Often forgotten is that a longer wheelbase maintains better control when speed increases, all other factors being equal. Think of it this way. One section of road is 1" higher than the next and the transition is effectively a very small cliff. When the front tire rolls over the transition at slow speeds it just drops down onto the lower section. At higher speeds, it will be airborne for a fraction of a second before touching down on the lower section. Now imagine going fast enough that the front tire is still airborne when the rear tire goes off the transition. For a very small fraction of a second, no wheels have contact and there is zero control. A longer wheelbase gives more time for the front wheel to touch down before the rear wheel gets airborne. It isn't very much time... milliseconds, but that is enough for riders to feel that one of two bikes is more skittish at speed when they handled the same at lower velocities.

:)ensen.