Swingarm length

[motochris]

Ok another dumb question for ya. I have seen some of you with longer swing arms on your ex forsale and on your bike specs. What is the advantage of a longer swingarm-vs-stock length??? Is it more travel, better ride and handeling??? I have noticed also that some have been welded or are cracked, is it worth having the longer swingarm if you have problems like this???

Thanks guys

[400exRacerX]

The advantage of a longer swingarm is many things smoother ride, jumps better, doesnt wheelie as easy, and the weight distibution is better. When I broke my stock one I went with a +1 1/4" Laeger's swingarm and it is such a better ride!

[QuadRacer041]

i feel the oppisite way racerx, maybe its just me but when ever i jump my 400 i tend to land with the back much lower then the front, i find im always hitting the rear brakes in the air to bring the nose down. it seems the rear of the 400 is heavy enough and adding a longer swing arm would make it more rear end heavy, doesnt that make sense????????when i ride my R it tends to feel more evenly balanced in the air the the 400.but what ever your more conforatable on is whats good for yea.
what does every one else think.

this is what happens when i dont hit the rear brakes

[400exRacerX]

Mine seems to jump great to tell you the truth,,, but what you are saying does make sense. Getting a longer swingarm and plus its made out of chromoly its alot heavier. When picking my quad up by the grab bar it does seem considerably heavier, but really hasn't effected my riding yet. Maybe I can make different assumptions when I get to ride it more, I have only put one goo day on the new swingarm so far.

[QuadRacer041]

yea, i never rode one woth a longer swing arm, but like i said my 400 feels rear end heavy to begin with so i figured adding a longer swingarm would make it worse.

[Dave400ex]

Most of the Chassis Builder Guys say to get +2 A-Arms and then the + 1-1/4 Swingarm. I know that`s what Laeger and Lonestar say to get. Plus don`t you want the Rear End to weigh a little more so it hits first?

[Mitch400EX]

It would seem to me that a longer swingarm would actually move the weight center of the bike forward, because the footpegs are now further forward in relation to the rear wheels. The rear end of my stock-length 400 does love to drop, but it is controlable with some rear brake. Also, wouldn't the rear wheels have little more leverage over the bike in the air when you hit the brake because they're out farther then stock?

Those of you who have +1.25 swingarms, did it take very long to get used to the extra length when going off of jumps? I know when I first switched to the 400EX from the shorter 300EX I was always chopping the throttle early and nose diving. Did this happen to anyone when they switched to a + 1.25?

[QuadRacer041]

excelant explanation mitch, i never thought about it that way,,,with footpegs being further forward, it makes sence.
i know about hitting the rear brakes in the air, im very used to jumping and know how to bring the nose down but my R is an -86 and i have a -1 swing arm on it.
although if you theory is correct.......why did honda change the 88-89 R's to a -1 swingarm and a +1 front end from the factory?
the 88-89 weigh bias is shifted 1 inch forward compared to the 86-87.