Hello, I see a lot of Spyder Owners adding Sway Bars. I do not have that on mine now and on my old one. I have a 2012 RT. I drives great. I love it. It did not appear to sway back and forth. Can you tell me the benefit of putting on sway bars and do I really need them? Thanks so much.
Hi Linda,
The anti-SwayBar helps to reduce the amount of "body Roll" in a turn. It does this by linking both the left and right suspensions together with a bar that will transfer some of the suspension compression forces from one side, to the other... (Great! Now I'm confused... )
Oh! You do have an Anti-SwaBar on your RT as stock equipment; it's just that the factory tuned the suspension for a very soft and compliant ride. Some riders find it to be too soft for "spirited" riding styles...
Hi Linda,
The anti-SwayBar helps to reduce the amount of "body Roll" in a turn. It does this by linking both the left and right suspensions together with a bar that will transfer some of the suspension compression forces from one side, to the other... (Great! Now I'm confused... )
Oh! You do have an Anti-SwaBar on your RT as stock equipment; it's just that the factory tuned the suspension for a very soft and compliant ride. Some riders find it to be too soft for "spirited" riding styles...
Well said Mogwai! (ugh, I'm dating myself) Is that "Gizmo" I see as your avatar? Also, I presume this means to don't ride in the rain (rule #2 in caring for Mogwai).
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Linda, if the bike is handling well for you as it is you do not need to change your sway bar. Many have done it with doubts as to the benefits and have been pleasantly surprised at how much it changes the handling especially in the twisting hill country. It's more of a choice than a need. I love the change it did for mine...
2012 RS sm5 , 998cc V-Twin 106hp DIY brake and park brake Classic Black
Hello, I see a lot of Spyder Owners adding Sway Bars. I do not have that on mine now and on my old one. I have a 2012 RT. I drives great. I love it. It did not appear to sway back and forth. Can you tell me the benefit of putting on sway bars and do I really need them? Thanks so much.
I have a 2010. The 2012 has an upgraded spring compared to the 2010.
The Sway Bar helps to keep the left and right side of the motorcycle on an even keel as you go around corners by linking both sides together via the bar. Some people feel the stock sway bar is relatively undersized and doesn't keep the bike as even as it should, allowing the bike to sway a bit in the turns. This is known as body roll.
Another way to prevent this is to increase the spring strength AKA Elkas. But the springs are not constantly adjustable. Hard springs help keep the body straight around turns, but they are also unforgiving and leave you with a hard ride on the straightaways.
The beefed up sway bar allows you to keep the bike even around turns and still maintainn a softer spring minimizing body roll in turns while still allowing for a softer ride in the straightaways.
The body roll becomes more of a problem as you ride more aggressively, taking turns at faster speeds.
If you are comfortable with the way your bike handles now, then don't sweat it. I'm not a terribly aggressive rider myself.
Nevertheless, I'm going to install the new sway bar as soon as it arrives. My thought is, with the new frame geometry on the 2013's, hop up parts for the 2010/2012 will only be available for a short time, so I should get them when they are available.
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Last edited by ThreeWheels; 02-26-2013 at 07:12 PM.
If it ain't broke, don't break it.
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2020 RT Limited Asphalt Grey
I honestly believe Ron's anti-sway bar allowed me to avoid a collision via drastic evasive maneuvers and to remain on my Spyder while doing so. Had I not installed the Ron Bar I really believe the outcome would have been much worse...either I would have totally lost control or would have been thrown from the Spyder had it not been for "the bar". True story and I'm a true believer that Bajaron's anti-sway bar saved me!
I honestly believe Ron's anti-sway bar allowed me to avoid a collision via drastic evasive maneuvers and to remain on my Spyder while doing so. Had I not installed the Ron Bar I really believe the outcome would have been much worse...either I would have totally lost control or would have been thrown from the Spyder had it not been for "the bar". True story and I'm a true believer that Bajaron's anti-sway bar saved me!
Even if you don,t feel it neccessary to Go around sharp corners "At the Speed of Sound?"
The sway bar can save you from an Accident and worse if you have to swerve "All of a Sudden" to avoid a Collision with a Texting driver!!
I practice 45-55 MPH swerves Often on my GS (On Backroads) and will on the RT once I put the bar on!!!
Just buy it and put it on, OMG what a better and 100x safer ride ,thats the best part of the swaybar,I always ride 2 up and it sure make a better ride for both of us, i would see my wife lean into the turn ,but now she said its so even in the turns and feels more safe on it, ok i ride like i stole it , but thats just me, love to watch those harley guys mouths drop when i can go faster in a turn then they do, PRICELESS,So just buy RONS SWAYBAR, i know you will love the ride.
I don't mean to sound stupid but what is a "body roll"? I am an aggressive driver and I love the turns. I had an 08 RS and I would sorta have to hold on when going around turns. I just bought a 2012 RT that I really haven't had a chance to ride it with the weather and all. So that being said I am not sure on how it will handle. I like to ride it like I stole it if you know what I mean. LOL I want to be safe. I know we are talking about riding a lot and putting some miles on it so safety will be an issue. How much to they cost? Can Pitbull or Cowtown do this? Sorta lost with all the add on's and a still fairly new to the Spyder world. Any suggestions would be great and appreciated. Thanks, Linda
I don't mean to sound stupid but what is a "body roll"? I am an aggressive driver and I love the turns. I had an 08 RS and I would sorta have to hold on when going around turns. I just bought a 2012 RT that I really haven't had a chance to ride it with the weather and all. So that being said I am not sure on how it will handle. I like to ride it like I stole it if you know what I mean. LOL I want to be safe. I know we are talking about riding a lot and putting some miles on it so safety will be an issue. How much to they cost? Can Pitbull or Cowtown do this? Sorta lost with all the add on's and a still fairly new to the Spyder world. Any suggestions would be great and appreciated. Thanks, Linda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_roll"On wheeled or tracked vehicles, body roll is a reference to the load transfer of a vehicle towards the outside of a turn. When a vehicle is fitted with a suspension package, it works to keep the wheels or tracks in contact with the road, providing grip for the driver of vehicle to control its direction. This suspension is compliant to some degree, allowing the vehicle body, which sits upon the suspension, to lean in the direction of the perceived centrifugal force acting upon the car. Anti-roll bars are a part of the suspension specifically designed to address body roll."You still have to hold on in turns (ummm, is there ever a time when you don't on a Spyder?, heh), but an upgraded anti-sway bar helps keep the front wheels more "planted" in sharper, faster turns. It's one of the least expensive performance upgrades for the Spyder which largely explains its popularity (upgraded shocks are great, but can get VERY pricey in a hurry). There's nothing unsafe about the Spyder now with the stock anti-sway bar, it works just fine for most riders in most situations. That said, if you do like riding aggressively in the "twisties," every little upgrade helps increase the performance of the Spyder, and by extension, the rider's confidence in his or her machine.However, I would like to put one caveat out there: if you add stuff like the sway bar and aftermarket shocks, you increase the performance envelope of your Spyder-- but you don't necessarily improve your riding skill. Meaning, sure, you may be able to take a 35 mph turn at 55 mph now, but if you're taking it at 55 mph you're left with a whole lot less safety margin than you had before. I'm addicted to twisties more than I'm a speed demon, so I find it a lot of fun pushing the Spyder to its limit, but I'll be the first to admit that if things go squirrely at higher speeds around corners, by definition you're going to have less time to react to compensate for it.Bottom line: an anti-sway bar is a GREAT upgrade to the Spyder, I can't imagine NOT recommending that everyone get one, but YMMV.
Sway bars
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Originally Posted by Bob Denman
(ugh, I'm dating myself) Is that "Gizmo" I see as your avatar? Also, I presume this means to don't ride in the rain (rule #2 in caring for Mogwai). 
Seriously... 
Thanks, Linda
