Why change the sway bar?

[Deaconmike]

I’m buying a 2018 rt. I see a lot of riders change the sway bar, how does that help with the handling?

 

[Mikey]

It takes out some of the body roll, when to tuck into the corners!

 

[CopperSpyder]

You will get less body roll. The body of the Spyder will roll to the out side of the corner you are taking. With an upgraded sway bar it will reduce the roll a lot. It will feel much better in the corners, and be more stable.

 

[AZCanAm]

Do sway bars help handling?

Sway bars improve a car's handling around turns and corners by controlling the vehicle's weight transfer, including body roll. By working to keep the wheels on each side of the car as even as possible, they help keep the car more planted and maintain a strong contact patch between the tires and the ground.

Also better "feel" of the road and highway stability is improved. Considering safety is #1 and fun #2, a BajaRon sway bar should be on your short list of things to do to your beloved RT.

 

[CopperSpyder]

I would add that the BajaRon sway bar is nice, but you can still ride with the OEM bar and be just fine until you get use to your new machine. I would Ride the first 1000 - 2000 miles before making any changes. The biggest thing to do is relearn how to ride this type of machine; this is not the same as two wheels. I would say its better :thumbup:.

 

[Eviltwin]

Interesting that this thread just started. After having my 2010 RT for about 4 years and about 10k miles, I finally put a Baja Ron sway bar on. I had heard all the hype over the years and finally figured what the hell, give it a try. I wasn't looking forward to the job, I'm not getting any younger but I also don't like taking my vehicles in for service if I can do the job myself.

It took me about 4 hours to do the whole job. Videos make it look like it can be done in an hour or so, maybe for some people, but not me. Worst part was getting up and down under the bike stirred up a previous issue of Vertigo and by the time I was done, the room was really spinning. But that is another story.

I took the bike out this last weekend and took it into a couple of turns on the highway at speed as well as on and off ramps. It seemed like it was a bit more stable, but nothing that would make me feel like it was a new bike or that there was a significant improvement. I also upped the preload on the front shocks by one notch, but didnt want to do more so I could see if there were differences. I guess if the bike was turned quickly it might make more of a difference since that would cause more of a reactive motion, but thats not how I normally ride. Suffice it to say that if it does improve the handling, it's not an earth shattering difference. YMMV

 

[Snoking1127]

The BajaRon sway bar also help of stability in traffic around semi's.

 

[Navydad]

Interesting that this thread just started. After having my 2010 RT for about 4 years and about 10k miles, I finally put a Baja Ron sway bar on. I had heard all the hype over the years and finally figured what the hell, give it a try. I wasn't looking forward to the job, I'm not getting any younger but I also don't like taking my vehicles in for service if I can do the job myself.

It took me about 4 hours to do the whole job. Videos make it look like it can be done in an hour or so, maybe for some people, but not me. Worst part was getting up and down under the bike stirred up a previous issue of Vertigo and by the time I was done, the room was really spinning. But that is another story.

I took the bike out this last weekend and took it into a couple of turns on the highway at speed as well as on and off ramps. It seemed like it was a bit more stable, but nothing that would make me feel like it was a new bike or that there was a significant improvement. I also upped the preload on the front shocks by one notch, but didnt want to do more so I could see if there were differences. I guess if the bike was turned quickly it might make more of a difference since that would cause more of a reactive motion, but thats not how I normally ride. Suffice it to say that if it does improve the handling, it's not an earth shattering difference. YMMV

Kind of my experience as well. First upgrade to my 2015 RT was car tires all the way around. That was the biggest improvement to handling that I have made. Second addition was the BajaRon Shock adjusters. They made a noticeable difference. Not as much as the tires, but enough to be worth the money. Last year I did the sway bar. I did get some improvement when pushing hard through the twisties, but it wasn't an epiphany by a long shot. Better? Yes, but the tires and the adjusters made more difference than the bar for me and the way I ride which is aggressive at times.

 

[2dogs]

The BajaRon sway bar also help of stability in traffic around semi's.

That's where I felt the largest improvement. At highway speeds, the blast of air from trucks (semi wash) was much more manageable and the swaybar gave me a greater and safer feeling of controllability.

 

[RICZ]

Ride it maybe 1K miles at least to get the feel of the bike, then put a sway bar on. That way, you will know what the bar does for your bike. That was what Bajaron told me. I took his advice to do one mod at a time (car tires, sway bar) and I am wiser for it.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

:agree: with CopperSpyder, Eviltwin, Navydad and RICZ ..... I endorse the SwayBar over high cost shocks and springs, but I also think you need to get really comfortable operating the Spyder before you buy / add anything ...Then after you wear out the crappy Kenda tires get some decent Auto tires. Peter and I recommend 15-17 psi front and 18-19 rear psi ( if using Auto tires )..... good luck .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[pegasus1300]

I agree with those who suggested waiting until you know your machine and feel comfortable with pushing it. I came from 50+ years on 2 wheels. I rode mine for a year before adding the bar. It made a significant difference that I could feel. I also added car tires later to the front for an improvement also. I don't think I ride as hard as some do, but I have left a few 2 wheelers behind. The car tires made it feel more planted and didn't feel like the sidewalls were going to collapse. The sway bar reduced the body roll a lot.

 

[RICZ]

When my F3L still had the original Kendas, a friend, riding behind me, said the tires look as though they are trying to roll off their rims in hard turns. That's when I trashed the fronts and replaced with car tires. Got a huge improvement. That was before I added a sway bar.

 

[Cobwebs]

Nanny should kick in later if your into cornering fast.

 

[Deaconmike]

Thank you gentleman! I do plan to wait until I’m comfortable with the machine before making changes. Thanks again for your advice ��

 

[Mikey]

Kind of my experience as well. First upgrade to my 2015 RT was car tires all the way around. That was the biggest improvement to handling that I have made. Second addition was the BajaRon Shock adjusters. They made a noticeable difference. Not as much as the tires, but enough to be worth the money. Last year I did the sway bar. I did get some improvement when pushing hard through the twisties, but it wasn't an epiphany by a long shot. Better? Yes, but the tires and the adjusters made more difference than the bar for me and the way I ride which is aggressive at times.

I can't wait, I am doing it in reverse order from that I have noticed a big difference in each step.

 

[Snoking1127]

I did front Federal tires, waited a while and then the sway bar, another wait and the shock adjusters, and final wait the rear General tire. Each step was an improvement. And of course here in the East Valley of Phoenix we have the roads to Canyon and Saguaro(Via Usery Pass) Lakes to test on!!!!

 

[milryder]

I know the original post was a 2018 but we've heard the 20-21s were better in terms of the sway bar or how much an upgraded bar would improve it. Here's my '21 RT experience. I was at Lamonster garage with the idea of upgrading the sway bar. I have already changed to Q5 tires. Both techs told me I would get more benefit from installing the Elka front shocks. I was ready to purchase both once the Elkas were explained to me. The Elkas of course are expensive. They felt the Elkas would give me all the benefits I was looking for and that an upgraded sway bar might even restrict a bit the benefit of the Elka shocks. So far even on my half mile of bumpy gravel road I noticed a smoother ride. On the interstate and secondary roads and curves the bike seems tight and well controlled. I've a 2,000 mile trip coming up so time will tell. I have no way of knowing if an upgraded bar would improve anything but I'm very happy with the RT as it rides now and pushing it hard in corners. As to less buffeting on highways and trucks which was a goal of mine it may be better but more ride time, wind and traffic will tell.

 

[Chiefburg]

Agree with those who say to ride it for 1000 miles or so before making any changes. I rode mine for nearly 1000 miles before deciding to upgrade. My 2013 RTL was a little scary on the freeway around tractor-trailers and the wind buffeting. I decided to try the BR sway bar to see if it improved. What I discovered was it made all the difference in the world for me - can’t speak for others. I noticed how much easier it was to handle in the wind. Bumps in the road didn’t throw me one way or another, like they used to. It was one of the best improvements for me.

Having said all that...I did make other changes that also helped: Put on car tires, upgraded all my lighting to LED, sequential turn signals/reflector replacement, magic mirrors, updated my shocks, bump skid, and who knows what else....

 

[Steve W.]

I agree with everyone above, but would like to add:
(The way it was explained to me) Yes the bar does reduce body roll, but why is that so important? The pivot points in the steering linkage do not line up with the pivot points in the front suspension. Therefore, when the body rolls, the steering is affected. With the larger bar, the body rolls less and there is less effect on the steering.

Like others, we made one change at a time. Tires were first. Q5s all around. HUGE difference. I then questioned the ‘need’ for a new sway bar, but got one anyway. The day after the install (at Maggie Valley last year), my wife said she did not notice much of a difference in corners, but at the end of the day, she was not nearly as fatigued. That alone makes it worth it. :thumbup:

.