Hey JDRiderCoach,

I think you have a great point, but like folks who suggest dieting as a substitute for lightening the SH, I believe you might have missed the point. For most of us, this is purely theoretical. We have as much chance of putting CF rims on our bikes as stumbling over pirate gold.

OTOH, as an intellectual question, asking how you can shed 70lbs or so from the SH is perfectly valid. We could discuss the relative benefits of dieting, doing track time or lightening the VTR and that would be cool, but I'm not sure that's what we're talking about. We could also do a cost analysis of building a bike like Bill's compared to buying a Ducati or Aprilia or whatever.

I agree with you that the SH is a performer, but I like to dream and (occasionally) turn a wrench. If I could dick with this bike a little bit every year for four years and have something that is the equivalent of a modern 15k Italian sportbike, I'd probably do it. This doesn't mean I couldn't stand to lose 15lbs or wouldn't benefit from advanced training -- who couldn't! ;)

Bill and Crash. Right on. Not trying to be a dick. Maybe I did miss the point and again not trying to throw a wet blanket or anything. Tweaking the Hawk for fun and bling is all good. Just hate to see people spend big $$$ on go fast goodies when you could get more bang for your buck upgrading your skills a bit. Carry on with the speculations re: weight savings and performance.

No worries. I haven't met a dick on this forum yet. I'm sure there are some here, but so far everyone has been cool. 'course I haven't read that anti-newbie rant yet, either ;)

I agree, didn't take it as you being a dick, we were just pleading a different perspective on it. Like that turbo bike build thread on of the members is doing - OK, in best circumstance he might get the the performance of a current sport literbike - but how f'ing cool is that build?

I like to get rid of weight also, but very costly/labor intensive and oft impossible. I had an 88 1000 hurricane that was approx 100lbs heavier than the hawk and this is the reason I sold it for the hawk (great bike though except for small wheels which I got rid of first off, 130+hp, 160mph, lots of torque for an inline 4, solid as a rock, comfortable for two-up 500 mile days). I'm glad i did cause the SH is a great bike. As I noted previously, unsprung/spinning weight is the best bang for the buck, however, improved riding skills will overcome a lot of impediments including weight, and that is definitely something that goes with you no matter how many bikes you go through.

Rather than bustin your ass trying to delete a few lbs, consider the above or go for something a 100lbs lighter and start from there.:)

Yeh very good point about improving rider skill and we should always be trying to be better riders and re-freshing our skills to but..... in saying that why not have the power/performance for the sake of it... I have a road car that makes well over 600hp i am no where near a perfect driver and rarely use the power. It might just be me but knowing and having the feeling of power/performance makes me feel comfortable.

So..... what we all want is to have the best skills and the most potential out of our machine . We are all the same. Tony. :)

well when it comes to saving weight, i mean i have full carbon on my gix, i have full ohlins, ap billet calipers, bst wheels, yada yada yada

last time i weighed it, she was at about 350lbs wet......

but i weigh 204, so if i lost 30 lbs over the winter, id prob notice it more then anything else.

Bikes that are to light dont always work the way we want them too, i mean my carbon bike puts 165hp to the wheel, which is more then enough.

for example i sold my carbon off my land speed bike, cause it was to light, became very squirmy at top speed.

its 220whp and with all the carbon it had no weight on it and mmmm ya

you may be right, but it could have something to do with aerodynamics and/or wheelbase, suspension, other?

na not much if any, both bikes are almost the same in wheelbase and set up.....

I was thinking like a bullet is light and the straw through the potato thing.

thats carbon gixxer is fuken pretty. id be a little afraid to ride it, but hell you track it with the all carbon tank, lol.

hahaha ya, but now im using my fiberglass tank vs the carbon one hahaa, just incase u know

Yeah don't wanna loose that thing. Breaking that is like crashing a car. Haha