Extended swing arm bikes are they only good for a straight line?
- Thread starter RUQWKNF27
- Start date
lankeeyankee
Banned
Uhh yeaah! Extended swingarms are for show and straight line go. Sell it. No problem selling a Mcintosh and plus you can buy OEM busa swingarms CHEAP! the extra money left over will buy more useful goodies.
lankeeyankee
Banned
It will be better at 6 then 9 but no way will it be as quick and nimble as the OEM one. There is a reason why road race guys dont have extensions and its common to add 1" longer links to make the bike sit taller which also shortens the wheelbase.
Yes... I know all you guys with the stretch you can run twisties also, so can a dump truck, hell I even seen a 53' trailer on Tail Of The Dragon.
Yes... I know all you guys with the stretch you can run twisties also, so can a dump truck, hell I even seen a 53' trailer on Tail Of The Dragon.
Just watch hard powering out of corners.
card16969
Registered
honestly ive been on my bike which is stock swingarm and hopped on my buddies extended bike and it took alot more work to do anything with and to me honestly it wasnt anywhere near as much fun... i went to the 55 series rear tire and ABSOLUTELY LOVE how my bike handles. It feels more like a liter bike by changing the rear tire and its oh so fun.
mistaforty
Registered
you didnt mention it but tire size makes a diff back there too when youre gettin in and out of corners...even if you shorten it to 6, sittin on 240 or bigger wont be like stock length and 180-200 at stock height.
All this advise and not a single solitary soul has touched on the important issues that an extended swingarm creates for riders who wish to exceed the posted speed limits on corners.
Threads like this make it perfectly understandable why suspension is indeed as foreign to most riders as the surface of mars!
Obey the posted speed limits on corners and you'll never have an issue with an extended swingarm or fat tire on your bike.
Guys that post up "I have an extended swingarm and my bike corners just fine" is actually saying "My bike corners just fine for my cornering ability" which is obviously pretty low.
Threads like this make it perfectly understandable why suspension is indeed as foreign to most riders as the surface of mars!
Obey the posted speed limits on corners and you'll never have an issue with an extended swingarm or fat tire on your bike.
Guys that post up "I have an extended swingarm and my bike corners just fine" is actually saying "My bike corners just fine for my cornering ability" which is obviously pretty low.
Longer links make the bike sit lower, not taller. Raising links are shorter than stock. Making the rear of the bike higher or lower does not change the wheelbase at all. When you raise the back of the bike, you are changing the "rake" of the front fork, which makes the bike steer quicker.
again, the bike was raised in the back, and steers quicker . . .
Going 2-4" longer than stock will enable you to retain some handling, if that is your thing. 6" or more noticeably diminishes handling around corners and tends to push the bike to the outside - it takes more effort to "plant" the bike inside and keep your line. Back in the day, bikes like the Kawasaki ELR 1000 were king of the road race track - top heavy bikes that had to be "muscled" into the turns. It is scary that Eddie Lawson went that fast and that hard on a bike like that. Today's bikes take much less effort to drop into turns - especially with "pointy" tires like Pilot Powers. There is no question that the stock wheelbase - or even shorter - is the fastest way to get around turns. On the flip side, a shorter wheelbase will also compromise straight-line, high-speed stability. There is somewhat of a compromise built into every chassis, and for some, the handling they get from a long wheelbase bike is adequate enough.
Going 2-4" longer than stock will enable you to retain some handling, if that is your thing. 6" or more noticeably diminishes handling around corners and tends to push the bike to the outside - it takes more effort to "plant" the bike inside and keep your line. Back in the day, bikes like the Kawasaki ELR 1000 were king of the road race track - top heavy bikes that had to be "muscled" into the turns. It is scary that Eddie Lawson went that fast and that hard on a bike like that. Today's bikes take much less effort to drop into turns - especially with "pointy" tires like Pilot Powers. There is no question that the stock wheelbase - or even shorter - is the fastest way to get around turns. On the flip side, a shorter wheelbase will also compromise straight-line, high-speed stability. There is somewhat of a compromise built into every chassis, and for some, the handling they get from a long wheelbase bike is adequate enough.
Whether you extend 2-4-6 or 12 inches, any extension affects numerous aspects of suspension and the bikes ability to perform well. When you extend the swingarm you aren't just extending the wheelbase. You are changing Rake, Trail, Weight Bias, Swingarm Angle, Chain Pull just to name a few. The most important items compromised is traction (On both ends) and stability especially at lean angles.
I disagree with you on extending the swingarm makes the bike run wide. Extending the swingarm actually raises the rear which shortens the trail making the bike tend to turn tighter. Flattening the swingarm out is the culprit that makes the bike run wide.
Lucid
Registered
You're never gonna drag race. That removes one reason to have it stretched.
You like the looks. That's a good reason to keep it. It's your bike; you have to look at it everyday, if you like it long, keep it long.
How often and how hard do you hit the corners? I live in OK and drag race a lot, so I have a long stretch. I rarely get to hit corners, so I don't mind working harder when I do. With mostly highway riding and drag racing, lowered and stretched is fine with me! But if you plan on hitting hard corners daily/weekly, and you don't mind the look of it shorter, I'd definitely shorten it up to stock.
But me personally, if I really like hitting corners that much, I'd have a 600 or a 1k and not a Busa.
Also what kind of 200 tire do you have? Changing to a 190 a slimmer profile (most 200s I can think of are flatter) will help you turn in easier even with a stretch.
^^ All that said, you can still have a lot of fun in the corners with a stretch. This was me following a 600rr and a g1k through Eureka Springs, using almost every bit of the tire w/ 9in stretch.
You like the looks. That's a good reason to keep it. It's your bike; you have to look at it everyday, if you like it long, keep it long.
How often and how hard do you hit the corners? I live in OK and drag race a lot, so I have a long stretch. I rarely get to hit corners, so I don't mind working harder when I do. With mostly highway riding and drag racing, lowered and stretched is fine with me! But if you plan on hitting hard corners daily/weekly, and you don't mind the look of it shorter, I'd definitely shorten it up to stock.
But me personally, if I really like hitting corners that much, I'd have a 600 or a 1k and not a Busa.
Also what kind of 200 tire do you have? Changing to a 190 a slimmer profile (most 200s I can think of are flatter) will help you turn in easier even with a stretch.
^^ All that said, you can still have a lot of fun in the corners with a stretch. This was me following a 600rr and a g1k through Eureka Springs, using almost every bit of the tire w/ 9in stretch.
Every one of my own personal bikes that I have extended, I also lowered. I should have clarified that, but thanks for pointing that out. It just goes to show there is a lot going on. The Busa is not exactly a road race bike, so it is very common to stretch and lower it, as a lot have done. It doesn't ruin the bike at all, and even though I can't hang in with the Gsxr's on tight turns, I can still hold my own with a 6" stretch. And when the road straightens out, you better get out of my way . . .
04stretchedbusa
Registered
I say put it at 6 it be fine cause mine is 6" swingarm & mine does ok.
Every one of my own personal bikes that I have extended, I also lowered. I should have clarified that, but thanks for pointing that out. It just goes to show there is a lot going on. The Busa is not exactly a road race bike, so it is very common to stretch and lower it, as a lot have done. It doesn't ruin the bike at all, and even though I can't hang in with the Gsxr's on tight turns, I can still hold my own with a 6" stretch. And when the road straightens out, you better get out of my way . . .
Stretched and lowered makes YOUR busa ride like a turd in the corners and that's just a fact.
And, you best hope those stretches between the corners are loooong and straight or you will get spanked like a little school girl!
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