Weight savings

[ZX1441r]

Where can you loose the most weight on this bike ?

 

[Radioguylogs]

In my case, my stomach. I'm 6'0" 175 lbs.

 

[MaxMidnight]

The one single thing I guess it would be the exhaust system but don't know by how much.

I doubt that you would notice any significant change in performance by reducing weight of a single item. To state the bleedin' obvious, you would need to lighten or remove quite a few components to make a difference. Even then I wonder how much?

Changing the OE wheels to Dymags will save you 3lb at the front and 7lb at the rear, you could also loose the centre stand.
There are other components you could remove e.g. lights, indicators and other items of trim. Get the drill out and there may be other savings to be made.
You could also run the bike with a minimum fuel level but I would think that could cause issues.

If you were using the bike in competition the effort may be worthwhile but for normal road use I have my doubts.

 

[02GF74]

^^^ as he said

Most benefit is reducing weight in unsprung mass, namely wheels, tyres, brakes.

The R1 4 pot callipers look to be lighter than the Vmax 4 pot but may not be lighter than the 2 pot.

Trim such as fake tank, side panels, scoops and radiator trim would save a couple of kgs.

Possibly carbon fibre mudguards but that's ££££.

Modifying the seat to make it lighter?

 

[Fire-medic]

Li-ion battery is an easy one. Losing the centerstand. Aftermarket exhaust.

On another note, the 'weight' of bad habits is an easy way to shed psychic weight which can definitely interfere with your ability to properly-use the bike to its potential. A lot of riders aren't properly-using the braking capacity. That's especially-true of new riders: "Use the front brakes, and you'll pitch yourself right-over the handlebars!" is an old chestnut of inaccurate information.

 

[marsmax85]

Change the front end to the early years front end

 

[02GF74]

^^^ good call on the battery.

 

[Fire-medic]

Change the front end to the early years front end

Or Sean's Tokico single huge rotor/6-piston caliper.

 

[ZX1441r]

I guess I wasn't specific enough! I Just swapped out the stock system for a Hindle full exhaust, didn't think about weighing them while I did the work, just thought somebody would already have that info handy ??

 

[Zeus36]

The original poster, ZX1441r, has a 2nd Gen VMAX, so no center stand to lose.

This is a heavy motorcycle. Your largest weight reduction would be deleting the catalytic converter. Since you've already gone with a full Hindle exhaust, I'm thinking you have already eliminated the cat.
If your goal is a dedicated bike for the drag strip, here are some weight savings mods:

Remove all plastic body panels

Remove mirrors

Remove front and rear fenders, license plate mount, tail light

Remove stock bars - convert to carbon fiber drag bars

Remove the shock/convert to rigid mount strut suspension

Remove all lighting, turn signals, headlamp

Remove faux gas tank

Convert seat to a single pad

Convert gas tank to one gallon composite racing tank

Remove front brake and master cylinder

Remove passenger foot pegs

Remove muffler(s)



Many of the above are extreme mods that would not be legal for street use.

You could also go this route:

 

[ZX1441r]

Not really a drag only bike but a streetbike that gets to go to the dragstrip occasionally. It would be nice to have a 9 sec streetbike. With the additional power from the basic mods and the weight savings, that should get me a little closer !

 

[Bobvmax123]

IS 10 LBS LESS TO ADD 1HP ?

 

[Parminio]

IS 10 LBS LESS TO ADD 1HP ?

Shedding weight doesn't add horsepower per se, it decreases the horsepower to weight ratio.

Example: Let's take a factory Gen 1 Vmax. It weighs 635 pounds and produces a max of 145 HP.

That gives you a ratio of roughly 4.4 to 1. Meaning that each horsepower you have has to move 4.4 pounds of weight. To give some perspective, a Ferrari 458 Italia weighs in at about 3,500 pounds and produces 560 horsepower.

That gives the Ferrari a ratio of 6.25 to 1.

Here comes the funny part: The two will run about the same quarter mile - around 11.5 seconds. (The Vmax simply runs out of horsepower after it gets rolling as the Ferrari comes into its own.)

So the fastest way to make your bike or car quicker is to shed weight.

Put an aftermarket exhaust on that same Gen 1 Vmax, maybe get a lighter lithium-ion battery, get rid of some instrumentation and unnecessary parts like the air box cover, etc. and let's say all of that drops about 25 pounds off the bike.

Well, now, without touching the engine at all, you've moved your ratio from 4.4 pounds per horsepower to 4.2 pounds per horsepower.

That may not seem like a huge difference, but you will see it on the clock (provided you're running consistently, of course.) That 25 pounds could take you from 11.5 seconds down to 11 flat, maybe a bit beyond.

It makes a big difference. Again, only against a clock for the most part. To see a real difference in day to day riding it would take a pretty dramatic drop in weight.

Shed weight AND improve the engine performance though and you're talking about massive gains. The two really do go hand in hand.

 

[Woody]

Shedding weight doesn't add horsepower per se, it decreases the horsepower to weight ratio.

Example: Let's take a factory Gen 1 Vmax. It weighs 635 pounds and produces a max of 145 HP.

That gives you a ratio of roughly 4.4 to 1. Meaning that each horsepower you have has to move 4.4 pounds of weight. To give some perspective, a Ferrari 458 Italia weighs in at about 3,500 pounds and produces 560 horsepower.

That gives the Ferrari a ratio of 6.25 to 1.

Here comes the funny part: The two will run about the same quarter mile - around 11.5 seconds. (The Vmax simply runs out of horsepower after it gets rolling as the Ferrari comes into its own.)

So the fastest way to make your bike or car quicker is to shed weight.

Put an aftermarket exhaust on that same Gen 1 Vmax, maybe get a lighter lithium-ion battery, get rid of some instrumentation and unnecessary parts like the air box cover, etc. and let's say all of that drops about 25 pounds off the bike.

Well, now, without touching the engine at all, you've moved your ratio from 4.4 pounds per horsepower to 4.2 pounds per horsepower.

That may not seem like a huge difference, but you will see it on the clock (provided you're running consistently, of course.) That 25 pounds could take you from 11.5 seconds down to 11 flat, maybe a bit beyond.

It makes a big difference. Again, only against a clock for the most part. To see a real difference in day to day riding it would take a pretty dramatic drop in weight.

Shed weight AND improve the engine performance though and you're talking about massive gains. The two really do go hand in hand.

Less beers equals more horses. You can shave weight off the bike or your belly. End results the same.less weight to propel down the track.

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

Don't forget the battery. Converting to a lion will save at least 10lbs.

 

[Woody]

My question about the lithium ion battery is.
How come when I read up on them. They recommend a lithium ion charger.how is it with the vmax charging system? Hard to believe 1985 charging system is up for the task. Any experts have the answer?
I like the lithium unbelievable how light they are.

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

Conventional battery chargers hit the battery hard at first and as the battery charges reduce the power and the lion batteries do not like that. I've been running one for 5 years in my bike with zero problems.

 

[jlewis02]

10lbs on a motorcycle is about a tenth off the 1/4miles times.
10hp is about the same gains.
9s and faster will take more hp and weight to go the same tenth

 

[Parminio]

Don't forget the battery. Converting to a lion will save at least 10lbs.

In what universe?

An acid filled Vmax battery only weighs 9 pounds.

A comparable Lithium Ion weighs 2.5 pounds.

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

Well the PC680 that I replaced weighed 13.45 lbs. Why do you always feel the need to be a dick? I can't imagine being one of your kids. At least on the forum we can call you out. I just can't imagine being physically smaller than you (like a child) and having to put up with your insults and air of superiority. Your input would be welcomed and appreciated if you could just participate without your not so subtle jabs. Either way enough for me.