Aftermarket Custom Swingarms - Swinging Scene

One of the major benefits with Roaring Toyz' arms is with hardware support. We make sure to include all bearings, spacers, caliper hangers and installation hardware necessary for proper installation. There is nothing worse than getting your new swingarm kit and finding out you are missing supporting hardware when your bike is in pieces. We have used many different company's swingarms in the past, and after many years and thousands of installs we learned where we could make improvements. Now we build our own swingarms in house and are very proud of them. We pay attention to the details down to every last nut and bolt. We have taken a close look at every single part in the swingarm and worked our hardest to provide the highest quality, most complete kits available.

Rehm:
I studied swingarm failures for quite a while before starting on the design for the Myrtle West line. Look at other swingarms out there, but go past the chrome and the fat tire. Are the welds straight and uniform? Are they sitting on top of the joint or do they look like they are melded into the arm? Some manufacturers use off-the-shelf tubing, which you can spot by the swingarm's sharp corners. This works but is really not the safest or strongest material. That's why we have our own tubing engineered and manufactured specifically for us. Arms that require a jackshaft need to be supported and adjusted properly. All the power goes through the jackshaft, making this the most failed component on these types of arms. A misaligned chain will destroy a sprocket and bearings in no time and we have seen the outer support broken completely off on some of our competitor's arms. We have given this area of our arms a lot of attention-we can't see selling a customer an expensive swingarm set up knowing it may not hold up.

Another flaw I've seen are on the axle nuts. Our axles have a positive locking nut unlike most other arms out there. I can't see relying on Loctite to keep my axle tight!

The Long of It All
The stretched and slammed look started at the strip but has permeated the streets in recent years. Look around and you'll find stretched, wide tire rides at every bike night and drag event across the country. Some choose a mild stretch with a stock wheel, while others opt for the outrageous-a 360 wheel hanging from a 17-inch over arm.

Whichever way you perch your pleasure, one thing should remain constant-safety. Backyard welders can easily slap together some box aluminum and bolt it onto your bike, but that's like playing with dynamite. Myrtle West and Roaring Toyz have clearly done their homework and mastered the art of aftermarket arms, and while their respective approaches are unique, the end result is similar. They provide swingarm upgrades that are tried and tested to hold up to the demands at the track as well as in the judges' booth.