For an Öhlins install, it appears to me to indicate "the easiest solution with what was at hand" .
I understand this and the bracket does indeed get the job done and may perform well.
My opinion, the damper would perform better, long term, with a more centralized cylinder clamp.
A few of these Öhlins SD damper types have a fixed central mount.
Maybe a transverse damper mount might allow a good Norton solution, but would require different brackets.
I dont have an SD008/SD001 to prototype brackets. I am hoping you will develop so I can simply purchase my Norton Mk3 damper from you.
Thanks for the thread
The Kawasaki ZX6 and ZX10 do have a fixed mounting point, these were designed as an OEM damper to be sold at the lowest possible cost, the clamps add $75 or more to the cost of a damper.
Only the aftermarket kit for the ZX6/ZX10 use that fixed point, as Ohlins had already made them, why not use them.
If Ohlins believed as you do that a fixed centralize mounting point was needed, that would be what they used on all their dedicated kits, and they would not have made them adjustable, or they would at the very least on the universal kit specified to use them within a certain range, they do not specify a range.
As to the design, what I wanted was a clean looking clamp, the Ohlins design is the best I have seen.
As far as the life span, as long as the damper is not banging against anything, AND it does not bind as it moves thru the stroke, where the clamp is will not have any effect.
My thoughts on the design began with making it user accessible , maybe that comes from building racebikes.
What I mean is while riding the bike, you should be able to reach the adjustment knob, with your left hand and adjust the damper.
Now maybe you really do not need to do that on the street, but that is what I was thinking.
This means the knob has to be on top, not below the shaft.
The access has to be with your left hand as your right hand is always needed to be using the brake or throttle all the time.
There is no easy way, that I could see to mount the damper traverse across the top of the triple clamp.
It could be mounted transversely under the bottom clamp, but access while riding would be very difficult, ask any Suzuki GSXR600/750/1000 rider with and Ohlins kit, as that is where it is mounted on those bikes as that is the OEM location.
For those that would like the damper mounted in the middle, it would not be that hard to do.
In fact I have an idea.
Put me on the clock.
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