RUST Magazine: RUST#33

KTM 200EXC
BRAKE LIKE BATMAN
If you want to ride fast you’ll need
to stop fast too, so again this is a
no-compromise set-up. I’ve gone
for Braking’s Batfly discs front and rear. The
front is a 270mm oversize disc kit (that
comes with caliper relocation bracket and
CM46 brake pads). The rear is the stock
220mm diameter. The tech behind the
Batflys is they have grooves on both surfaces
of the disc, but offset so one side’s groove
alternates with the others. This, Braking says,
improves heat dissipation and gives better
progression in the brake performance. For
me they’re a great never-fade set-up.
DAMPER (steering damper –
not the unleavened loaf)
My (and the large majority of
riders’) preference when it comes
to fitting a steering damper is Scotts
Performance – they are the gold standard.
I opted for the rubber-damped under-bar
mount and stabiliser. I typically use the
KTM PHDS clamps that raise the bars
anyway so the BRP (Billet Racing Products)
rubber sub-mount kit simply replaces the
PHDS without affecting the bar height.
like the sub-mount for many reasons
but the main one is to protect my face! I
face-planted a top-mount some 10 years
back and now I know better.
Fitting is not easy – you’ll need the
help of a mate or two if like me you drop
the steering stem with forks and wheel in
place – but take your time and its all quite
straight forward. I fitted an oversize adjuster
and cable guide to finish off the setup. This
helps keep things tidy and stops the cable
chaffing (and eventually) wearing away the
casing of the damper. The oversize adjuster
allows you to make adjustments while
riding rather than having to stop and use
the screw type adjuster that comes stock.
Not everyone likes a damper, they’re
not cheap and of course the bike runs
perfectly well without one. But in riding
rallies and long distance enduros these are
long days and typically over faster terrain,
so I value the added security the damper
brings (less chance of swapping – tank
slappers) and the energy saving that comes
from not fighting the handlebars is always
worthwhile.
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