750 R1 wrote: The OP wanted to know if the wheels are lighter , thats all , i'd go out on a limb and say they are , they have less mass than the 7 spoke wheels for a start,
Yes, the 5-spoke appears to have less total material and thus *appears* to be lighter.
750 R1 wrote: I have 3 different sets of 7 spoke wheels and they are heavy, the 5 spokes are on a smaller bike for a start, I'd be almost certain that Kawasaki put the 5 spoke wheels on the smaller bike because they are lighter, why put heavier wheels on a lighter bike..? It would make sense wouldn't it..? .
Yes, which is why it was surprising to hear the rumor that the 5-spoke wheels were heavier. However, the 550's all started out with 7-spoke wheels, and even after the 5-spoke wheels were available, the non-gpz 550's retained the 7-spoke wheels. And further, the later GT550's, which were basically shaft drive Kz550's, came out using the 7-spoke wheels for quite a few years after that.
750 R1 wrote: I'm not disputing what you said at all ...
In your initial post, you wrote :
Its has nothing to do with the weight of the rim, these wheels aren't rolling under their own power, the bike powers the wheels, you take weight off any part of the bike, doesn't matter where, and retain the same power, you've improved its power to weight ratio, which means the bike will be slightly faster given the lesser weight the engine has to move....
The word nothing implies it has zero effect. From that, I can only conclude you are arguing that the mass distribution of the wheels has no effect on acceleration and the only thing that matters is the overall weight of the bike, as a whole (as that is what is considered in power-to-weight ratios). Well, that would dispute my comment about the wheels and their differing mass distribution. This is the only point I see in contention.
750 R1 wrote: Here's something you left out, the rim portion, if they are the exact same width probably weigh very close to the same, now that there is 2 spokes less, that join at the rim as well, there is actually less mass at the rim of the 5 spoke wheels, all speculation as well but do you see my point...?
Of course. But I did not leave that out. I stated the rumored reason given for the wheels being heavier was due to the rim being heavier. I did not speculate on what aspect of the rim was different since I have no idea.
750 R1 wrote: You've neglected to respond to the fact that its still an advantage to use lighter wheels, regardless of where the weight is because of its effect on suspension, which would be far more beneficial than any almost impossible to measure rim weight difference and its effect on acceleration. Seriously mate, I can't believe why I have to explain why what you're saying is a non issue here, Again, no offense intended...
I did address the suspension issue. I wrote in regards to the weights of the two different wheels: "And if they are similar, then the unsprung weight issue will be minimal." I don't disagree with any of your assertions about the suspension benefits of a lighter wheel.
I don't know why you are compelled to "explain why what you're saying is a non issue here". I never said it was a major concern. I thought the summary in my second post would show that the difference would be small by virtue of the fact that the advantage can go to either wheel. That implies any advantage would be small Perhaps I did not emphasize that enough.
Since there are no numbers, it's all subjective anyway. A tiny advantage is a big deal to someone who races. While some people don't care if their moped does the quarter mile in 30 seconds. I don't know what the OP's desires are, so I mentioned it, since it is a factor that exists. Alloy Kz wheels are big, heavy wagon wheels (aesthetically, though, I like them). There is plenty of room for improving performance by going to a lighter wheel. Why not do it with actually knowing the factors involved?
If he cares about it, he can look into it further. Some like to further their own knowledge for curiosity sake. What's wrong with that? If they don't want a physics lesson, they are free to ignore it.