There's a hidden number in the technical sheet that tells you what to expect from your motorcycle

There are a lot of figures in a technical data sheet. People's eyes usually go to data like power or weight. But those aren't the only important ones.

Among the many figures that usually go unnoticed, this may be one of the most important. It determines everything on your motorcycle, and it's the wheelbase.

It's the measurement between the front wheel axle and the rear axle. Even though it may seem like a simple geometric figure, it has a direct impact on the behavior, stability, and character of the motorcycle.

How that distance affects: a matter of physics

Directly, a certain wheelbase means greater stability or greater agility. A long wheelbase gives stability. A short one favors agility.

Once again, as you can see, these are figures that designers must manage carefully: they're contradictory, but you need both, to a greater or lesser extent.

When you go fast, when you carry cargo, a passenger, or ride on a highway battered by the wind, you need wheelbase. You need wheelbase. That's why a GT or a motorcycle designed for travel usually exceeds 59 in. (1,500 mm).

However, a sport or a naked sport aims for figures around 55 in. (1,400 mm) or even less in some cases.

This makes the motorcycle turn faster, so those changes of direction are more immediate.

A matter of balance: not everything is black or white

That's why there isn't a good or bad measurement, but rather one that's suitable for each type of motorcycle.

A superbike needs to enter a curve with surgical precision and change lean angle in a moment. A huge custom seeks stability and a calm line.

It's more complicated to decide this measurement on a polyvalent motorcycle. That large majority of trail and naked bikes that try to combine both worlds.

This decision is one more that defines the complete geometry of the motorcycle. The rake angle, the trail, or the height of the center of gravity are also added. All of them affect the behavior.

But the wheelbase still defines the DNA of the motorcycle. It's not the same a trail with 62 in. (1,580 mm) designed for long trips as another with 57.5 in. (1,460 mm) more focused on off-road riding.

That's why it's not just another number

Changing the size of a rim, installing a longer suspension, or even modifying the length of the chain can alter the wheelbase. With it, the character of the motorcycle. You won't notice a millimeter, but you will notice several centimeters.

That's why manufacturers pay so much attention to this measurement. Because, in reality, it determines how you're going to feel on that motorcycle.

This means whether it'll be more nervous or more stable. Whether it'll require a firm grip or let you ride with one hand.

It's a simple distance. But it makes the difference. That's why be careful with those changes to rims, suspensions, or anything that modifies this measurement