In
motorcycle terminology, the
swingarm generally refers to one of the main components of the rear
suspension - the arm that connects to the frame and
rear shock to hold the rear
wheel in place while allowing it the up-and-down motion required for an effective suspension system.
Most swingarms are double-sided; that is, they have two tines between which the wheel is affixed. Some, though, (notable are the Honda Hawk and Ducati 916) only mount on one side of the rear wheel. In addition to being very cool-looking, this provides racing benefits because of the quick tire changes it facilitates. Single-sided swingarms are considered very trick.
There also exist front swingarms. Although the vast majority of motorcycles produced today employ telescopic forks in their front suspension setups, a few use swingarms with varying linkages to suspend the front end. A very few motorcycles (like the Britten V1000) employ completely different systems altogether.