Weight Reduction Program

[Michael]

Okay - I've got the bug. Has anyone done a real push to reduce the weight of our favorite ride? Is it possible to reduce the weight of a WR 10 pounds without impacting trail reliability?

I'm thinking the program goes something like this:

Ti Subframe - 2 lbs

Ti Shock spring - 2.5 lbs

DSP composite airbox - 2 pounds

Remove tail light - head light - Odometer & drive - 1.5 lbs

Partial Ti fastner changeout - 1 lbs

There may be more that can be done with lighter tire tubes and other tricks....who knows.

Before someone offers - I know that I could spend some time at the gym and lose the weight and save the pocket book - but I can do that also (and believe me I need to!). This is becoming a challenge - Ideas????

[This message has been edited by Michael (edited 07-02-2001).]

[MN_Kevin]

I have a DSP carbon fibre airbox w/ Doug Henry velocity stack I may be interested in selling.

I paid $475 new and am open to an offer. This is for a 99.

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'99 WZ/YR (you choose!) with ALL YZ mods, de-octopused, DSP Doug Henry airbox w/ velocity stack, FMF PowerBomb header, Stroker SX-1 silencer, SS front brake line, OEM YZ tank, IMS YZ seat.

[Michael]

Hey - I'm interested Kevin - did it work okay for you? Do you need a stock one to replace it? I'll send you an email.

[Unkle_Moose]

Hello Michael. Heres how to save weight on your bike. 1) Remove steering damper/triple clamps and bars, 2)remove Ty Davis Tank, 3)Remove seat and give all parts to to me. That would save you alot of weight. Don't know how you would ride it, oh yeh you don't ride it. Just think of the good time you missed last Sunday watching your kids trying to go up that rock trail after the creek at georgetown ? How about TI Footpegs, and lighter tubes! Thats real smart will be fixing your flats all day

[WR_Jason]

How about remove, drill out, or replace the kickstand. Make up an Aluminum TI or Carbon one. Thats an easy one. This should improve rear shock performance too as the stand rides the swingarm. If your really going for a trim down and you dont use 5th gear much, replace it with plastic spacers. Maybe cut out that steel oil tank and lay up a carbon one. Next get out your drill and grinder, start drilling out all your washers, bolt heads, frame and swingarm, then grind everything down as thin as you dare. Maybe strip all the paint off the frame and just polish it up nice. Oh and shave every other knobbie off your tires. Take all the air out of your tires too, thats about 9lbs per square inch right there ? .

HINT,

if any more than 3 of these ideas sound good to you, lock your self far away from your bike, as one or both of you may be seriously hurt.

[Michael]

Jason - Dude, do you have an okay from your doctor to up the dosage a bit? ? You are over the edge with some of those! The kick stand is off.......and I'm talking to RAH about the Ti one that they are developing. But nothing is lighter than something (even a Ti somthing) so that doesn't count. BTW on a WR the kickstand attaches to the frame just behind the footpeg.

I didn't realize that there was 9 lb/sq-in of air in the tires - that's why they are so heavy! If I reduce the air to 7 lb/sq-in how much weight do you think I'd save?

[WR_Jason]

Well 9 psi - 7 psi = 2 psi X Di(3.14 cubed)

Where Di is the diameter of the tube.

I know the kick stand is on the frame, but if you look at it when its up, It must try to move when the bike bottoms on a flat landing, and thus the inerta contributes to unsuspended mass . Either way its heavy, but I MUST have a kickstad on my bike, so I am going to make a carbon fiber one. It just has to hold the bike up, and all the stress is liniear, so a good tube of carbon should do the trick and weigh less than the spring that holds it up! ? .

Next stop on the extream weight loss program, Carbon fork sliders!!! I was at the Bicycle shop and saw a very heafty looking set of inverted carbon fiber forks for Extream downhill moutain bike riding. They had two billit alum tripple clapms and all. They are made by a local guy that gets $1k for a pair like that. I wonder what he would get for just the upper sliders for your WR?????

[WR_Jason]

I hear you there boxter, you think moutain bikers are nuts, check out the rodies. Top end rode bikes from Trek are between 3600 and 4200 bucks!! I recently broke my carbon fiber aluminum Trek frame, The frame is now made from all aluminum if I get a replacement, so I figure, Ill get the full carbon fiber next modle better frame and just pat the differance,,,,,,,,,, $600 bucks for the upgrade frame!!!!!! WOW. Its a $1100 frame!! Bikers will pay outragous amounts of money for a few grams less weitht. My current bike weighs about 19.5 lbs. I shave off about 1 pound for the extra 600 bucks! the top of the line $4200 bike????? its about 16.5 lbs totoal!

[RetSenior]

I can't resist. Sense you are going to replace 5th gear with a plastic spacer why don't you replace 3rd and 4th gear with a plastic spacer too. I've never seen you use those gears either. Take the kickstarter off too that will save some weight!!!

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AMA, Dist.36, BRC Lifetime Memberships

[This message has been edited by RetSenior (edited 07-03-2001).]

[Ron_in_SoCal]

If you fill your tires with hydrogen you might save a few grams.

Sorry, I too could not resist. ?

[Jason_Williams]

Even if your trying to lose weight don't skimp on the essentials like a TUBE or a FIRST AID KIT. It can be a long ride back on a use to be good rim. seen it happen last weekend!!!!!! one good excel rim out the window!!! Guy didn't have a tube!!!!! 20 mile ride back to the parking lot. jHe said he never carrys a tube because there to heavy!!!! Makes perfect sense?????

[hodaphile]

What about gas? That stuff is really heavy, especially if you have an oversize tank. I put just a splash in, maybe 6 ozs. Then tuck a couple of beers and a 12oz can of gas into my pocket. A little ways out of camp I run out of gas. Tell the guys, no sweat, you go on and I'll just push this thing back. Don't want to ruin your day! Then I pop a beer and wait for them to ride off. When they are out of site I pour in the gas, crush the empty and open the 2nd, finish it and ride back to camp. Ah, the advantages you ask? Fewer riding injuries, less broken bike pieces, no way to prove I'm not as good a rider as I talk.

If you consider this, I add the additional advice. This will increase your standing amongst peers. First, suit up early and show how ready you are. Next, move around helping get everyone else ready. This way they will see that you are so dedicated to helping other that you are sacrificing yourself.

Lastly, you won't have to wash your bike and maintenace it when you get home.

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aka Rich

1996 300 EXC

(dual sported)

1987 Suzuki LT250R

(Glamis chrome beast)

[Unkle_Moose]

Hey Ret Senior Why only take a couple of gears out, why not gut the whole motor ? Since you've seen how many miles Michael puts on his bike just have a hollow motor

You know why my sister said he could buy a bike was that he would leave her alone and work on it in the garage all night and that would leave more time for you to come over and visit her

[This message has been edited by Unkle Moose (edited 07-03-2001).]

[Michael]

Okay - this was meant to be a serious post! I guess you all just don't take your ownership of this fine machine to heart the way I do ? (Kevin - you are obviously the only exception to this observation)

RetSenior - I thought you had your KTM nose stuck up in the air and NEVER visited this site, seems you just have to come around to see how men spend their time, and how real motorcycles get discussed. We have had no injuries on this site from people patting themsleves on the back for buying "girlee bikes" with magic buttons (I understand you strained your shoulder doing just that last week).

Unkle Moose - Mister DNF - You really should try to do something to maintain you bike other than put gas in it. At least wash the blood off it after your last ride. You might even consider paying me for the parts and decals you ripped off from me!

As for the rest of you bums......everyone seems to be getting all hot and bothered over the RC450F - why - it's lighter, it's red, and it's new. I was just wondering where we could go with ours with ours if we really tried to reduce weight. Didn't Clark do a serious attempt at weight reduction? Anyone else out there even care?

[Mook]

Well,

you could take off the coolant resevoir, the YZ does not have it and it works fine. there is also the light, which can be put back in if you need it. Shave your seat. Only fill up with the gas you need, requires pre-planning though. there are probably more ways to skimp on weight.

Here is a question for you... why? I know the obvious reason. but, if you think about a bike like the XR250R which stock weighs almost exactly the same as the WR250F but "feels" lighter because of the weight distribution (lower center of gravity). IMO, the XR250R is a much lighter bike out the box than the WR. You would have to look at the specs just to know it is the same weight. After some good mods for me it feels much better. It feels just as heavy when you have to pick it up off the ground though.

Okay, here's my point. Shave off the easy weight from you body and the bike. But before you make BBR and the others more rich. Consider what will make the bike more responsive and feel lighter. It is possible. The big difference for me was the IMS/ty davis seat and tank. The tank being thinner and deeper (sits much lower than the stock tank) throws that liquid weight of the gas to a lower fulcrum point. shaving your seat and even lowering the suspension can help with this.

my .02

peace,

Mike

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2001 WR250F - Snorkle out, t-stop cut, grey wire mod, YZ timed, DR.D Pipe, Cycra Pro-Bend guards, Ty Davis/IMS seat and tank, handlebar hot start, panoram computer, Mich S-12 Rear/ Mich starcross MS2 front, Ty Davis rad supports (don't waste you money on these), Scotts Damper and triple clamp w/ Protaper bars, stock jetting, fuel screw 1.75 out, that's about it...

[This message has been edited by Mook (edited 07-03-2001).]

[Dan_Lorenze]

Too funny!!!

I have a friend that has taken off his kickstand and everytime we stop for a break he has to look and look and look for a tree or rock big enough to prop it on, I think that if the WR did'nt come with a kickstand we would all be talking about putting one on. Alot of the parts we buy for our bikes put weight on like skidplates ,radiator guards, frame guards, shark fins, steering stabilizers etc... but I think all of those parts are worth every ounce of weight, those parts can really save you big time. I also feel that the biggest drawback that our bikes have IS the weight factor. But Yamaha is the one that should be spending all of the money getting all the weight down, not us. KTM did it!! Even with the magic button!! Honda WILL do it too. My guess is that we will see the WR get lighter within the next two years. To me spending hundreds to save two pounds is out of the question, I can find better ways to spend my money.

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WR426f IMS/SDG, Scotts clamp,shark fin & dampner, Pro-taper, Hebo , Pacemaker 3, Procurcuit T4

[This message has been edited by Dan Lorenze (edited 07-03-2001).]

[Unkle_Moose]

Hey Michael Yes I did wash the blood ? off of my bike. I thaught if I used a Manzanita Bush to rip open my arm and spew lots of blood I would loose weight But how was I to know that my head would get lighter before my bike:confused. To bad you don't ride your bike or you could see all this fun stuff we do

[Michael]

I agree with both Dan and Mook. I'm not so interested in just reducing weight, but if I can pull the weight from high on the bike and lower the CG - it will "feel" much lighter. I do miss the kickstand on trail rides, so I will add one back on when I find a light one. I would never take off the damper, handguards, skid plates, sharkfin, or any of the other mods that do add a bit of weight - but the headlight and taillight is not I use often (and can add back on as needed). I'm looking to see what can be done and if it would be worth the money.......

This isn't something for the faint of heart. Near as I can figure, it will cost also $150/lb to reduce the weight, up to about 11 lbs, then it gets really expensive. I'm going play and see where this leads. I'll keep you posted, maybe we get together and you can judge for yourselves. Mean while - I've got about two pounds to lose from my aXX for every pound I take off the bike....I gotta go work out.

[boxsterboy]

I just dropped 15 pounds of my WR and plan on dropping another 15 by the end of August.

How did I do it. I stated doing more cardio and laying off the chunky chews and beer...

seriously, I have a freind obsessed in dropping weight on his mountain bike. He should have stated with the extra 20 pounds he's carrying.

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01 WR426 Uncorked.

[David_W]

On roadbikes, one of the first places to lighten is the wheels. This improves the suspension operation because of improved sprung/unsprung weight ratio, and improves acceleration, braking and turning because of less inertia to overcome.

I know the stock excel rims are pretty good, but are there better options for hubs/rims?

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'00 WR400F, YZ Timing, FMF Power Core IV2, Renthal Bars.