P500 How Come?

[Idahotruckman]

I have been almost ready to disconnect my anti-sway bar on my 500. Been reading about folks that have "tipped" their machines on their sides, seeming blaming the lack of the anti-sway bar. However I don't read much about folks who own the anti-sway-bar-less 520s commenting on the same issue. Do folks who own the 520s have stability issues or are the 520s somehow made with a better suspension that keeps them upright? Why didn't Honda add anti-sway bars to the 520s?

 

[futzin]

My opinion: remove it.
Much more fun without it, and not tippier, IMO. Just don't take sharp corners at higher speeds.
My 520 feels more rigid than my 500; wish the 520 had the bar so I could take it off!

 

[Alan aka Davinci]

I have been almost ready to disconnect my anti-sway bar on my 500. Been reading about folks that have "tipped" their machines on their sides, seeming blaming the lack of the anti-sway bar. However I don't read much about folks who own the anti-sway-bar-less 520s commenting on the same issue. Do folks who own the 520s have stability issues or are the 520s somehow made with a better suspension that keeps them upright? Why didn't Honda add anti-sway bars to the 520s?

I think most people do remove theirs for a better ride. I have not removed mine because of the concerns of the articulations on the down hill side and I have had my 500 for almost 8 years.

 

[trigger]

This was a discussion long ago on here and I was adamant about keeping mine hooked up. Figured if Honda put it on there, they had good reason. Even after dozens of members had disconnected theirs, I remained steadfast. Finally decided to try it and just disconnected and zip tied it bc I was sure I'd be hooking it back up. Articulation is much better without it and it's actually less tippy without having the rear end tied together. Like Futzin said, you'll get a little more body roll when cornering but I see it as a benefit. You'll feel it rolling before you actually go over as opposed to feeling nothing and then being on your side. After riding without it hooked up for a while I decided to just remove it all together. You can do the same, just unbolt it and zip tie the ends to try it out. But rest assured, you won't go back. 👍

 

[Remington]

This was a discussion long ago on here and I was adamant about keeping mine hooked up. Figured if Honda put it on there, they had good reason. Even after dozens of members had disconnected theirs, I remained steadfast. Finally decided to try it and just disconnected and zip tied it bc I was sure I'd be hooking it back up. Articulation is much better without it and it's actually less tippy without having the rear end tied together. Like Futzin said, you'll get a little more body roll when cornering but I see it as a benefit. You'll feel it rolling before you actually go over as opposed to feeling nothing and then being on your side. After riding without it hooked up for a while I decided to just remove it all together. You can do the same, just unbolt it and zip tie the ends to try it out. But rest assured, you won't go back. 👍

☝️☝️☝️☝️THIS☝️☝️☝️☝️

 

[The Green Goat]

My opinion: remove it.
Much more fun without it, and not tippier, IMO. Just don't take sharp corners at higher speeds.
My 520 feels more rigid than my 500; wish the 520 had the bar so I could take it off!

520, eh?

 

[futzin]

520, eh?

Yeah, decided to look for a 520 and sell the Rincon and Harley. Found a 520 surprisingly quickly. It will get a lot more use than the other two. Been really useful already...

 

[MI-Trailblazer]

Basically what Trigger said. My add is that when I took mine off my P500 I immediately noticed that every 1-inch or larger bump/rut/hole you hit with the rear suspension was not directly transmitted as an ubrupt slam to the chassis and directly to your butt in the seat. I found the removal greatly improves the "feel" of the ride. Also, Honda has the spring rates high enough on these machines that the suspension does a great job of acting as anti-roll.

 

[Smitty335]

☝️☝️☝️☝️THIS☝️☝️☝️☝️

I love where my sway bar is located, under my work bench!

 

[futzin]

I love where my sway bar is located, under my work bench!

Ha!

 

[Remington]

I love where my sway bar is located, under my work bench!

My P1’s as well as the one in my old P5 is in a scrap yard someplace

 

[Rdrcr]

Why did Honda omit the rear sway bar on the P520 yet continue to use it on the P500?

Mike

 

[futzin]

Why did Honda omit the rear sway bar on the P520 yet continue to use it on the P500?

Mike

🤷‍♂️

 

[100Acre]

I removed just one side. I believe many people have done the same.

 

[Idahotruckman]

Why did Honda omit the rear sway bar on the P520 yet continue to use it on the P500?

Mike

What Mike said - I guess that is what I am basically asking in this post.

 

[CID]

What Mike said - I guess that is what I am basically asking in this post.

Iffn yer backin' 'er in to the turns, leave the SB connected, iffn ya want some articulation, unhook it; depends on your specific riding. I bought a pair of quick disconnect SB links for the Talon - here in the rocky high country, they're unhooked. Out in the much faster desert, they're hooked up.

It's a free experiment, try it, make the call that's right for you. 😎

Physics - a SB connects both sides of the suspension, both spring rate and damping. Hooked up you're stiffer, unhooked yer softer. And I ain't talkin' 'bout 'that'.

 

[Idahotruckman]

Thanks to all who responded. Viewing this post and past ones, as well as having a painful and twisted, and out of place vertebrae has convinced me to try disconnecting the bar.
My 700 Grizzly has IRS and no sway bar and I can powerslide through corners all day long. It has a cushy ride but handles well. I have to remind myself that the the P5 is a different machine with a different purpose and capabilites. Thanks again, fellas.

 

[MI-Trailblazer]

I do not know the actual reason for it - maybe Honda Tech can chime in or one of the other members that has "in's" at Honda - but my guess on why the P520 does not come with a sway bar and the P500 still does I believe is simple economics. Delete the sway bar on the P520 because Honda has data showing that the P500 does fine, then increase the rear spring rates a little more since the P520 has the actual bed and people may over-load it more than a rack on a P500. So off-set the cost of the of the bed - omit a piece to keep the profit margin.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
I like the logic

Mike

 

[crewcabrob]

I plan on overloading my P520 bed this weekend with bags of cement. It happens, we all do it.

I suspect that we all have speculation on why it was omitted on the 520, but kept on the 500. Short of hearing from an engineer who worked on the project, we may never really know why.

I'm just happy I didn't have to deal with it when I did all the work on my p520.

Rob