Weight loss?

[Commodus]

Time to revive an old thread. I stand 5'10-5'11 depending on who you ask and weigh 115lbs (no kidding) lacking the mass required to flick my bike quickly into a corner, what are my options? should I in fact just wait until I can afford a lighter bike or try to make my 850g better suited to me?

Buy another (lighter) bike or hit the gym. I don't think you'll ever make an 850G light enough to make you happy.

[Nerobro]

They knocked like 80 lbs off the FE katana. And for racing they knocked 100lbs off the GS1000. :-) There's a lot of weight to be lost.

[RJ]

Newer sportbikes have aluminum frames. Not much you can do to remedy that with a GS.

[gsgeezer]

weight loss

I have stripped a couple of bikes to take off weight (I did lose 30lbs, myself!)
both the GS1000 and a ZL900 Eliminator. The stock shocks, springs, footpegs, seat, (sissy bar, too) mirrors, turn signals, not to mention, of course, the pipes, are all pretty heavy. I sold the stock stuff and bought lighter replacements for everything, except for the seat, which was shaved and recovered. My GS has stock rear shocks, but I would like to replace those, too.

(I also used Racetech front springs on the front of the ZL and was able to dial in the front end better. They are also lighter.) I weighed myself and took the bike to the feed store and weighed it.

I was able to lose about 35 lbs, compared with stock. The looks is more streamlined, too.
I hate the look of highway bars, sissy bars, handlebars, seat config. and turn signals that look like they belong on a tug boat.
Just my opinion, of course! Since many folks like the stock look, I was able to sell my stock pipes on both bikes and the turnsignals, etc...

[gsgeezer]

Weight loss II swing arm

I forgot that there is a guy in Blacksburg, VA that used to be on the resources, and he make billet swing arms for any bike for a very reasonable cost. He even would just make up bushings for you, if you want, to take out the slop and lose weight! I think his name is Rick....
If I were keeping my GS, I would think about doing this, then you could use whatever wheel/tire you want.
All of this costs so much that I will probably just get another gs that all of this has already been done too!

[Nerobro]

Newer sportbikes have aluminum frames. Not much you can do to remedy that with a GS.

Aluminum isn't inherantly lighter. Look at bimota, ducati, and other neiche mfgs. Steel can be very very light. The RF600 and RF900 were within a few pounds of their competition, and they used steel frames. Same for the first two generations of GSXR.

Aluminum's advantage comes from being thicker for the same weight! It's easier to form materials when they're thicker. For really light tubes, shells, and other shapes, steel is gets frighteningly thin. The other option is to use smaller diameter tubes, again I"ll refrence ducati, bimota, and many home builders. The big reason for abandoning steel frames is manufacuring. Aluminum is easier to form, and requires use of thicker sections for the same strength. That also lets you use wider tolerances in section thickness.

Have you picked up a bare frame? They really are quite light. It seriously gives you the he-man thing when you grab a bare GS frame. :-) On the frame, you can probally pull off half a pound to three pounds depending on how much your'e willing to remove. (tabs, excess frame length, passenger pegs and mounts, swingarm, aluminum or hollow tripple trees, I could go on....)

*blah blah* billet *blahblah&* slop and lose weight! *blahblah* then you could use whatever wheel/tire you want.

Beware, unless it's REALLY special, billet anything tends to be heavier than built up, or hollow peices. Tubular, thin wall, and box section peices tend to be stronger. The stock bearings on the GS's are one of their strengths. The swingarm uses roller bearings which is the hot ticket if you want a long lasting swingarm bearing. Yamaha used plastic, Honda used rubber or bushings.

though.. getting the choice of swingarm width would be nice. :-) But then you're still limited by sprocket offset, and eventually the side of the frame gets in the way. It'll sound funny.. but I've considered going to narrower tires at the back.

[duaneage]

A bare 650G frame weighs about 45 LBS. Your not going to save much total weight even if it was made from aluminum, 15 lbs if your lucky.

Inside the modern engines they have lightened many things, Some even have TI connecting rods. Where the GS used solid bits many parts today are hollow. A water cooled engine has no fins so it could be lighter. With water colling the engine the wall thickness can be less and water weighs less than metal.

[Nerobro]

As weird as it sounds, water cooling is MUCH lighter. YOu can make the engine narrower, because you can space cylinder closer. that leads to a ligher block, narrower crankcase, smaller crankshaft, smaller camshafts, lighter carburator rack, better temprature control so you get more horsepower.

don't take that as me saying that you can't trim a ton of weight off of these bikes. :-) And we can.