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Aluminum Framed Bikes and Honda?

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Dirtriding4life

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Not true. Yamaha has made an even better frame (YZ125/250). KTM has made an even lighter bike without an aluminum frame at all (250sx). Kawa-zuki is a brother company who merged for some bikes. The only reason the RM-Z450's frame looks like Honda's is because Honda's 450 is awesome. Personally, I think it is the only good bike Honda makes. Did you ever notice why all the magazines are saying that the new RM-Z handles and even feels like a 04 Honda? Suzuki Copied it. Honda must have been stupid by not getting enough copyrights.

The reason Honda has such a good frame now is that they stuck with it through the worst. The 1997 CR250 (First year of the aluminum frame) stunk. It was (is) the worst handling inverted fork bike to date. The frame didn't flex at all!

Honda's frame hasn't been all that good for a long time. In fact, in the past few years only has it shined. Although, the past couple years that awesome handling hasn't mattered because the Honda's hasn't had the power to keep up with 125's.

I sure hope you learned a lesson. Some Honda guys are going to hate me for this, but that is too bad. Schooling them is worth it!

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brrpr

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Husaberg frames are the coolest by far. Take a look at the airfilter on a Husaberg...

Yamaha was making twin spar aluminum frames as early as the 1994 YZF400. They called it the DeltaBox...

The 650R aluminum frame is a spitting image of the 600R's steel frame--but the aluminum frame weighs 2 pounds more!

Personally i think steel frames are far better for off road. Much better flex.

Way to much feedback from a rigid aluminum frame for good handling off road....

Point is:

Theres way way way more to frames than 'aluminum is better'

The coolest frame ever made?

Torsten Hallmans all Ti frame!! now that was innovation...

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Grand Master

MXOldtimer

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The bike companies are headed to the Alum frame because that's what the consumer wants. It doesn't matter if it works better as long as it's cool looking.

Just look at the waste of $'s putting on Renthal bars, doesn't matter if they're the wrong bend as long as they have the sticker.

Look how many people complain because the YZ-250F doesn't have Excel rim, 99.999 out of a hundred would know the difference but they have to have the sticker.

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SDUB

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The bike companies are headed to the Alum frame because that's what the consumer wants. It doesn't matter if it works better as long as it's cool looking.

Just look at the waste of $'s putting on Renthal bars, doesn't matter if they're the wrong bend as long as they have the sticker.

Look how many people complain because the YZ-250F doesn't have Excel rim, 99.999 out of a hundred would know the difference but they have to have the sticker.

Sorry, but I don't see a bar like Renthal being a waste of money. I'm able to remember what it was like replacing bars on a regular basis, because any hard crash would bend them. Only once in ten years have I been able to bend a Renthal or Pro Taper bar. I've actually transferred Renthals from the old bike to new bikes at times. Waste of money?

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Grand Master

MXOldtimer

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Sorry, but I don't see a bar like Renthal being a waste of money. I'm able to remember what it was like replacing bars on a regular basis, because any hard crash would bend them. Only once in ten years have I been able to bend a Renthal or Pro Taper bar. I've actually transferred Renthals from the old bike to new bikes at times. Waste of money?

I didn't mean Renthal bars were a waste of money.

If you can ride with stock bars that fine but the first thing people do to dial in their bike is get bars that fit your body size and riding position. Taking off a cheap steel bar and hanging it on the wall until resale time was fine but Renthal bars and hanging on the wall until resale is a big waste of $'s.

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Grand Master

bikedude127

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Yamaha was making twin spar aluminum frames as early as the 1994 YZF400. They called it the DeltaBox...

Personally i think steel frames are far better for off road. Much better flex.

Way to much feedback from a rigid aluminum frame for good handling off road....

Point is:

Theres way way way more to frames than 'aluminum is better'

The coolest frame ever made?

Torsten Hallmans all Ti frame!! now that was innovation...

I think Yami did some experimenting on a 91 or 92 YZ 125/250 with Alum frame :naughty:

I may have to agree with this. My new YZ250 is AWESOME, but after doing the desert 100 this weekend, I know Im gonna need to soften up the suspenders. Felt every bump all day and it beat the cheeza outta me.

The bike flat out rippppps though, and when the suspenders are good, all will be just short of extraordinary!!! :naughty:

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crazyYammi

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Did you respring the bike for your weight? this makes a huge difference. mine used to beat the piss out of me too.

I think Yami did some experimenting on a 91 or 92 YZ 125/250 with Alum frame :naughty:

I may have to agree with this. My new YZ250 is AWESOME, but after doing the desert 100 this weekend, I know Im gonna need to soften up the suspenders. Felt every bump all day and it beat the cheeza outta me.

The bike flat out rippppps though, and when the suspenders are good, all will be just short of extraordinary!!! :naughty:

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ttr125lerider

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the only brand i can think of "copying" the honda frame has been the kawasaki/suzuki.. and thats really only one because theyre the same freakin thing. was honda even lighter than yamaha when yamaha had the steel frame. hondas frame dosn't even really make it lighter. yamaha dropped 10 pounds off their bike in one year when hondas had that frame for like 3-4 years and it was still as heavy as the steel frame :naughty:

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stk0308

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I wouldnt accuse anyone of 'copying' Honda either. What they are copying is the twinspar frame design that has been on sportbikes for ages.

That's what I was thinking. Bimota was one of the first to make road bikes with aluminium twinspar frames. Little European brand(Cobas, Derbi, Krauser, etc) 50, 80, and 125 cc GP Road racers were using it before then. If anything Honda copied Cobas designs to achive their twinspar frames of today.

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Grand Master

CaptDan

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...Yamaha was making twin spar aluminum frames as early as the 1994. They called it the DeltaBox...
...the twinspar frame design that has been on sportbikes for ages.

It's funny how many dirt bikers don't know about streetbike design.

If a design proves beneficial, it WILL spread across the market. Think about how we got where we are now - single-shock rear suspension, upside-down forks, disc brakes, etc. Now think what your bike would be like if manufacturers did not "copy".

Only the people who have not witnessed this spread of technology before will be saying "copy". :naughty:

Dan.

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Grand Master

Kev_XR

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Anyone remember when swingarms went from steel to aluminum?

Seen a steel swingarm lately?

Interesting that the Yamaha design is more similar to the Honda XR650R design than the CRF450. It looks like other companies are going with the twin spar design.

Five years from now, we'll be talking about carbs vs fuel-injection.

Or does anyone remember kickstarters. :naughty:

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JohnnyOfast

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More pictures of Yamaha's alumin. can.

They look heavy to me (I'm sure they're not). I was hoping it would be like the 2-smoke where you could actually retro-fit an alum. frame to an '04 and probably '02 & '03, but it does not look like that will hold true for the 4 strokes (when they say re-designed 450 motor makes me think it coulndt' happen). :naughty:

http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=7371

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