I really would like to hear what exactly is UNSPRUNG WEIGHT? Can someone please explain? I need some good explanations of what it is and how and what effects it has on your bike. Also, how you can save UNSPRUNG WEIGHT from your bike.

Unsprung Weight - The total weight of the vehicle not supported by the suspension system. For example wheels and tires.

Sprung Weight - The weight of the vehicle that loads the suspension. Equal to the overall weight minus the unsprung weight.

If i'm not mistaken, unsprung weight is anything that does not effect the shock or forks. For example, both wheels, rear sprocket, chain, brake rotors, and I would even say the swingarm is unsprung weight. As far as saving weight there isn't much you can do unless you have an unlimited amount of cash flow. talon hubs, wave rotors, lightened sprocket, ect. You could save alot of unspring weight going with convitional forks but there isn't much tech. in conventional forks. Unsprung weight is kinda important that some exist because your back wheel would break loose all the time if there wasn't.
There is more options to save sprung weight than unsprung. The more sprung weight that you can loose will actually help in two areas. First you lower the overall weight, plus doing so you lower the center of gravity of your bike making it easier to move the bike around. Today bikes are the lighest that I have ever seen. Back in the day imagine thowing around a 230 lb bike all day with half the suspension that we have now.:ride:

So... what would be the difference of unsprung weight on a bike that is stock and one that has heavy duty tubes, stainless steel sprocket and x-ring chain??? What effects would it have on the bike?

polarbear said:

you would get less flats and do less maintenance and ride more, so you would have more fun. unless you were amazingly sensitive, i would be surprised if you noticed anything else. in theory, having to accelerate that extra weight should make the suspension slightly less responsive and possibly trickier to tune just right, but in real life, i sure as heck can't tell a difference.

my problem is sprung spodeliness. the amount of spodeliness that is above the springs on my bike is often considerable, and has a deleterious effect on the handling of the bike in difficult situations.