# BzzzKill Harmonic Dampers



## baturjan (Sep 13, 2003)

Has anyone tried these? 

http://bontrager.com/Road/Parts_and_Accessories/Handlebar_Accessories/5882.php

I read one review and the guy said they work really well. The Discovery team uses this this year. 

http://www.ti-cycle.com/New/new_in_store-BuzzKiller.html

I don't know what the qualitative/experiential difference would be between aluminum and brass.


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## Elefantino (Jan 28, 2004)

baturjan said:


> Has anyone tried these?
> 
> http://bontrager.com/Road/Parts_and_Accessories/Handlebar_Accessories/5882.php
> 
> ...


I have them on my bike and can say for certain that they have taken the vibration out each time I have dropped my bars on the floor. Just like the demonstration at the LBS.

As for what they do on my bike, and on the road, well, put it this way: They were only $13. It could be worse. I could be one of those other fools who coughed up $30 for some Specialized Bar Phat wrap.

Oh, wait. That was me, too.

I'm resisting the urge to try an anatomical saddle. Or a titanium frame.


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## 40-ish (Apr 5, 2005)

*See threads below*



baturjan said:


> Has anyone tried these?


http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=35362&highlight=buzz+kill

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=35566&highlight=buzz+kill

Quick summary:

o they work great on bars without a bike in a demo

o maybe yes, maybe no on a real bike on a road.

ps - search function was not working awhile ago (it seemed to me), but is working great now.


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## baturjan (Sep 13, 2003)

40-ish said:


> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=35362&highlight=buzz+kill
> 
> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=35566&highlight=buzz+kill
> 
> ps - search function was not working awhile ago (it seemed to me), but is working great now.


It must not have been working before I posted this because I did do a search. Thanks.


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## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

I find it hard to beleive that the Discovery team used them when a cyclist will throw away an empty water bottle to save 10g.


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## AlexCad5 (Jan 2, 2005)

JimP said:


> I find it hard to beleive that the Discovery team used them when a cyclist will throw away an empty water bottle to save 10g.


 Yeah, and people spend $200 to drop 40gms.
I was given a set by my LBS when I inquired about them. Does that ring of an endorsement.
So I put one buzz kill in one side, and a standard plug in the other. Otherwise I figure, I'll never know if they work. Well, I am pleased to report the side with the buzzkill is heavier!
Otherwise there is no reduction in vibration.


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## 40-ish (Apr 5, 2005)

*Cornering?*



AlexCad5 said:


> So I put one buzz kill in one side, and a standard plug in the other. Otherwise I figure, I'll never know if they work. Well, I am pleased to report the side with the buzzkill is heavier!


Did you find that you were able to corner better on the side with the heavy buzz-kill? Indy cars used to be set up that way since they only turned left. 

(for the humor-impaired, I am joking  )


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## mtbykr (Feb 16, 2004)

*One*



JimP said:


> I find it hard to beleive that the Discovery team used them when a cyclist will throw away an empty water bottle to save 10g.


I believe it was only one guy that used them this year for disco. the new guy from England (hamilton i think) used them after he broke his hand in a fall to try to help the pain so he could finish the race!


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## mtbykr (Feb 16, 2004)

*Buzz Kills*

I forgot to mention. A friend got these and said he could really tell a difference. So i got a pair, but i can't notice a difference in them (although the hand pain is a little less on long rides) and for only $7 it's worth the chance!


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## BATMAN (Aug 15, 2005)

I got the $20 brass version which was a little heavier..........


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## RodeRash (May 18, 2005)

You know what ??? 

Head to the local feed store and get yourself a couple "cow magnets." These are solid, heavy, powerful magnets shaped like a large pill capsule that farmers put down a cow's throat into the stomach to stop metals from traveling through the gut. 

The metal stays in the stomach where the acid eventually dissolves it. Of course it eventually dissolves the cow magnet too. 

Anyway, get a couple. Place them in your rectum with the North poles facing each other -- so they're repelling each other. 

This will cut saddle vibration significantly. 

Email me a surety bond for $5,000.00 US funds and I'll name a star after you. 

Wanna buy a bridge ???


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## shaq-d (Apr 19, 2004)

or get these velox bar plugs for $1.60 each, $3.20 a pair. the same thing. the buzz kill is old tech pretending to be new tech.

http://www.loosescrews.com/index.cg...lebar Plugs&tc=&item_id=VL-23&id=207718823674

sd


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## boris the blade (Aug 5, 2004)

shaq-d said:


> or get these velox bar plugs for $1.60 each, $3.20 a pair. the same thing. the buzz kill is old tech pretending to be new tech.
> 
> http://www.loosescrews.com/index.cg...lebar Plugs&tc=&item_id=VL-23&id=207718823674
> 
> sd


they are not really the same thing. The metal inside the rubber is what does the work. It deconstuctivley interferes with the frequency of the bar vibrations effectively canceling it out in a perfect world, in application it just reduces it. Also the heaver the metal (ie. brass) would have a more pronounced dampning effect.


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## Howzitbroke (Jun 1, 2005)

How much vibration makes it through your hands to the buzz kills to be absorbed? Seems to me the vibration would travel through the stem to the bars and then be soaked up by your hands before reaching the wonder plugs. They probably keep things from vibrating when you ride no hands though.


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## BATMAN (Aug 15, 2005)

that's a good point, but are there vibrations that reverb?

I like to have some mechanical engineer from NASA or Lockheed toss their 2 cents at this.

Someone further up on the food chain in the art of mechanics.


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## boris the blade (Aug 5, 2004)

i am sure there is some high frequency resonance that the plugs elimanate. more here.

http://bontrager.com/Road/Parts_and_Accessories/Handlebar_Accessories/5882.php


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## 40-ish (Apr 5, 2005)

*Best response ever*



RodeRash said:


> Email me a surety bond for $5,000.00 US funds and I'll name a star after you.
> 
> Wanna buy a bridge ???


I don't know if they work or don't work. But it's worth it just for the "naming a star" comment. Thanks for disrupting the office with hearty laughter!!


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## MarvinK (Feb 12, 2002)

I know this is an old thread--but I'm really surprised Bontrager continues to insist on only selling these in orangish-red. What's wrong with black!?


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

MarvinK said:


> I know this is an old thread--but I'm really surprised Bontrager continues to insist on only selling these in orangish-red. What's wrong with black!?


everyone knows orange kills high frequency vibrations better than black. 
Besides, if they are black no one would know that the person had paid for 5 sets of plugs but only gotten one.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

den bakker said:


> everyone knows orange kills high frequency vibrations better than black.
> Besides, if they are black no one would know that the person had paid for 5 sets of plugs but only gotten one.


I blacked mine out with sharpie....maybe that's why they don't seem to do anything.

Fact is the roads are so bad right now, I should be holding them in my mouth to keep from slamming the upper and lower teeth together


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## siclmn (Feb 7, 2004)

OK class, now that we are done discussing harmonic dampers we will now discuss deer whistles and why they must work because they are still being sold.


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## Forrest Root (Dec 22, 2006)

siclmn said:


> OK class, now that we are done discussing harmonic dampers we will now discuss deer whistles and why they must work because they are still being sold.


Nope. See, Keith Bontrager didn't invent, copy, or make deer whistles, so they must not work. Obviously, you've never read the Bontrager Bible....er.....his writings at his website. I even heard that there's a movement in the physics community to rename Newtonian Mechanics, Bontragerian Mechanics. How right could Newton have been? He didn't even use paired spoke wheels!


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

of course deer whistles work....they attract deer like a salt lick, then ya hit em....tada...sausage


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## MarvinK (Feb 12, 2002)

Touch0Gray said:


> I blacked mine out with sharpie....maybe that's why they don't seem to do anything....


I do wish more people would complain to Bontrager. I mean, how many people are going to be mad that they're black instead of orange!? Here's a recent email reply I received from Bontrager:

-----Original Message-----
From: Consumer, Bontrager 
Subject: RE: Bontrager.com Contact_Us Inquiry

Unfortunately we only make the BuzzKills in orange. I am sorry that you
don't like the color. The BuzzKills have been very popular and I have
not heard many complaints about the orange color.


-----Original Message-----
A "Bontrager Contact Us" request has been made:

Comments: Is there anywhere you can buy black (or at least some neutral
color) of the Bzzzkill plugs? I like the technology OK--but they look
really ridiculous on some bikes in that oddball orangish color. In
fact, a co-worker just bought a pink 2008 Madone 5.1 WSD and she raved all
about her bike--except for the out-of-place orange plugs (I explained
the benefit--but it didn't seem to be enough to convince her they still
were ridiculous). You know there's a problem when someone buys a $3000
bike and your orange plugs act as a(different type of)buzzkill!


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