ohiomoto wrote on 05/23/19 at 06:46:20:I noticed that you like to extend the swingarms. Is that for aesthetics, handling, or both? How does it ride?
Both. For one, a bobbed stock-length S40 just looks silly in my opinion - like a bulldog, tiny rear and huge front end with the rear wheel tucked right up under the rider. I loved the way the Ryca bobbers looked but hate hardtails because I and my customers actually want to
ride these bikes. So I took the swingarm extensions from the CS-1 and applied them to my bobber build. On my son's bike, I took the high-pipe concept and made a custom header so the exhaust isn't pointing directly at the shock.
Ride-wise it's great, the suspension is more plush and compliant, the extended wheelbase soaks up imperfections better, and the chassis is less twitchy. That bike in the first pic of this thread also has a different drive ratio, reducing engine RPM on the highway. Between the power gains and massive weight loss, 1st gear take-offs are not affected by the change. Plus, on stock gearing, I cannot even detect the difference between 4th and 5th gears, to me the transmission "upgrade" to 5sp in the mid 90's was anything but. However, with the drive ratio change, the shift from 4th to 5th makes a very noticeable difference.