I thought you were the only guy obsess with weight but I was reading a mag the other and and this bloke is taking the Rookism to different stratospheres...Enjoy lol

Repsol Fan

* Last updated by: dragking on 3/8/2014 @ 11:27 PM *

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All seems very practical to me!

Those aluminum fuel tanks seem very nice if you can find one made for your bike. One of the busa.org guys had one specially made for his busa. He claims it didn't really save a lot of weight though? Cost him a couple thousand.

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I understand the hobby, especially if you have $$ to throw away but instead of going that route I would just buy a Super bike or a Moto GP bike from a team that had gone bankrupt. Now there is some pleasure in doing it yourself from scratch but I don't have the patience! I'm all about saving lbs or kilos but grams and ounces? That's just too much.

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I understand the hobby, especially if you have $$ to throw away

I used to, but not anymore.

but I'm always scheming a new way to get some $ for mods.

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but I'm always scheming a new way to get some $ for mods

Organized crime???? Keep it legal Rook!!! lol. I need to find a hobby that can pay for this one myself. Maybe I should reconsider the photography thing again.

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Maybe I should reconsider the photography thing again.

That would be another money pit waiting to happen, I'm afraid.

I'm planning a project to remove the control pods and relocate all the necessary switches. Then go with shorter bars. Should save 6-8 oz. Not too expensive but very time consuming,

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Wow! You're going hard!! I'm afraid the mod would make the steering slower and harder. The only reason I would replace the bars is so that I can set them wider. My long arms and knees could use more room and it should make the steering quicker/easier. It would then make the bike less aerodynamic but how much do I spend in a straight flat out? Keep me posted!

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The bars are angled back a little bit. Cut them shorter and you will need to reach forward more, I'd think. I'd also like to bend the bars down a few degrees. It would look cool IMO. You are probably right that there would be more resistance to the steering. I'd still give it a try.

Now how about the subframe in the tail? The square tubes can go if you don't have a passenger. 2 pounds, I'll bet.

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Wow! I wouldn't like to mess with the geometry that much! Especially if that doesn't make you faster. I remember reading that Busas need less HP (4-6 HP) to reach 200 mph. It's not just about being lighter, it's where etc. When you're done with the 14, you should take it to a speed event and use the Busa as a bench mark. Then you can see what works or not. It sure will be interesting. I would love to see where exactly the superbike teams. Like to save weight.

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I don't see that removing the tail sub frame would change the geometry a bit. far as I can see, they are just there to add support for a passenger. No change in the angle of anything. I suppose it is possible that there is an optimum distribution of weight but that would be a very fine point. Add NOS and the weight distribution changes just as much as removing the sub frame. You have riders of all different weights and body shapes and that doesn't seem to affect the bikes geometry as long as the suspension is set. Lighter riders are generally considered to have an advantage though.

At this point, I can't tell any dif by shedding a couple pounds form the bike. If I could do several such mods and then ride the bike, I think I would but there is no way to tell after one small weight reduction. I might be surprised at how little if any dif there is. It's just more of an obsession at this point. As mentioned in other threads, I feel like I need to go easier on the throttle with the lightweight wheels. Heavier might actually be better for me at my skill level. But the obsession continues. I do like the way the bike feels at very low speed with all the weight removed but that is my only real world indication that what I'm doing is a good thing. What would be very helpful would be to ride someone else's 14 with just an aftermarket exhaust. That would be a true eye opener.

As far as a speed event comparo, that's just a dream for me. The highway tests don't seem to yield a lot of difference in acceleration between the busa and the 14 that I can feel. It would take an actual race. Maybe when Kruz comes up here this summer???? Anyway, the 14 has shorter gearing and the busa is stock which I am sure would make a huge difference in a race. That's the only way you would see it though. You know, going an eight mile, both bikes get up to 120-130 but I can't feel that. In a race however, one might get a huge leap on the other. I'd bet the 14. Still, need another 14 with 17/45 gearing to really get a good idea.

I've been told, the weight reduction doesn't make a great deal of difference when it comes to out and out acceleration. It's the cornering that should be improved with a lighter bike but there is a lot more to cornering than weight reduction as you know. It's about the better rider there and not so much about power/weight.

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An obsession huh! I almost went done that road. I don't know... I think I'm a pretty sensitive rider, when the temps, are ideal, the tires are at the right pressures etc my riding is so much different! A little thing is off and I'm not feeling it. I noticed a big difference by just upgrading to the Shorai. All it took was the first corner outside of my complex. The wheels, helped my transitions big time, especially at high speeds (120-150mph). Everything is just effortless. I had a buddy who rides a GXSR with a little stretch and he was amazed at how my big girl dove into corners. As far as the acceleration out of corners, you've got a more aggressive setting than me on the gearing. The OEM gearing is perfect for my needs so far. I just downshift and blip the throttle before entering a corner and power out from 6-7k RPM. Even with the PR3 (which are horrible in hot weather and picky on roads) I haven't experienced any scary moments, just short and steady slides sometimes. That being said , I need to get an appointment to adjust my suspensions, I feel like I could use a more forgiving set up now since I have shaved a little more weight.

Are doing any track days this summer. Get to one that has a good tuner and you can test different set up. Keep in mind that the OEM suspensions have only two settings too harsh and too soft lol

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Just stop eating...........cheap weight reduction :-)

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when the temps, are ideal, the tires are at the right pressures etc my riding is so much different!

This is true. Sadly, there was not a whole lot of saddle time for me last summer. Things may be different this year (I hope)

Are doing any track days this summer. Get to one that has a good tuner and you can test different set up. Keep in mind that the OEM suspensions have only two settings too harsh and too soft lol

If some money comes from somewhere unexpectedly, I would. I asked the suspension tuners at Blackhawk farms about setting up my stock suspension. They just scratched their heads. They said there was not a lot they could do with it if it was not an aftermarket suspension like Ohlins or Penske. Sounds like a couple shade tree suspension tuners to me. Maybe I will try tightening up on mine. From what I hear, some people are running a tighter suspension than I have right now and there is still room to tighten up if I want.

Just stop eating...........cheap weight reduction :-)

That is the plan starting tomorrow. If the bike isn't enough motivation, a trip to the pool with my daughters scout group this summer should do it for me. I'm not being seen with extra flab. Also have to do something about that mat of hair up the front. Starting to have some real issues with back hair too. I bet I could lose a half pound by just having my body hair waxed!

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Picked up some titanium.

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woooooooooooo-WOOO! nice! I have aluminum sprocket nuts. Cheaper and a little bit lighter but I am not so sure about the steel helicoil in there. I felt one turn a bit inside the nut when I was torqueing it. I ended up going kind of loose on the torque spec and I used never-seize. Hope I don't have a problem when I go to remove them.

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Love the purple haze Cornelius. I have been thinking about switching all my rotor bolts (already Ti) to that color. My tuner almost hugged me when I told him I wanted to switch to Ohlins. I remember him saying my OEM stuff wasn't even enough for an SV650 with an aggressive rider.

* Last updated by: dragking on 5/11/2014 @ 9:28 PM *

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Where did you get those in titanium? Do they come in a green?!

C

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I got Ti rotor bolts for a ZX-14 from ProBolt USA. About $11/piece. LOL! don't know if they have Green??

not that lightweight bolts ever are a big weight loss mod but the Ti rotor bolts I got were

.54 oz / OEM bolt

.26 oz / Ti bolt.

14 bolts, front and rear. 7.56 oz OEM, 3.67 oz for Ti = 3.89 oz of rotating mass gone!

They do have a nice finish.

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/16/2014 @ 5:19 PM *

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I bought them straight from pro bolt's website.

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