'75 CB550K1 Gulf - Round...3, the fun stuff

Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

I need a little input here, as when it comes to electronics, I typically just get lucky. I ordered a variable output switch for the steering damper to be able to adjust damping on the fly. (The damper has a servo that, as I understand it, closes and opens a valve, giving you more or less damping) Where I'm stumbling is how to wire the switch in. The damper has two wires and the switch has three prongs. I'm assuming one is for ground? I just don't know which...the markings on the switch look like hieroglyphs to me. If anyone has a clue about this, I'd appreciate the input. Also, what on earth do I use to attach to those prongs? Thanks folks.
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Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

I would assume that neither wire for the Damper is ground.

So, Pin 1 or Pin 3 of the Variable switch could be used as ground (depending on wether you want to turn it clockwise for more resistance or counterclockwise for more).

So, attach one wire of your Damper to pin 2 of the switch, and the other to say pin 3. Attach ground to Pin 1.

I am not sure which wire is which on your damper, so you may have to play with it a little.
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

What you have there is a potentiometer (also just called a "pot"). It's basically a variable resistor.

#3 is the +12V coming from a black line in your harness
#2 is the +VDC line heading to the dampener
#1 is ground
 
Re: '75 CB550 Gulf - round two

Dale said:
Interesting system. Wonder if you could make it electronically adjustable?

I'm pretty sure the valving is as you described earlier, on or off o a variable resistor probably won't be much use.
I don't think the valve is sensitive enough to be partly open/closed?
Switch looks like it could be used as off/on or variable.
1-3 gives just off/on (maybe?)
2-3 = variable?
There is a major difference between electrical system and electronic system ;) (I can do electrical but not electronics ;D )
I would put a multi meter on pairs of terminals and see what readings I got
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

Thanks guys, I'll play around with it and see what happens.

PJ, electronic/electrical...it's all smoke and mirrors to me ;D
The damper comes from a k8 gsxr1000. People on a Zuki forum say the damper is supposed to be hooked up to the ecu, and dampens more as speed increases. Of course I haven't verified this, but figured it would be neat to make it manual. If it ends up being on/off...well at least we tried!
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

Also, are there any specific connectors that fit the terminals? I'd hate to just end up wrapping the wires around them.
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

huh i was alwasy told wtih out a ECU that those dampers dont work... but then again i also never tired it, i have 2 sitting on a shelve in my shop! intrested to see how this goes!
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

I know they work stock, you just need to be doing at least 100mph before anything happens and the effect isn't noticeable until at least 115 (and only then if the road is bumpy - and - your trying to change direction)
They usually need to be cycled on the bike with the Suzuki software before they work right
I guess cycling while power is applied and valve fully closed would do the same thing?
Haven't had one in pieces to see if it is servo or solenoid operated
I know there is a LOT of misinformation on most of the GSX-R sites
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

crazypj said:
I know there is a LOT of misinformation on most of the GSX-R sites

Very true. I do know that the damper works great when simply hooked up to a battery, and that's what got me curious about the effects of varying the voltage.
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

Well, PJ nailed it! The damper is either on or off, nothing in between. I just wired it up per Sonreir's directions. At this point, I think I'll wire in a simple toggle switch, to be able to turn it on or off, instead of wiring it to constant power. I can think of plenty of situations where I don't want massive damping. In it's unpowered state, it provides about a quarter the damping of the powered state. I measured that with a highly scientific on-off-on-off push-pull-push-pull test. ;D



So, uh, anybody want a compact potentiometer with a nice aluminum dial?
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

So....depending on the valve inside, they are making it 'variable' by feeding it a pulsed signal voltage. Likely it could be reproduced (faked anyway) by using a simply 555 timer circuit so that the voltage on-pulse is varied by using your variable resistor/pot/potentiometer.

The trick is going to be narrowing down the working duty cycle needed. Remember when you were a kid, flip the light switch on and off fast enough and you get a kind of half light....that's basically what you're trying to do here. Truth is the needed signal could even be 5v which is typical in digital circuits and likely what most of the ECU runs on as well internally.

First thing you should do is find out if it still works at 5v, cooking the valve internal to the unit would be bad. If it works (turns on for lack of a better term) then you should think about running it there for longevities sake.

A 555 timer(clock) circuit is simple this is a good place to start: http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/LM555.html#17

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-frequency_drive

https://www.google.com/search?q=variable+frequency+555+oscillator&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial&client=firefox-a


You'll likely want to look at using a mosfet (very basic) as the actual current switch...basically an solid state relay that takes it's cue from the 555 circuit.

You can do it Chris...I have no doubt!
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

Yikes. That sounds like a project for next winter. I've got a bit much on my plate (two bikes apart, one completely in pieces) for the month or so I have left before I relocate again. And I don't even know if these dampers are variable; I took my info from a bunch of GIXXER!11! riders...ha ha.

I'll definitely revisit that post when the time is right though.
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

It's actually not that bad. You can use your potentiometer in place of R1 in this circuit and that will allow you vary the pulse frequency as you ride. Your capacitor should be 1µF for this application and hopefully your pot has a fully off position (usually feels like a click when your turn it fully counter-clockwise).

LM555Monostable.GIF


You'll need an LM7805 voltage regulator to control the voltage going to the LM555 and the output pulse (pin 5) from the 555 should connect to a mosfet or darlington transistor to toggle the +12V going to the dampener (TIP120 is cheap and should fit the bill). You'll want a heatsink for the voltage regulator and for the TIP120.
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

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OkeeDokee mate...have it your way!
more to come
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

I just don't have faith in myself to get it right without a bazillion attempts. It would be very cool though.

You weren't kidding about gutting that cover! Sweet.
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

Swagger said:
Truth is the needed signal could even be 5v which is typical in digital circuits and likely what most of the ECU runs on as well internally.

First thing you should do is find out if it still works at 5v, cooking the valve internal to the unit would be bad. If it works (turns on for lack of a better term) then you should think about running it there for longevities sake.

I know the 'computer' is 5V don't know if the feed to damper is?
Interesting possibility, it could be variable with lower voltage?
If I still had access, knowing the feed wires would give a good indication of input voltage (if I was still working I could just measure voltage even easier)
That's a handy timer circuit, I haven't had much luck with MOSFET's though ;D
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

I am very interested in making one of these dampers work. Theyre cheap, plentifull and much cleaner to install. Keep playing with it ringo...I believe in you man!
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

Sonreir said:
It's actually not that bad. You can use your potentiometer in place of R1 in this circuit and that will allow you vary the pulse frequency as you ride. Your capacitor should be 1µF for this application and hopefully your pot has a fully off position (usually feels like a click when your turn it fully counter-clockwise).

LM555Monostable.GIF


You'll need an LM7805 voltage regulator to control the voltage going to the LM555 and the output pulse (pin 5) from the 555 should connect to a mosfet or darlington transistor to toggle the +12V going to the dampener (TIP120 is cheap and should fit the bill). You'll want a heatsink for the voltage regulator and for the TIP120.

Sonrier: So if I understand correctly, pin 5 of the L555 is the trigger for the mosfet, and the L555 pulse width frequency is determined by the L555? Also, in saying that you are looking for an off detent in the potentiometer, are you using that in lieu of the trigger switch on the diagram?
 
Re: '75 CB550K Gulf - electronics people chime in please

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I think something fell off Chris.......
mystery bit to come as soon as I cover for my own stupidity...hahaha.
I forgot to measure hole spacing on the part I cut off for later use as a support point so I need to find some info. I'll PM you if it's an issue...for now, enjoy the pic mate.
The trick bit isn't shown....muahahaha!
 
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