Unsprung weight

Hmmm, after some fruitless searching and reading of some undecipherable verbiage, and not really finding much of substance,

not that it isn't there, I just couldn't find it. . .

it occurred to ask for some ideas.

To improve handling, I would like to source out some options regarding unsprung weight reduction.

For example, I picked up a late model sport bike wheel and tire to relocate it in a shop, and was amazed at *how much lighter* it was. My stock mag wheels feel like maybe three times the weight.

The last time I did a weight reduction regarding wheels was on a Fiat 124 Spyder. I found an original set of magnesium Chromodora wheels off a Coupe that were a direct bolt on to replace the steel stockers.

I would go with an inverted fork for the same reason; any weight reduction below suspension pickup points equates to more responsive handling.

There are improvements in techonlogy that might drop in.

Maybe y'all can help me tweakafy some improvement here.

Thanks in advance.

:laugh:

Edit:

I just reread my post. Inverted forks wouldn't do a thing. (smacking head).

So I guess wheels be it.

I figured I better admit my ignorance before someone else TELLS me.



Post edited by: KaZooCruiser, at: 2007/08/08 14:13

i could be wrong but if i remember right your unsprung weight starts at an area about midway down the forks so im thinking usd forks would actually help.on the rear i think its someplace towards the middle of shocks(dual)and middle of swingarm where it starts;)

Wireman. . .er. . .PLUMMEN, you're RIGHT! (smacking head some more)

Anything below the spring is unsprung, so "usd" forks would place less mass BELOW the spring.

Thanks for the input.

So forks are an option I'd like to add to the list of potential upgrades.

Again.



:laugh:

Just think of it this way:

Anything that would fall if the springs were suddenly removed is sprung weight, everything else is unsprung weight.

And quit smacking yourself before you get a headache

A 530 chain conversion can also lose both sprung and unsprung weight.

what about the rotors and calipers?? couldnt you get newer stuff which im sure is much lighter? just guessing.

cottoncandyninja wrote:

what about the rotors and calipers?? couldnt you get newer stuff which im sure is much lighter? just guessing.

EBC makes drilled rotors that are lighter than stock. I didn't weight mine but as a rough guess for the set of three a pound or two. Grimeca(Ithink)offered a lighter rear caliper setup way back when these bikes were new. Its lighter but there was some machining of spacers involved.

Sam

What weighs more, the big honkin steel tube or the short aluminum tube? The steel weighs more so old forks were done right in the first place, in terms of weight. But inverted forks may end up with less wheel deflection. Not that they are necessarily more rigid, but because they bend closer to the wheel, the wheel doesn't deflect as far (while braking or cornering).

When I replaced my wheels with Ninja ones, I sold my stockers.

Packed the two wheels with tires, disks, sprockets, everything the two boxes w/packing stuff weighed in excess of.... 100lbs!

Excellent candidate for weight reduction, IMHO.

Getting rid of weight both sprung and
unsprung helps handling.That old water
pipe constructed frame is a big lump
of bad handling for more reasons that
weight alone.The new motors are lighter
too.Some of us older riders carry a little
too much weight also.A person could spend
a fortune on a 30 year old bike just to
make it handle like a 20 year old bike.
But,it's whatever makes your boat float.

tjettim wrote:

Getting rid of weight both sprung and
unsprung helps handling.That old water
pipe constructed frame is a big lump
of bad handling for more reasons that
weight alone.The new motors are lighter
too.Some of us older riders carry a little
too much weight also.A person could spend
a fortune on a 30 year old bike just to
make it handle like a 20 year old bike.
But,it's whatever makes your boat float.

absolutely true! but these bikes are like 29 fords and 55 chevys,sure a new corvette will smoke on a mountain road no matter what you spend on it .but i would still rather be cruisen in an old rattling uncomfortable coupe or a brick of a 55 chevy any day !:evil:

plummens right, there was something so nice about riding in my crappy old toyota pickup that i loved so much. no ac, no muffler, terrible shocks, rusted out. man i loved that truck.