Frame sliders, yea or nay?

Ozymandias

Ozymandias

Well-known member
I hear a lot of back and forth on frame and axle sliders. I know for a fact if you say on pavement they do wonders for saving bodywork and some parts. I have also seen my bodywork get broken in half because of the sliders when the bike transitions from pavement to dirt.

I'm kind of trying to gauge if they're worth leaving off or putting back on. What kind of experiences have you guys have with and without them in a race setting?
 
frozenuts

frozenuts

I make words too.
Ozymandias said:
I hear a lot of back and forth on frame and axle sliders. I know for a fact if you say on pavement they do wonders for saving bodywork and some parts. I have also seen my bodywork get broken in half because of the sliders when the bike transitions from pavement to dirt.

I'm kind of trying to gauge if they're worth leaving off or putting back on. What kind of experiences have you guys have with and without them in a race setting?
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If you just go straight into the airfence you don't need to worry about it. :laughing

They will almost always hook in the dirt, and most of the epic tumbling crash pics that started as a simple lowside were sponsored by frame sliders. Much of the time it is due to the frame sliders putting the bike at an angle that causes the tires to hook, not the sliders that cause the tumble.
 
Wicked4Racin

Wicked4Racin

MOJO Motorsports
I say no and like to have the fairings slow the bike down but if you do get frame sliders there is only 1 brand to look into and that's woodcraft!
 
stangmx13

stangmx13

not Stan
ive got the shortest ones Woodcraft makes.

the footpegs stick out farther and dig in more anyways, so i dont think the sliders matter at all much for flipping the bike. maybe they save the bodywork from grinding entirely through, but it always requires repairs. i may decide to not drill the holes on my next set of bodywork.
 
Grease_Monkey

Grease_Monkey

Sloshie Joshie
Neigh!!!!

They can dig in and flip the bike, when they hit, they can bend the frame.

Ive had 2 low sides in my life, both ended up in the dirt, neither of which caused the bike to flip, and both times the bike was rideable and the fairings intact, even if a little scratched up.
 
J

Junkie

gone for now
If I was building a trackbike or racebike I'd probably run frame sliders, but keep them entirely under the bodywork, probably in contact. Yes, I'd expect to wear through the bodywork there, but it wouldn't flip.

Whether or not it's likely to bend the frame depends on what frame sliders - the mount location, length, etc are important.
 
Ozymandias

Ozymandias

Well-known member
OK, cool. I've been leaning more towards leaving them off for the very reasons you guys have mentioned. I'll just leave them off. :thumbup
 
afm199

afm199

Well-known member
I've done it both ways. You lose more bodywork without, but twice I've had frame damage from the sliders, and I've seen a motor ruined by a frame slider that used a motor mount.
 
Mabrouk

Mabrouk

Well-known member
121735d1177817681-post-pics-your-six-2ndmodsside.jpg


What about a race rail like in this picture? I currently have one on my GSXR as it came with it on and the bike is currently naked, but I'm going to be putting fairings on soon and I'm not sure if I should keep it on.
 
Hooli

Hooli

Big Ugly
Doubt if rails would be accepted on the track...this is a race bike we're talking about.

I would most certainly get some tank sliders as R6's have been known to catch fire in a crash due to the design.
 
kawikz

kawikz

#1 draft pick
Mabrouk said:
121735d1177817681-post-pics-your-six-2ndmodsside.jpg


What about a race rail like in this picture? I currently have one on my GSXR as it came with it on and the bike is currently naked, but I'm going to be putting fairings on soon and I'm not sure if I should keep it on.
Click to expand...

ive used the racing 905 canyon race armor at t-hill but it was a private trackday. im not sure about an open/general trackday.
 
tzrider

tzrider

Write Only User
Staff member
Junkie said:
If I was building a trackbike or racebike I'd probably run frame sliders, but keep them entirely under the bodywork, probably in contact. Yes, I'd expect to wear through the bodywork there, but it wouldn't flip.
Click to expand...

Don't kid yourself; a lot of things will make a bike flip. I never ran sliders on my TZ and absolutely yardsaled the thing more than once. Have seen plenty of other bikes flip without sliders too.
 
MZarra

MZarra

AFM Treasurer
My biggest issue with sliders is that they usually attach to the motor mounts and stop the motor from flexing in the frame.

Most motors need some flex against the frame and the right hand bolts tend to be designed specifically for that. Frame sliders tend to take that flex away and cause bending when they hit. They can even cause bending or tweaking even without a crash because they are removing that ability to flex.

I have one race bike with sliders and one without. The bike with sliders is getting them removed this year...
 
stangmx13

stangmx13

not Stan
MZarra said:
My biggest issue with sliders is that they usually attach to the motor mounts and stop the motor from flexing in the frame.

Most motors need some flex against the frame and the right hand bolts tend to be designed specifically for that. Frame sliders tend to take that flex away and cause bending when they hit. They can even cause bending or tweaking even without a crash because they are removing that ability to flex.

I have one race bike with sliders and one without. The bike with sliders is getting them removed this year...
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most of this isnt correct.

when one engine mount has a clamp bolt on it, thats just to ensure that the frame retains its shape. differing tolerances would pinch the frame, so the designers just reference one side for engine location. this allows the other side to be clamped at whatever position is correct for the frame. because its clamped, the engine will not move relative the frame. so there isnt any flex designed into the connection. the engine is a stressed member for most modern sportbikes and the connections need to be stiff. the clamped connection is less stiff that a simply bolted one, but its still stiff.

if anyone buys a slider that removes the ability for the engine location to reference just one side of the frame, return it and buy sliders from a reputable brand.

MZarra said:
Talk to Gerry (GP Frame and Wheel), he will be happy to explain it to you, in detail, over a period of hours...
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i havent had this convo. but id bet there some miscommunication going on here.
 
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