Topic: What is everyone stripping off to save weight?

[333]

I'd be interested in hearing that one as well.

And the helium goes IN the tires.

[hondaface75]

Dont the new Nissan Skylines have nitrogen filled tires? Something about heat not changing the tire pressure. Im not sure, but I heard something about it.

[Retro Rocket]

What ways on the side of the road to change without a stand though? Keep in mind you may have nothing at hand to use.

I have "road side assistance" for $70 bucks a year i can get a guy out to do it for me no matter where in Australia i happen to brake down. Also you can use the aerosol can stuff that seals the leak until you can get home. Seriously, the centre stand is a no brainer for me, it just hits the road way too easy in corners, so living without is easy, i have never used one on any of my bikes.....

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

I would suggest purchasing a set of these covers to make your bike go faster, feel lighter, get better mileage...and chicks dig them. 

My bike is a 74CB550. Not stock. Dont care about weight. Only interested in the engineering and creating problems for solving. The bike is old, I am fat and no amount of angle grinder-izing will make it lighter.

One thing I have learned about removing parts off the stock bike is to not sell them, because in 3 years you will have to buy the same parts back....if you can find them. (does anyone have a stock airbox, 4 to 4 pipes...etc.?)

[vrenlos]

There are a lot of dealerships that are pushing Nitrogen filled tires these days - my 2011 WRX has them, and to be quite frank I wish I hadn't gotten talked into paying for lifetime refills for $50 or whatever it was.  Regular old air is ~70% Nitrogen anyway, and while there are a bunch of debates on the subject out there, it's really only for leakage - the weight difference is negligible.

[Retro Rocket]

I would suggest purchasing a set of these covers to make your bike go faster, feel lighter, get better mileage...and chicks dig them. 

Already got them....

[scottly]

i finished early today so went for a ride,just out of interest i rode over to a recycle yard we use and parked my bike on the weighbridge,a 500 with a 550 motor/4-1 and alloy rims,200 kilos! i thought it would have been less,the guy on the bridge says its not real accurate at low weights as itll go up to 60,000 kilos,for example im 80 kilos and itll show 8 as the only digit,i might be 77 kilos?the same bike with chrome rims/500 engine two years ago on a different bridge was 180 kilos!my wifes gonna get upset if i tamper with her good bathroom scales!

I tried to weigh my bike on a similar scale; it only read in 20 pound increments. As there was a bit of a cross-wind, the scale varied between 380-400-420 pounds. I have had better results with a bathroom scale, measuring one end at a time, with the other end on a 2x10 so it is level with the scale.

[Roach Carver]

nitrogen filled tires has not a bit to do with weight. Nitrogen has been used for a while in racing. the benefit is that as a tire heats up the tire expands. not really desireable in racing and unpredictable. 

[Roach]

I got a gym Membership  ...

[754]

My Amen frame had no provision for a c-stand, most custom ones dont. We would prop it up with vartious things, sometimes a helmet, if nothing else to be found.
  I use a stand on my 836 that fits in the rear peg, if I take a 2nd one along I can get the wheel off the ground. If you make them from aluminum they can be pretty light.
 I can remember one for H-Ds that worked with the sidestand, was about 1 1/4 inches by about 7 inches.. slip it on when you need it

[scottly]

It's obvious that some of you can't comprehend the obvious: less weight=better performance. If you can reduce a significant amount of weight by taking a dump or changing your shorts, you have serious issues...  

[seanbarney41]

but Scottly...I simply must have every over weight gadget possible attached to my bike at all times!   Mine has a mini-crane so I can haul the trash to the curb with my bike...ohh, and don't forget the brush hog pto and the snow plow...I even take it on long trips...you just never know...

[Skunk Stripe]

So that is why you still have the front fender back brace. pffft. Amateur. Oh and still with porky overweight spoke wheels.
I mention 1 very good reason to have a stand and you can't even see the obvious. I will fill you in.
Fab a new stand, out of aluminum that fits better and does not drag in corners.
You get the back up of a good stand just in case for the penalty of about a pound. Lay off a couple beers and you got that covered.

[Retro Rocket]

So that is why you still have the front fender back brace. pffft. Amateur. Oh and still with porky overweight spoke wheels.
I mention 1 very good reason to have a stand and you can't even see the obvious. I will fill you in.
Fab a new stand, out of aluminum that fits better and does not drag in corners.
You get the back up of a good stand just in case for the penalty of about a pound. Lay off a couple beers and you got that covered.

You must be using some heavy alloy there dude if you only save a pound, have you ever actually felt the weight of the original steel one.? I also have lighter wheels, brakes, frame, forks, bars, engine{no sleeves} and seat, maybe even get an aluminium tank made up yet....

[333]

First, that aerosol stuff doesn't work with tubed tires.  Then, having someone else change your tire is not an option for many of us.  You inferred there were other ways that YOU could change your own tire, not get someone else to do it.  Why not suggest a magic wand?

The deal with 100% nitrogen in tires is that there is no moisture, which is almost always present with oxygen.  It is moisture that expands with the heat.

And then there's this;

It's obvious that some of you can't comprehend the obvious: less weight=better performance. If you can reduce a significant amount of weight by taking a dump or changing your shorts, you have serious issues...  

Now, I'm not going back a page or two to find who said it, but someone stated something to the affect that "not everyone who is looking to loose some weight is looking for more performance".  So which is it?  An obvious link between weight and performance, or not so much?  Seemed kind of obvious to me.

[Skunk Stripe]

You miss read. A weight penalty of a pound, not a savings of a pound. As in the stand weighs a pound.

[Retro Rocket]

You missed read. A weight penalty of a pound, not a savings of a pound.

Yeah, i got it but you would definitely have more than a pound difference.....I think you missed my point.....

[Skunk Stripe]

I know there would be more than a pound difference. I never said there would not be. I said a decent aluminum stand would be about a pound.
But I have to ask. Are you riding an sohc4? I have to ask as you say you dont even have any sleeves in the engine, different frame. You basically have almost none of the parts that make up a honda sohc4. So at that point, what do you have?

[Retro Rocket]

First, that aerosol stuff doesn't work with tubed tires.  Then, having someone else change your tire is not an option for many of us.  You inferred there were other ways that YOU could change your own tire, not get someone else to do it.  Why not suggest a magic wand?

The deal with 100% nitrogen in tires is that there is no moisture, which is almost always present with oxygen.  It is moisture that expands with the heat.

And then there's this;

It's obvious that some of you can't comprehend the obvious: less weight=better performance. If you can reduce a significant amount of weight by taking a dump or changing your shorts, you have serious issues...  

Now, I'm not going back a page or two to find who said it, but someone stated something to the affect that "not everyone who is looking to loose some weight is looking for more performance".  So which is it?  An obvious link between weight and performance, or not so much?  Seemed kind of obvious to me.

333, why are you even posting here.? You have offered nothing on either side of this debate.. The spray can stuff does work with tubes, i have used it on both tubes an tubeless, Had no choice to use it on a tubeless tyre because it was all i had and my friend had no other way to fix his bike where we were, his bike never had a side stand either {from the factory} I have also used the sidestand to pull the bike on its side and put a piece of wood under the frame next to the engine block and taken the tyre off, i spend more time trying to fix problems mate, not make them worse.
Loosing weight is also about better for stopping distances and less weight to throw around, this benefits long trips, use your brains man, thats what you were given them for...    Here's a question for you, have you ever lightened an older bike ? How would you know what the differences are.? you are speculating only, maybe you have spent too much time playing with your "magic wand".....
Everyone that has posted in favour of lightening has done it and felt the benefits.....whats your point..?

[Retro Rocket]

I know there would be more than a pound difference. I never said there would not be. I said a decent aluminum stand would be about a pound.
But I have to ask. Are you riding an sohc4? I have to ask as you say you dont even have any sleeves in the engine, different frame. You basically have almost none of the parts that make up a honda sohc4. So at that point, what do you have?

A very trick K2 and a modded F1 {both in parts at the moment, i have had over 20 750/4 Honda's.
The K2 has a billet block {1000cc} and nikasil bores, modded frame, {not different} 43mm forks, alloy swingarm, alloy wheels, even the carbs will be lighter than stock. There are plenty of guys here with differernt tanks and wheels and carbs , actually piles of different parts but my bike is a SOHC/4 Honda K2.....A nice light one.....

[scottly]

[qu

different frame. You basically have almost none of the parts that make up a honda sohc4. So at that point, what do you have?

You may have mistaken me for Retro; I have a very rare frame, specifically made for the SOHC 750, #21 out of 302 made by Mr. Collin Seeley.

[kajtek]

rather than read lots of debate on wether or not a lighter bike is better, i would prefer to see debate on what the best methods are to lighten a bike. i.e spoked alloy rims over cast, alloy tank vs glass tank etc. i want to know what i should be doing to make my bike go better!

and just to re-iterate, and lighter bike:

handles better
brakes better
wears parts less
wears tires less
uses less fuel

for some the sacrifice of losing or lightening parts is too great, fair enough. i like my bike to be light.

ashley

[333]

I have also used the sidestand to pull the bike on its side and put a piece of wood under the frame next to the engine block and taken the tyre off

Now, that's what I was expecting.  A true idea on how someone might change a tire without a centerstand.  Not calling the auto club.

And to answer your question, no.  I've never lightened a bike before.  I've added stuff to one before.  I once had a '80 CB125.  It didn't have a centerstand, but the earlier models did.  So, I added one.  And a luggage rack/backrest combo, too.  One would think that with such a small bike, adding all that would slow it down, but no.  No difference.

[754]

I guess if it has to be explained, then they probably wont understand...
 There is the off chance though that they are new to this, and may actually enjoy the benefits.. and to those we will make the effort to explain it..

 Now a heavily extremely modified honda 4.. if you cant tell by the motor what it is. . then you are beyond help.. or maybe it is really a Marchenesi or a Dymag...

 I hear the same shiite on V-twins, except often the cases barrels and heads have been changed.. in which case it is not all H-D..ar maybe none of it is... but it surely is not a Virago or a Shadow.. that is pretty easy for me to see..
 Usually its just a childish grudge against H-D. meaning they cant possibly perform that well  so they are not really a H-D... to me its simply and adult form of taking your ball home becaudse the other platers outplayed you..
 So I will say this to you with mildly modded sohc 4's.. if the day comes you get dusted by a much quicker one.. maybe just maybe. you will understand why.. And if you built an even bigger motor and still cant keep up, maybe its your heavy bike..

[moho]

but Scottly...I simply must have every over weight gadget possible attached to my bike at all times!

Did I buy my bike from you?