squids and their lowered, extended bikes

[Porsche Monkey]

I can understand the advantages of extending a swingarm and lowering a bike for straight line use, but wouldn't that make it pretty much worthless for any type of cornering?  I just don't understand why people would ruin their bikes this way.  I see more 600 size bikes with these mods than I do 1000's or bigger in my neck of the woods. I would think than none of this would be needed on a 600. I hate squids.

[JohnnyDucati]

I saw a lot of this back east when I lived in NW Indiana.  There are not a lot of twisty, curvy roads.  Maybe just a few sweepers now and then.  Kind of like a lot of places in the midwest.

If you're riding long distance in straight lines most of the time, then making straight line riding more enjoyable makes sense?  The fun factor involves the quick, off the line starts followed by a little bit o' drag racing.  No opportunity to play Rossi, right?  It's more about NHRA than WSB, GP or AMA.

Hence, the extended swing arms & lowered rides.  I kind of don't blame them for that, really.  But you're right - i agree it's downright ugly.

Just my take on it.  ymmv.

[Porsche Monkey]

We have tons of great twisty roads down here in the Texas hill country. I guess its probably better if they stay in the city instead of becoming guardrail ornaments.

[CromoMann]

The fun factor involves the quick, off the line starts followed by a little bit o' drag racing.  No opportunity to play Rossi, right?  It's more about NHRA than WSB, GP or AMA.

Hence, the extended swing arms & lowered rides.  I kind of don't blame them for that, really.  But you're right - i agree it's downright ugly.

+1  Not my cup of tea either, but it has it's origins...  1/4 mile at a time.  My friends were lowering their early 80's CB1000 15 years ago - It's just turned into the cruising (read main street car cruising, not HD cruising) hot-rod styling.

It's all that Chrome that makes you sick though, right?! 
 

[Rev. Millertime]

I'd guess that 2/3 of the squids cruising the streets here have their bikes lowered with extended swingarms.  Started last summer, now they saved up this past winter and have begun the chroming process.