Single-Sided vs. Double-Sided Swingarm What's The Difference? | MC GARAGE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2024
- What’s with single-sided swingarms? Like forks, clutches, front brakes, and other major components on motorcycles, there’s some variation when it comes to how things are done, in this case, how the rear wheel is attached to the bike. In this video from the MC Garage, we'll discuss the pros and cons of the SSSA setup.
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What's with single-sided motorcycle swingarms? Like forks, clutches, front brakes, and other major components on motorcycles, there's some variation when it comes to how things are done, in this case, how the rear wheel is attached to the bike.
The swingarm has to support the rear wheel, pivot so the suspension can do its thing, and deal with some pretty major loads. There’s the weight of the bike and the rider, but engineers also have to consider lateral loads encountered while cornering and the twisting forces imparted by the drivetrain.
To handle all that stress, a swingarm has to be stiff and strong. Most of the time that’s accomplished with a traditional, double-sided swingarm. And in it’s simplest form the double-sided swingarm is little more than some rectangular steel sections welded together-simple, cheap to manufacture, and totally effective.
Some bikes, however, have a single-sided swingarm, and this setup does have some advantages.
First of all, there’s style. There’s no doubt the styling department has a lot to do with selecting a single-sided setup, but besides good looks this swingarm offers easier chain maintenance and wheel removal.
With a traditional swingarm, you have to remove the axle, get your hands greasy putting the chain aside, and deal with the sprocket, spacers, and rear caliper just to remove the wheel. With a single-sided swingarm the axle, sprocket, and chain, all stay where they are, while the wheel just slides off the axle.
Fast wheel changes are a huge benefit in endurance racing, which is where single-sided technology first became popular. In racing, a single-sided swingarm also allows the muffler to be tucked in closer to the bike’s center line for steeper lean angles and mass centralization, while on the street it makes it easier to mount larger, close-fitting side cases.
Another advantage is chain adjustment and alignment. With a single-sided arm the alignment is fixed from the factory, so you don’t have to futz with vague hash marks on the chain adjusters.
However, there are a few drawbacks. For starters, you usually only see single-sided swingarms are higher-end bikes because they’re more expensive to make. Remember all those loads and forces I mentioned? A single-sided swingarm is at a bit of a disadvantage since it only has one arm, and to accommodate that the design has to be more complex. And with complexity comes cost.
Removing the wheel from a single-sided swingarm setup involves fewer steps, but may entail a monster socket or even a special proprietary attachment. In either case, it’s not the kind of tool the average home mechanic is going to have on hand. And unless your bike has a center stand you’ll need a special paddock stand to support a single-sided swingarm bike. That being said, some bikes, like BMWs, have automotive-style lugs holding the wheel in place (plus a center stand), so popping the wheel off really is simple and easy.
Speaking of BMWs, the majority of them have single-sided swingarms. Same goes for scooters. That's because the manufacturer is already designing a big, strong assembly to house the driveshaft and gears or the pulleys and belt on a scooter, so it's just a little more work to have the assembly double as the support for the rear wheel.
And as with our discussion of upside down versus right-side up forks, weight, specifically unsprung weight, is a hot topic of debate with swingarms. A lighter swingarm would be advantageous, but which style is lighter really depends on the bike. There is no hard and fast rule that says one setup weighs less than the other.
And that brings us to handling advantages. There are none, at least none that are significant enough that you’re going to notice. So when it comes down to it single-sided swingarms are sexy and offer easier wheel removal and chain maintenance, but that’s about it.
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The reality of single-sided swingarms is something more like this:
Engineer: "Hey, guys! Look what I can do!"
Marketing: "That makes the bike look sick as fuck! Imagine how much we can mark up the price now!"
The marketing guys ain't forcing anyone to buy the products though. Something is only priced based on what people are willing to pay for it.
okay but honestly they just look so beautiful and clean I would definitely pay more for such a unique feature
easier chain maintenance on single sided swing arm ... and a rusty chain on the ktm, apparently not easy enough
Ari Henning So no chain maintenance advice from that magazine? lol.
heh, no problem Ari, I understand that it wouldn't be easy to maintain all the bikes you guys have there for every single shoot especially when you are just borrowing them for one shoot, I just found that irony funny :)
How easy is it to get the bikes trail aligned with a single sided swing arm? On the doubles they have a mark on each side to use so you know the tire is center while adjusting chain length. Since it's only one side. How do you get the rake right?
I was about to type comment about that :D
they use an eccentric to hold the hub- it's always square to the axis of the bike, and it rotates to tension the chain. Look carefully at a Ducati 916 arm to see how it works.
An episode on aftermarket exhausts would be nice.. Explaining various types: Stainless Steel, Titanium, Carbon fibre, GP style, dB killer fitted ones, with or without exhaust baffles...etc
Gaurav Chandra agreed
Excellent video. as always entertaining and o learnt something new! Thanks Ari (And the team behind!)
Oh! un majes salvaje apareció!
I will tell my english teacher about these videos. I'm an apprentice bike mechanic and the videos could help improve the english of some of my peers since they know what you're talking about. And they're short! Keep it up Ari!
Single sided swing arm, hell yeah!! Team VFR! :D
Honda put a single sided swingarm on the VFR for quick tyre changes during endurance racing.
Hell yeah, comes with the center stand and generic lugs!
I have an rvf400 it has a singlesided swingarm aswell
Me too!
M subbed to u as well bruh :)
Hey MC Garage! I would like to share a story with you guys!
I was a shop-hands for over a year at a motorcycle shop in California (if you want, I can tell you who they are).
But long story short, after working there for over a year, the shop owner not only didn't teach me jack shit, but he tricked me into doing a insurance scam when I got into an accident, where he gave me shitty parts to fix my bike and took over $5k of insurance money from my insurance company. I was working like a slave(for FREE) and they never even bother to teach any knowledge on how to work on motorcycles to me.
After finding your guys' channel, I can't thank you guys enough to be the better people than those scumbags. I have learned so much from you guys within a month of watching your videos than working at that shit hole.
again, thank you for being the positive folks within the motorcycle community! please keep up the good work!
Just when you thought you knew all the basics of a bike you find a video like this that teaches you something new. Great video MC
Just love the way Ari delivers knowledge. Keep it up! 👍
finally!!!, i've been waiting decades for someone to speak about this topic, thanks MM
As always straight to the point without all the fluff. Always a great video.
Best and easiest explanations I have found.Well done.
my biggest concern with the single sided swing arms would be bearing wear. The engineering side of my brain always screams that that single bearing must be under a much larger amount of load than a double sided set up which should lead to you doing a lot more bearing changes. Not sure if that is how it ends up working out or if they have found a workaround, i'm surprised it wasn't in the vid.
Hey guys... I’ve recently started watching your videos. Love them!! Especially for beginners like me who don’t have much knowledge, your videos are pretty easy to understand and make notes. It gives me more confidence when I ride my bike next time. Ty and cheers 😎
You guys rock love your videos as a new Motorcycle rider I find all your videos not just entertaining but highly informative cheers!
I love these videos too much, I go back and rewatch them sometimes. Keep it up Ari and the MC crew.
A potential topic, different throttle systems (fly-by-wire) throttle cable cams etc.
I can't subscribe again, but you're the only channel where I've enabled the notifications. ;)
Best motorcycle channel on TH-cam. Love your content!
Another great short video from the MC Garage! Best description I've seen of single sided swingarms is "the motorbike equivalent of gull-wing doors on cars" - no real clear advantage, but sexy as...
Love the direction Ari and Zack are taking Motorcyclist in.
really good video!!! this series has been fantastic!
Thank you for taking the time to make all of these tech videos, I really appreciate it. For me it's almost better than the adventures you and Zack(Zac? Zach?) go on because I love to learn new things. Thanks again!!
Can't wait to see!
Man You're the best
No matter what don't stop making videos
Loves your videos ! It's short and very informative.
this was a great topic! I've always been curious about the differences.
i love learning more man its crazy
You guys are top notch informative. Love your videos
Hello from NEPAL.You are my technical mentor. Always Best content . Keep it up.
Great information, thankyou. 👌🏻 from 🇦🇺.
BTW: new magazine layout is SICK!! Will be subscribing to that publication for sure!!
You guys are a boon to the motorcycling world! Thanks.
love these videos, clear and insightful!
I really wanted to learn something about them but i had no vocabularies to type in request for them. Now i know. Thanks. I love single ones.
Awesome presentation.... best videos to seek knowledge about automobiles
Great video as always. Except it's not easy to remove the rear wheel on Super Duke since you need to remove that silencer first in order to remove the rear wheel.
Wow, two little bolts, how difficult. I have a SDR myself and it takes three minutes...
not true. once the wheel nut is removed, pivot bottom of tire away from swing arm. roll back or drop out on and angle. won't touch anything
1:30 that chain doesn't look to be in a very good shape..
Modelero Reflection in the light from the orange paint work.
Cheers
Nah, the orange spots are in places way far from the orange fairings and chains aren't so shiny...
Modelero Just another half ass job on chain maintenance from MC Garage then!
If it was reflection from the orange paint work the orange it would've shifted as the camera panned across.
wooable Are we going with rust then?
great videos. informative and very clear. thank you.
ya learn every day.subscribed.
Single sided swing arm FTW.
Looks badass. Particularly with a shortie can. Maintenance of the chain and replacing the tyre or exhaust. It suited my VFR.
And of course every Ducati practically.
Allways enjoying you videos, thanks for the informations, ! Greatings from the alps !
your presenting skill is awesome
Sweet Suzuki VanVan snuck in the video! 1:03 Love that little bike.
Great review
Al
Great video mate,u make great sense, thx
Laughs in VFR800.
All you need is 19mm socket and about 5 minutes.
single sided swingarms came from endurance racing ages ago for quick tire changes.. it just so happened to look cooler. later with shaft driven bikes it just made sense..
Pretty good channel man
Love these videos. 👍🏻👍🏻
Interesting video, as usual.
Great and very informative videos. Thank you. Just subscribed.
Carl Forgarty and ducati tried a double sided swingarm on a 996 in the early 2000..He didn't like it...great video
You guys are the best!
Good info! I love it!
I swear people always hunt out the negative things to comment about, so what the chain isn't perfect. Wish there were more positive comments and good discussion without people getting their feelings hurt on TH-cam than just pointing out any negative they can. Anyways Ari awesome video as always! Keep making these 👍🏼
Enjoyed it, and thank you!
It will be great to hear about single cylinder vs double cylinder 👍
Great video!
You guys should do one on replacing a stater!
Really learnt a lot ! Thx
thanks MC GARAGE
That KTM was looking mighty fine 👀 good video
Thanks for the info!
As always, well presented, concise and thorough. As an aside, the VFR800 Interceptor needs no special tools to remove the wheel and often comes with a center stand. Hey, but that would have made for a less informative overall explanation.
Keep them coming, as one can learn so much in a very short span with these videos--LIKED.
This guy deservs more subscribers
Love the looks of single swingarm,
Very informative.....i like this.
Love this channel
How about a video on steering dampers, what are they good for, do I need one on my bike, etc. Thanks for a great channel, keep it up.
always enjoy your presentation, Ari.. btw, when will you get to go out and test new bikes or doing another on two wheels episode.. I really love watching you ride and racing
Thank you
cool Info Thanks for sharing
Good stuff on this channel as always!! Thanks for the extra brain cells!
guys please make a video on after market exhaust system ,
the question is do they really increase a significant amount of bhps or do they just increase the exhaust note
Single-sided swingarm is definitely sexier. However, I think take offs might be better with a double sided swingarm. Looking forward to the next episode.
Thank you..
Thanks bro
for the next videos topics, i suggest you to explain the type of engine configuration such as v or inline engine. it may be interesting
A video on what to look for when buying a used motorcycle would be really helpful if it's not too long for an MC garage video.
The Ducati dealer told me my 1299 single sided swing arm was actually lighter than the double sided one on the 959. So I guess thats a major advantage ! BTW after i found a good deal on the rear wheel socket, taking that wheel off is awesome !! One bolt and thats it...crazy...
Chris Martin
That may be the case but it's certainly not a general rule.
The 959 is necessarily an exercise in cost cutting since they really must offer it at a significantly lower price than its big sister.
great video Ari could you do a breakdown on brake pads no pun intended and explain the different friction materials soon thanks
Ari Henning excellent thank you
Hey Ari ...Have you explained about side mounted Shocks with the tradition shocks benefits ...
We love your work
From India
cool video
Some nice bikes ya go there.
These bikes are so damn cool 😍
Looking high mate :D
Keep it real Ari!
Great & informative video. But how about a topic on sprocket to gear ratio. Changing the stock sprocket
So one thing that comes up when running a finite element analysis on a cantilever like a swing arm is that all your load comes from where the rear tire meets the road, we can assume forces like rider's weight and bike weight, but acceleration forces are the tough thing to work out. for a double sided swing, acceleration forces, like the rear wheel hitting a bump, or accelerating in a straight line, the forces are generally distributed evenly, so you can model the swing arm essentially in 2 dimensions. for a single sided swing arm, you now have a torque caused by the distance (width) of the center of the wheel to the center of the single sided swing arm which DOES cause a torsional rotation of the arm. is that bad? only if the twisting of the swing arm in enough to cause input to the bike. Ducati actually found out that it's easy enough to make a single sided swing arm work for a track where most forces are fairly consistent and repeatable, but when a street rider hits a box dot or a speed bump, that's a massive spike in acceleration forces on the rear wheel, more than cornering, (on average, it's double) this is usually what forces companies to really beef up single sided swing arms for Street bikes.
600cc : Yamaha R6
1000cc : Panigale V4
❤❤❤🔥🔥🔥❤❤❤
Love my VFR750
Great video as usual Ari.
Btw, I have been wondering if there's any big disadvantage between a single sided rear mono shock and a centered one?
Could you do a video on different engine types and how that affects you while riding?
Take a drink every time Ari says swingarm
hey guys.
please can you do a video talking about engine configuration?
specifically, the direction crankshafts spin, how number of cylinders bore and stroke effect output and how design such as angle of rotation or mount position is important to designers. why does a 40 degree angle matter over a 32degree angle? why aren't engines mounted horizontally? is cross plane crank really that much of a big deal? etc etc, have read lots of stuff but would love to see your take on it all.
thanks
maaan you are great.I like stuff like this.....When can we expect 2017 sbk shootout...
Thanks mate.you know when I reach my office every day the first thing I do is checking ur channel for any new upload...
VFR gotta love the lug nuts
I like the look of double.
Please make a video on monoshock vs twinshock
Some single sided swing arms are higher maintenance to, to keep the chain tensioned so it doesn’t grind tracks into it like a lot of Ducati’s out there and kind of a pain to find parts for not because there hard to find but because they’re pricey
Can you have a video of center-side monoshock and one-sided monoshock and dual-shock rear suspensions.. Thanks!!
nice vid