Swingarm Brace Dimensions

[Frank The Tank]

Has anyone made there own swingarm brace? I'm thinking about giving it a shot but I don't how wide it needs to be near the front of the swing arm to give it enough clearance for the chain. I know it needs to be about 9 inches on center where it meets the axle plates but I'm wondering if it needs to be a little wider at the bend to allow for clearance of the chain. Anyone have any dimensions or drawings or tips? Thanks in advance.

 

[KevC]

You could try this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/XS65...8525493QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[Travis]

I could take some measurements of mine. It's on an extended swingarm so they might be a little different than a non extended one. I have the Wise Guys brace like in the link above but I sent them my swingarm and had them do it. Maybe someone else with a non extended swingarm that has the Wise Guys brace could take some measurements to see if anything is significantly different. Or you just buy the kit from Wiseguys. Doesn't seem like a bad deal unless you have access to a bender that will do 180 degree bends.

 

[crash]

travis.how much did you add to your swingarm?did you do it yourself?or did you just go with another arm off of another bike?

 

[Travis]

It's extended 4". I just sent my stock swingarm to them and they extended it and added the brace. If I were to do it again, I'd probably just build a jig and do it myself... And add 3" instead of 4".

 

[crash]

why 3 instead of 4? Is there that much of a differance?

 

[Travis]

Yeah about an inch difference! hahaha..

I just think 4" puts the rear tire a little too far from the motor but I would still want room on the swingarm to mount the battery like I did. If the front end were raked a little putting the front tire further out, it would probably balance out the rear end, but I don’t plan on doing that. Having a slightly shorter swingarm would also change the shock angle slightly.

 

[59Tebo]

I'm thinking of a dropped, single seat, extended swingarm (with BIGASS Harley shocks, to prevent overtravel) bobber with a stock length DNA springer and 21" front wheel (disc setup) on my '75. So far, all the suspension geometry is just theoretical.
Alot of details are riding around in my head (loudly), but it'll all start with an extended and underbraced swingarm (I'm guesstimating 4-1/2") and running a tensioner to prevent chain slap. I'm thinking Joe Wiseguy's. Comments?

 

[Travis]

Not a bad deal to have him do it if he's still doing them.. Mine was done by him over 4 years ago before I had my bender and welder. (I should probably get that bike done to get Jimmy and couple others off my back )

 

[gggGary]

Travis thread!! Travis thread!!!

Joe wise guy is still selling brace kits; http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/XS65...rcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb5f1c5e8

Hard to beat that.

Swing arm messing around, I picked up a radian swing arm off fleabay, they are 2" longer than the stock and are "kinda" bolt on, the shock mounts are wider so they would need to be cut off and moved in which looks pretty simple. the inside dimension at the axle is about 1/4" wider so a couple of washers would be needed. The XS650 axle will be too short. The pivot end is a perfect match and the radian has needle bearings stock. The radian arm weighs about 2 pounds more than the stocker. The radian arms go for gold on fleabay though.

 

[griinder]

gary, what year swingarm is the xs one? I was messing around today, trying to go from rear disc to rear drum. I removed the swingarm I had, which looks a lot different from the one pictured above, and put on one that I had that someone had told me was a "drum swingarm." its much shorter than the stock one. 1978 special. all the bushings were a direct swap, but the wheel was super super tight to get in the arm. grrr.
I'm trying this with mags btw. guess that's kind of a given.

oh yeah, also, I went over to a buddies house to look at his '80 with a read drum mag, and it also has the bigger beefier longer swingarm. Im confused.

 

[XSLeo]

If it's about 1.5 inches shorter then it came from a 70-73 bike. In 74 they lengthened the swingarm. The early singarms also have thinner looped axle plates. From 74 up to 78 I think it was they used a thicker axle plate with a bolt in plate for the axle adjuster. In 78 or so they went back to a looped axle plate but left it thicker.
Leo

 

[gggGary]

Grinder; What XSLeo says AND they are narrower, between the axle plates and the shock mounts, the axle is shorter, and the axle spacers are thinner. Don't use that early arm find a later one, they are dime a dozen cause the hardtailers pitch em'. The later drum arm IS bolt on exchange for your disk arm.

 

[XSLeo]

On the later disc brake swing arms, the only difference between the disc and drum swing arms is where the strut for the brake mounts to the swingarm.
The drum strut mounts under the swing arm. The disc mounts above the swing arm.
When I did the drum to disc conversion on my 75 I got the drum swingarm for like $9 with $6 bucks shipping. I figured at that price it was cheaper than getting a mount welded to the swing arm I had.
Leo

 

[griinder]

i think im just going to weld a tab onto the bottom of the disc arm for the brake stay. seems like that ought to work.
I think pivot and brake pedal that i have didnt work too well either, so i ended up putting the actuator rod from the drum brake on the pivot from the disc set up. thought i needed to cut off a tab, and i wish that i hadnt. it was an adjustable stop for the disc pivot setup. I dont think i actually need it, the pedal bottoms out on the exhaust now. ha. i'll get it yet!!!

 

[kbtoy]

Hi Fyi I just install a swingarm from a 73 tx 750. Larger dim tubing, added a joe wise guy under arm brace and bushings .Bolts right up trouble free.Works great.Thanks

 

[oldbiker]

hi if you look on the aussie xs650 club site ,,,it has a xs650 swing arm set up picture ,,i think they have a few pics of the bracing ,,which looks pretty good on the finished swingarm , could be worth a look ,,its on the bike regards oldbiker

 

[hugemore]

Hi, is it possible to buy a swingarm from another bike and just put it on my xs650 1981 ? without a long process? I want a larger wheel and it can be farter to the bike... sorry for my english haha

 

[oldbiker]

Has anyone made there own swingarm brace? I'm thinking about giving it a shot but I don't how wide it needs to be near the front of the swing arm to give it enough clearance for the chain. I know it needs to be about 9 inches on center where it meets the axle plates but I'm wondering if it needs to be a little wider at the bend to allow for clearance of the chain. Anyone have any dimensions or drawings or tips? Thanks in advance.

....................... hi if you have a look on the australian xs650 club i think they show a braced swing arm , it does look super great regards oldbiker

 

[Grimmith]

Travis thread!! Travis thread!!!

Joe wise guy is still selling brace kits; http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/XS65...rcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb5f1c5e8

Hard to beat that.

Swing arm messing around, I picked up a radian swing arm off fleabay, they are 2" longer than the stock and are "kinda" bolt on, the shock mounts are wider so they would need to be cut off and moved in which looks pretty simple. the inside dimension at the axle is about 1/4" wider so a couple of washers would be needed. The XS650 axle will be too short. The pivot end is a perfect match and the radian has needle bearings stock. The radian arm weighs about 2 pounds more than the stocker. The radian arms go for gold on fleabay though.

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I also planned on doing this in the summer, but is their any shorter shocks I can use to help lower the rear end about 3 inches if possible? I can't have a hardball because of back issues.