ride straighter, but jees you can put a disc set up on a road bike too...wtf?

bottom line...overkill unless you are really a hardcore trail rider who rides over rough stuff a lot.

nifty idea that does serve a purpose though

[smiley=beer.gif]
oh yeah the head tube ovalizing....you're on your own, anythig will break over time or if abused and overused.

[keen]

 You do have to remove your upper HS cup to install . The steel wedges are $10 and a new bolt on rod is $10 if needed. I believe a dampner rebuild runs $25. I used to have an older 2 stroke MC steet bike that ran a steering dampner - I am pretty sure it was used for high speed dampning to cut down speed wobble and  aid in front end stabilization. The Hopey dampens on turn outs w/ a free return to center - I forgot all the dynamics its supposed to cure / aid but the main advantage I recall was less arm fatigue for extended downhill runs. I'd like for long time Hopey users to chime in there opinions of the product.

[Sprucey]

I used mine on the Oz - it was good on steep tecnical climbs at helping to keep the bike straight and stopping it wondering around. DH it was good too.

have since removed it as I was getting creaks from the headtube area of the Oz and didn't want to stree it too much. However, it will go onto another bike in the future.

Sprucey