so i'v been thinking about all the parts out there that cost way more than the normal version because they might be a couple pounds lighter (i.e. Ti exhausts) and was wondering if its actually worth it. is there anyone out there who has put enough money into a bike to make it noticeably lighter? is it even possible to throw enough money at a bike to make weight loss noticable?


*i am aware that unsprung weight can affect the suspension and braking characteristics- but does it make a difference?

Ask some of the factory riders, there bikes are significantly lighter with the Ti exhaust, carbon fiber guards, etc.

Honestly though, unless you're a serious racer I do not think the amount of dollars spent to performance gained would be all that worth it for most people. I'm still curious as to how much weight you could peel off a bike; did you look into all the different parts you could change out for lighter aftermarket ones?

cantpassthis, on 05 March 2012 - 06:38 PM, said:

easiest way to shave weight is off of yourself or knowing exactly how much fuel you will use in your moto, if you come back to the pit with extra fuel that was extra weight and its heavy. i bought a carbon fiber helmet, drilled out all the bolts in my bike, bought the lighter exhuast, cant tell, dont waste your money, hit the gym

jjhubbard15, on 05 March 2012 - 06:56 PM, said:

x2 rider weight plus physical health make the biggest diffrence i hit the gym and save the extra money for riding

not to hijack the thread but dose anyone know how mutch the factory bikes cost to build?

you can get a used factory bike on ebay for around 20 grand on occasion, thats without factory engine internals, nobody but racers get those

Stop eating fast food. Actually saves you money.
Old story. Most bikes bone stock are way better than the person riding. Save you money to use to get to the track, perform maintenance, fresh tires and the like. Get in killer physical condition.

Funny how I got crucified by making the same observation on another thread, about the few pounds different weight of each bike and how it seems pretty irrelevant if you are a ho-ho stuffing chunky-monkey.

I have had fancy-wancy blue wheels for my yammi...bent one landing on a rock and that was that. Back to stock. Paid tooooomuch for my FMF system. Sticker peeled off within days and well other than the "bomb" part burning my pants whenever I laid it down on that side, the noise just made me have to get a db-dog, to be sure I could pass a sound test.

On my CR...replace as it breaks is my theory. Just chain, sprockets, grips and levers is all I change from stock. With the cost of tuning the suspension and adjusting the valves looming for me, I fight the urge to invest in some bling.

One of my buddy's is a part-time pro-racer and he gets a bone stock bike loaned to him at the beginning of the season and other than tuning the suspension it is all he uses and he rips. It is always a reminder to me that most mods are a waste of money.

2-fiddy, on 06 March 2012 - 06:05 AM, said:

But it sure is fun to do 12oz curls while you're bolting all that stuff on your bike.    I really don't have any non-essential aftermarket stuff on my bike though.

cantpassthis, on 05 March 2012 - 06:38 PM, said:

they aren't more expensive because they weigh less, it's because they're made out of titanium

Edited by ikis86, 06 March 2012 - 07:22 AM.

dirt rider did an article awhile back where they tried making a cr as light as possible i believe they got it down to like 198lbs also had an article with a ktm that they got to 199 lbs. I remeber it costing a lot of money but dont remember if it improved the results

Certain items do make a difference but not by themselves. Light weight batteries are good because they also come with better performance. Lighter muffler vs. catalytic have better flow while reducing heat. These are all for off road/DS riding, MX is a different story because most bikes don’t have these items.

Edited by weantright, 06 March 2012 - 09:32 AM.

10% bike, 90% rider...what do you think?

Standard thickness tubes are a lot lighter than heavy dutys. If pinch flats are a problem tubeless is a light solution. Tires can vary a lot in weight so look'em up or bring a scale to the store. Perfect jetting and float height use a lot less gas so that's less weight to carry around. Ti springs and axles are probably the most cost effective Ti upgrades. Of course a 2stroke engine is at least 10lb lighter than a 4stroke.

Also, I hate that light bike threads always gets c*nted up with people saying to lose fat. Not everyone has extra fat you fatties.

ikis86, on 06 March 2012 - 07:21 AM, said:

titanium is lighter, thats why they make them

stainless is heavy and fairly soft, aluminum is also soft, carbon fiber crumbles after a lot of heat cycles, so in the case of exhaust usage its a strength, corrosive resistance and weight saving

cantpassthis, on 06 March 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

weight isn't the only reason, aluminium is lighter, and much cheaper.

but if you intend to add anything, oversized brakes, hydraulic clutch, hand guards, radiator guards, o-ring chain, spring levers, case guards, you'll never be able to offset the added weight of all these without a factory ride or a lotto ticket

ikis86, on 06 March 2012 - 05:43 PM, said:

aluminum would melt. titanium has no benefit except for weight. and looks

Edited by cantpassthis, 06 March 2012 - 07:32 PM.

Lelandjt, on 06 March 2012 - 11:15 AM, said:

Not true. A tubeless system (in this case Tubliss, as I am not aware of any alternative) is almost as heavy as a HD tube.

I do agrée with the rest of your post though.

Sheriff245, on 07 March 2012 - 03:54 AM, said:

Sheriff245, on 07 March 2012 - 03:54 AM, said:

Sheriff245, on 07 March 2012 - 03:54 AM, said:

the weight gain comes from it being tucked in further in the wheel so less centrifugal force and eliminates the need for the wheel lock, so im told..