She's getting heavier

[weymouth399]

Any of you guys that have done wheel and suspension mods, ever weigh your bike since. I would like to put one of my FJs on a diet. 580ish lbs she could use a diet. Any Ideas? (not selling it to buy a lighter bike)

Bob W

[simi_ed]

Not yet, but it may happen yet ...

[weymouth399]

Some of you may know some car racer type, that will weigh it on his scales. If not a couple of bathroom scales will do.
I think weight loss would be a good mod, even better if it's byproduct of ones you already done.
I do know a 180 17 zx7 rear wheel weighs (newer tire) the same as a stock 16 rear wheel.(older tire)

Bob W

[Pat Conlon]

Hello Bob. A couple of years ago, I measured the weight difference between the oem rear rim/tire assembly and my T-Ace rim/tire combo, which showed a 5 lb. savings. Here's what I came up with:
1) 1992 FJ1200 oem assembly with 150/80-16 Dunlop, 40 tooth steel sprocket/cush drive and oem brake rotor: 41.0 lbs
2) 1997 YZF ThunderAce 5.5x17 with a 180/55-17 Pilot Road 2, 40 tooth aluminum sprocket/cush drive and Galfer Wave rotor:  36.0 lbs

The '84-'87 older style FJ rear rims are even heavier than the newer '89+ 3 spoke rims, so the weight savings would be even greater.

Also, I think I saved ~18 lbs by removing the rear mufflers and installing the light Cobra F-1R slip ons.

[markmartin]

I bought a Shorai Lithium Ultra Low Weight Powersports Battery 9Ah 12V eq  for my CRF 230 and saved 3.3 lbs over the standard OEM battery.

Every bit counts.

I also removed my kickstand and headlight kit, but these weight reduction efforts might be a bit drastic for your FJ.

[Travis398]

put a pipe on that POS

[SlowOldGuy]

Hey Pat,
Let me know how many feet you get out of that aluminum rear sprocket.  :-)

Aside from the wheels and exhaust, I'm not sure where you can shed "excess" weight on an FJ.  And will it really make that much difference?  I mean are you using over 90% of the potential and need that extra reduction to flick through that S curve?  Really?

When I was involved in Sprint Car racing, our setup guy was obsessed with changing the car for every race.  We would totally rebuild the suspension between races; swap torsion bars, shocks, different tire stagger, cross weight, etc.  We'd give the poor driver a totally different feeling chassis every time he went out.  He'd waste several laps trying to figure out what the car could do compared to what it did last race.  

We won the most races when the "setup guy" wasn't there.  We'd run decent in the heat and then just sit there and wait for the feature.  Maybe tighten the car up for a drying track, but nothing drastic.  Most of our best runs were on nights when we did practically nothing to the car.  I've seen the setup guy agonize over a 1/4 inch wheel spacer before a race.  My though was always: If our driver isn't worth a 1/4 inch spacer, maybe we need a different driver.  

My point being, a 2% weight savings is not going to transform the FJ into an R1.  It is what it is (which is NOT all that bad).

DavidR.

[Pat Conlon]

Hey Pat,
Let me know how many feet you get out of that aluminum rear sprocket.  :-)

Yea, yea, yea...I know. FJ's EAT aluminum sprockets....

Actually, the last 2 aluminum sprockets I ordered thru Sprocket Specialists had the proprietary "Titan Tough" hardening on the aluminum, and so they have lasted much longer than the raw aluminum sprockets. I get ~25-30k miles, about the same as my chains...
Obviously, I don't drag race.

[simi_ed]

I bought a Shorai Lithium Ultra Low Weight Powersports Battery 9Ah 12V eq  for my CRF 230 and saved 3.3 lbs over the standard OEM battery.

My Shorai was a 18 Ah that SAVED about 8 lbs over the 14 Ah OEM FJ battery!

[weymouth399]

Dave I don't want my FJ to be a R1. I just wanted to know if there was any weight savings to any of the mods that are being done.
Travis's 85 is 40 lbs lighter than my 86, mine was bone stock. He has a supertrapp and no air box at the time we weighed them. I love my FJ that's why I refuse to ride anything else. I don't need to be tempted by new models, I'm pretty sure I would like riding a 20 year old again BUT that would get expensive.


Bob W

[racerman_27410]

i weighed my 86 on some truck scales waaaay back when i did my front and rear conversions.... IIRC the weight savings was right about 40 lbs from stock.

the stock early model wheels are heavy!


KOokaloo!

[Brook]

...... with my 86, went from 590 to right at 500.
engine bars and other add ons.

........ ounces makes pounds.....

[axiom-r]

My point being, a 2% weight savings is not going to transform the FJ into an R1.  It is what it is (which is NOT all that bad).

DavidR.

You can get it to about 40% of the way there though!     

I think I got closer to 10lbs per wheel exchanging the stock 92 parts for 07 R1...  The exhaust system was about another 20lb savings... maybe more.  Removing the complete ABS system reduced a further 11-12lbs...  I think the USD forks might be heavier than the stockers- not sure.  The swingarm felt like wash. All in I am close to a 50lb reduction in using the R1 stuff and ditching the ABS & stock exhaust....

I immediately felt a difference just moving the bike in the garage.... but I have no idea of its actual weight at this point.

cheers- tim

[Grey runner]

Hey Pat,
Let me know how many feet you get out of that aluminum rear sprocket.  :-)

Yea, yea, yea...I know. FJ's EAT aluminum sprockets....

Actually, the last 2 aluminum sprockets I ordered thru Sprocket Specialists had the proprietary "Titan Tough" hardening on the aluminum, and so they have lasted much longer than the raw aluminum sprockets. I get ~25-30k miles, about the same as my chains...
Obviously, I don't drag race.

I get the same as Pat about mid 30000 and thats doing track days at the Nurburgring. Mind you it has to kept well lubed.