I would like to make everyone aware that there are now 2 BajaRon Sway Bar Versions for the 2013-2023 Spyders. The Original Bar (1-Piece) and the NEW 3-Piece Ultra-Bar. 'New' being a relative term as this is the 3 production year for the Ultra-Bar.
The Original Bar still gives a great deal of improvement over the OEM bar, of course. But for some riders, it did not give as much improvement as we would like. We now recommend the Original Bar for light riders who do not pull a trailer, do not ride 2-Up or pack a lot of weight in storage compartments. Not that the Ultra-Bar would be bad for them. Just that this rider will probably not benefit from the more expensive Ultra-Bar.
The Ultra-Bar is the same as the Original Bar with the exception that the Spring Steel arms have been removed and replaced with Billet Aluminum Arms. The rigidity (lack of flex) in these Aluminum Arms adds a great deal of efficiency to the system. Any flex that occurs from the torsion part of the bar to the suspension connections on each side, (including arms and end links) absorbs energy that the bar is attempting to transfer from the 'Heavy' wheel to the 'Light' wheel. Though you might think this to be insignificant. Testing demonstrated that it can make quite a bit of difference when stress levels increase.
Those who fall into the following categories of heavy riders, aggressive riders, 2-Up riders, and those pulling trailers have told us that as much as they like the improved handling of our Original Bar. They would really like to have a little more sway bar control for their riding style.
Buy replacing the Spring Steel arms in the Original Bar with rigid Billet Aluminum arms. The improvement for these riders proved to be significant when compared to the BajaRon Original bar. This is because the Spring Steel Arms in the Original Bar were flexing under higher loading.
Again, the Ultra-Bar is not a Stiffer bar. It is a more Efficient bar.
"Why not just make a stiffer Sway Bar for these riders Ron?" you ask. Excellent question! The serious answer is that a sway bar can be too stiff. While it may handle like a dream under ideal traction conditions. Smooth, dry, warm pavement, etc. It can create a hazard when traction is reduced. Like in the rain, bumpy or cold pavement. In these conditions, a too stiff sway bar can create 'Understeer'. To the layman it simply means you turn the bars, but the machine continues in a straight line. You don't need to be a professional to know this isn't ideal.
So how to build a bar that increases traction for riders in the 2-Up or other listed categories without creating a potential issue should a light, single rider come into the picture? The Ultra-Bar has been the answer. It handles the twisties for the aggressive or heavily loaded riders better than the Original Bar. While posing no issues for a light, single rider. Simply because the light rider will not load the bar assembly to where the rigid Aluminum Arms come into play.