Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2021 Issue.
The Scotts Steering Stabilizer has one purpose: keep you in control of your motorcycle by limiting wobble, weave, and unintended deflection of the front wheel. The device is a hydraulic shock absorber housed in a gold-anodized aluminum box that mounts to a motorcycle’s triple clamp. On my F 800 GS, a link arm connects to a post on the steering head, engaging the stabilizer when the front wheel moves away from center. Applications are motorcycle-specific; my GS requires a Scotts underbar mount/mounting kit ($312), which raises the handlebar 2 inches.
Scotts stabilizers provide complete adjustability. High-speed damping, which controls sudden deflections, is tunable on the fly with a 24-position control. The base damping circuit and the unit’s sweep, or the angle from center that the hydraulics operate, are set while stationary. The one I use dampens movements away from center, allowing the front wheel to freely return to centerline; street-oriented units dampen in both directions.
The Scotts unit on my GS has kept the bike stable when hitting ruts and roots, churning up sand on the Utah Backcountry Discovery Route, and splashing through rocky river crossings. My first adventure tour with the made-in-USA stabilizer was the first on which I didn’t drop the bike. Coincidence? Maybe, but I’ve survived many hairy moments since that makes me glad it’s there to keep me upright and on track.
$360 ($616 COMPLETE KIT) | SCOTTSONLINE.COM