I finally did it! Bajaron's sway bar!

I just installed Bajaron's sway bar and there's definitely a difference, much flatter and more stable. But what a task to install it. Getting it up the required height wasn't so bad. Plus after I got it up there with a jack I put enough cement blocks under the tires to make sure it stayed up. And I had jack stands as additional back up further back on the frame. So it was secure and I had ample room to work underneath it. Sorry no pictures. :dontknow: The toughest part of the job for me was the replacement of the new nylon spacer in the channel.

With the ST being a "sporty" version, you'd think that kind of stability would have been standard. I strongly recommend it but hopefully you'll have someone that's done it before right next to you the whole way. I wish I had. But like I said its worth it! :2thumbs::2thumbs:

:congrats:I am sure you will enjoy the sway bar for many miles to come. I too think the stock sway bars should be much stronger but life is what it is so we are lucky to have a good replacement product available to us

another happy customer. Now that its done enjoy and forget any hicup you may have had getting it installed...congrats..!! :2thumbs: enjoy..!!

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Originally Posted by Chupaca

another happy customer. Now that its done enjoy and forget any hicup you may have had getting it installed...congrats..!! :2thumbs: enjoy..!!

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Yes I'm looking forward to many more "stable" miles ahead! :yes:

Did the sway bar and heim links on my rs at spyderquest. Love them . Will give them the true test in the gorge this week. Had many trips without. Will put it through with them. Can't wait:f_spider:

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Originally Posted by golfsferr

I just installed Bajaron's sway bar and there's definitely a difference, much flatter and more stable. But what a task to install it. Getting it up the required height wasn't so bad. Plus after I got it up there with a jack I put enough cement blocks under the tires to make sure it stayed up. And I had jack stands as additional back up further back on the frame. So it was secure and I had ample room to work underneath it. Sorry no pictures. :dontknow: The toughest part of the job for me was the replacement of the new nylon spacer in the channel.

With the ST being a "sporty" version, you'd think that kind of stability would have been standard. I strongly recommend it but hopefully you'll have someone that's done it before right next to you the whole way. I wish I had. But like I said its worth it! :2thumbs::2thumbs:

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Can you assess on a scale of 1 to 10 the difference between stock and Bajaron's bar with 10 being a huge difference? Cost and labor need an offset in performance.

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Originally Posted by DaveMcC

Can you assess on a scale of 1 to 10 the difference between stock and Bajaron's bar with 10 being a huge difference? Cost and labor need an offset in performance.

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I'd say the difference is about 6/7, with 1 being no difference and 10 being extreme difference. It feels tighter and flatter while turning and more stable during cross winds. Dealer was going to charge me between $300/$400 to install. I bought a good jack, jack stand and car ramps for $150. So I only paid half the amount but I now have some good equipment for further upgrades. The main thing I was concerned about was securing it elevated some 22" off the ground and getting it back down safely, which I did. I recommend gluing/nailing a good non-stick material on top of a 2"x12"x16" piece of wood and put that between the jack and bike frame to lift it. Because when you ease it down, the slippery frame wants to slide on the slippery wood and that can get a little dicey. But if you block the rear wheel it shouldn't move on you.

The next issue was replacing the nylon bushing which really requires loosening the wind deflectors and radiator brackets to make that go smoothly. That's not easily understood in the instructions, however Ron is very good at helping you out over the phone.

But I'll say it again, I believe the money I spent and time I put in are well worth it! :2thumbs:

Thanks for the info. 6/7 is a number worth spending some money on. In the meantime...my new rig was delivered with overinflated tires and I'll see what the difference is with them at proper inflation. After that, I'll begin looking at the bajaron solution. I'm not that handy so I may end up paying buckets but a 6/7 may well be worth it.

Mine was way to unstable before the bar. After the bar it's the best most enjoyable toy I have ever owned.:clap::bowdown:

Ill get one probably in the spring. Right now Im doing a garage conversion to a Media room. By that time I can hone my skills on the OEM bar and feel that 6/7 difference when I do pull the trigger.

I found it didn't make enough of a difference for the $200.
Feel the same way with the $125 for laser alignment.

I have to say the STS is miles better with the sway bar.
I think it depends on your riding style... If you are very easy going then you'll probably not feel much of a difference.

With a couple of busted ankles and a worried wife, the Spyder was my answer to all that, ergo a compromise to satisfy my concern for safety and my loving relationship with the "she who must be obeyed". However, compromise aside, I still want to be able to carve some canyons and enjoy spirited riding. I will pay just about anything to make sure the ST-LTD can do that reasonably and safely. As it sits, it's not safe in my hands, so a 6/7 rating for the upgrades is good enough for me. :ohyea:

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Originally Posted by DaveMcC

With a couple of busted ankles and a worried wife, the Spyder was my answer to all that, ergo a compromise to satisfy my concern for safety and my loving relationship with the "she who must be obeyed". However, compromise aside, I still want to be able to carve some canyons and enjoy spirited riding. I will pay just about anything to make sure the ST-LTD can do that reasonably and safely. As it sits, it's not safe in my hands, so a 6/7 rating for the upgrades is good enough for me. :ohyea:

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Today I installed Bajaron's sway bar links too. I hadn't replaced those when I did the sway bar install. But I started thinking about it and decided to upgrade those too. Now it might be my imagination but it even seems a little bit more stable. They are solid aluminum, the old ones hard plastic. Regardless, I'm definitely glad I changed the bar.

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Originally Posted by golfsferr

Today I installed Bajaron's sway bar links too. I hadn't replaced those when I did the sway bar install. But I started thinking about it and decided to upgrade those too. Now it might be my imagination but it even seems a little bit more stable. They are solid aluminum, the old ones hard plastic. Regardless, I'm definitely glad I changed the bar.

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It is possible that the Aircraft Grade, Billet Aluminum Heim Joint Links will enhance the effect of my custom sway bar kit. Early on I did some testing to see how strong the Billet Aluminum links were in comparison to the OEM plastic links. We know how strong the BA links are. We just didn't know how strong the plastic links were.

I was surprised at how much the plastic links stretched under heavy loading. It was visible to they eye. Of course the BA links don't stretch at all.

Any stretch by the links will nullify, to some degree, the effect of the sway bar. It's hard to quantify without a lot of geometry. And my feeling is that under normal conditions the effect is probably minimal. But in hard cornering or heafy crosswinds, especially gusts, the effect of stretch in the OEM links may be noticeable.

I don't market the BA links with this information for the reasons given above. But it is interesting that you, and others, have mentioned it.

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Originally Posted by BajaRon

It is possible that the Aircraft Grade, Billet Aluminum Heim Joint Links will enhance the effect of my custom sway bar kit. Early on I did some testing to see how strong the Billet Aluminum links were in comparison to the OEM plastic links. We know how strong the BA links are. We just didn't know how strong the plastic links were.

I was surprised at how much the plastic links stretched under heavy loading. It was visible to they eye. Of course the BA links don't stretch at all.

Any stretch by the links will nullify, to some degree, the effect of the sway bar. It's hard to quantify without a lot of geometry. And my feeling is that under normal conditions the effect is probably minimal. But in hard cornering or heafy crosswinds, especially gusts, the effect of stretch in the OEM links may be noticeable.

I don't market the BA links with this information for the reasons given above. But it is interesting that you, and others, have mentioned it.

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So it wasn't my imagination. It is firmer. Aluminum is certainly better for "heavy loads" than plastic. Thanks for your help.

I'm really new to riding and I only rode a 2 wheel bike long enough to pass the Basic Riding Course. I usually drive a sports car so I'm used to feeling like I'm fighting the steering wheel on these bumpy country roads. So far the steering of the Spyder doesn't feel much different than driving the sports car. Does the sway bar just stiffen up the steering? Does the feel of the ride change or just the steering?

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Originally Posted by jalpert

I'm really new to riding and I only rode a 2 wheel bike long enough to pass the Basic Riding Course. I usually drive a sports car so I'm used to feeling like I'm fighting the steering wheel on these bumpy country roads. So far the steering of the Spyder doesn't feel much different than driving the sports car. Does the sway bar just stiffen up the steering? Does the feel of the ride change or just the steering?

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During a turn the bike doesn't lean as much (flatter stance) resulting in the rider not having to lean the other way as much. Plus it seems to have more solid steering on a not so consistantly smooth road.

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Originally Posted by jalpert

I'm really new to riding and I only rode a 2 wheel bike long enough to pass the Basic Riding Course. I usually drive a sports car so I'm used to feeling like I'm fighting the steering wheel on these bumpy country roads. So far the steering of the Spyder doesn't feel much different than driving the sports car. Does the sway bar just stiffen up the steering? Does the feel of the ride change or just the steering?

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With the sway bar installed, lean, dive and sway are much more controlled giving you a flatter, more stable platform through the turn. This means less (or no) need to compensate for the oscillation of under-steer, over-steer as you go through the turn. It feels much like a go-cart as you can enter, negotiate and exit a turn with no need to make adjustments for changes in the steering geometry because the lean angle is not constantly changing. Steering is less vague and more positive.

Some describe it as 'Taking the wishy-washy out of it'.

Very hard to explain accurately, but very easy to feel as you ride.

Has anyone installed the Bajaron's sway bar on a 2014 rss, if so has it improve the handling on the spyder ?:sour::sour:

Bajaron : would it feasible/possible to change to the aluminum Heim joint links & keep the OEM sway bar... ??

OSM

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Originally Posted by BajaRon

It is possible that the Aircraft Grade, Billet Aluminum Heim Joint Links will enhance the effect of my custom sway bar kit. Early on I did some testing to see how strong the Billet Aluminum links were in comparison to the OEM plastic links. We know how strong the BA links are. We just didn't know how strong the plastic links were.

I was surprised at how much the plastic links stretched under heavy loading. It was visible to they eye. Of course the BA links don't stretch at all.

Any stretch by the links will nullify, to some degree, the effect of the sway bar. It's hard to quantify without a lot of geometry. And my feeling is that under normal conditions the effect is probably minimal. But in hard cornering or heafy crosswinds, especially gusts, the effect of stretch in the OEM links may be noticeable.

I don't market the BA links with this information for the reasons given above. But it is interesting that you, and others, have mentioned it.

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Originally Posted by Orange Spyder Man

Bajaron : would it feasible/possible to change to the aluminum Heim joint links & keep the OEM sway bar... ??

OSM

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I will answer that for Ron. YES!

But why keep the stock sway bar? In my opinion that is the best improvement you can do for handling, mostly cornering and it also really helps with cross winds.

Two weekends ago I crawled under my girlfriends ramped RSS and installed BajaRon's sway bar. She was thrilled with the improvement. Now I am a believer in the saying, "no stronger that the weakest link". Soon after the installation, and seeing plastic links as factory equipment, I would hate for them to fail with the new sway bar while taking a sharp canyon turn on a two way highway. So I ordered the current fancy red links and installed tonight. Simple to replace even after installing the sway bar if you contemplating it but concerned you would have to start over. Took all of 15 minutes. Now I can relax about the plastic ones failing.

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Originally Posted by 900Dave

I will answer that for Ron. YES!

But why keep the stock sway bar? In my opinion that is the best improvement you can do for handling, mostly cornering and it also really helps with cross winds.

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I don't have the equipment to lift my Spyder 22" for the install... I prolly will get the BahaRon sway bar next spring at one of the rallys.. but mean time I would like to get rid of the plastic suspension parts..

OSM