If you take notice of the pull-rods on the pro bikes at outdoor nationals, supercross or GNCC, we would be willing to bet 90% of them are not stock. There's been a lot of chatter in the dirt bike world about aftermarket pull-rods recently. Claims of an aftermarket pull-rod vs. a stock pull-rod can make a world of difference to the suspension performance of your bike.

'Longer is better!' the pros say. But has anyone really explained to you why?

We would like to share with you why a longer aftermarket pull-rod (such as the DEVOL Transformer Pull-Rod) might be a good investment for your dirt bike.

Some Off-Road Motorcycles Have Imbalanced Geometry

What does that mean?

Basically, an imbalance in a bike's geometry means that the bike (in most cases) rides high in the rear-end or could ride high in the front end. Either way, the bike does not ride level.

If the bike's geometry is not balanced and your bike rides high in the rear-end, your weight is forced forward creating a heaviness in your front wheel - causing the steering to knife.

A good suspension set-up on a bike should almost always result in the bike riding level - hence - balanced geometry.

Why Balance is Important

First of all, COMFORT. You don't want to ride a bike that tips you forward or back ward too much. Having a good seat and position makes a world of difference.

Second, your steering and handling will be much more effective when your weight is distributed evenly on your bike.

The Action of the Rear Suspension

The shock (1), linkage (2), and swingarm (3) make up the main pieces of the rear suspension system of your bike.

The shock allows adjustability to finely tune the rear suspension for the rider's weight, ability, and type of riding.

The swingarm connects the rear wheel with the frame and connects to the linkage to activate it as the wheel moves along the ground.

The linkage supports the shock by controlling the speed of the shock shaft. The main pieces within the linkage are the pull-rod and knuckle. Every inch of travel between your fender and tire gets progressively stiffer when the distance decreases - thus the suspension tech term: "rising rate".

All of these components work together to give you a comfortable ride, especially when you tune them to your individual needs.

How a Pull-Rod Plays into This

As we mentioned in the last segment, the linkage system supports the shock by controlling the speed of the shock shaft and connects the frame with the swingarm. The real key part of this is that the pull-rod is the connection between the swingarm and linkage knuckle, and contributes to the "rising rate" of the shock.

What Happens When a Longer Pull-Rod is Installed

What's amazing is that only a couple millimeters longer than stock makes a world of difference.

Not only does a longer pull-rod almost instantly level out a bike's geometry for those that ride high in the rear end, but it improves the rear end performance as well.

When you install a pull-rod that is longer than stock, the knuckle is pushed up, along with the swingarm, causing the wheel to move up toward the fender. Now you have less distance between your wheel and fender and a lower seat height.

The beauty is that this all results in a stiffer feel at the initial "rising rate". With stiffer initial "rising rate", the action forces the rear tire to remain on the ground more since the suspension does not move as fast initially as it does stock. More tire on the ground = more traction = greater stability.

Benefits from a Transformer Pullrod

  • Adjustibility (5 total settings)
  • Increased Rear Wheel Traction
  • Rear Suspension Stability
  • Softer, Plusher Rear Suspension Feel
  • Seat Height Reduce Slightly

    • Aftermarket Pull-Rod Recommendation

    Our team here at DEVOL designs and builds performance pull-rods just like what the pros have. The performance pull-rod we offer is called the Transformer Pull-Rod.

    Most aftermarket manufacturers makes one linkage length which works for a specific general area of rider and discipline.

    The DEVOL Transformer Pull-Rod has up to 5 incremental positions to allow you to tune your pull-rod and suspension to you and what you want for feel.

    See if we have one for your bike by clicking SHOP NOW below to take you to our store!