Why is the bike so heavy?

Fast, light , comfy, rowdy. Sounds like my '03 Aprilia Tuono. Or the '07. :love_heart:
Sadly my VFR is on the disabled list at this time.
Actually the VFR has plenty of power for me. Although the Thunder is rockin'.
Less weight makes for easier handling esp. at low or no speed.

 

Honestly Pawnboy! Linked braking was a factor in 2004 when I was looking for a replacement for my 1995 Kawasaki GPz1100, the other plus was that they offered discounted OEM aftermarket matching saddle bags 2yrs later which I bought.. (534lbs dry and 122hp) so it was hard to choose. I wanted a sport tourer, But Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha's option where overpriced! I could not afford the BMW. Being a Kawasaki fan the Contour (Which was over 15yrs old and poor)! I wanted the VFR but the 800cc displacement (at his stage in the game riding with bikes at a 1000cc minimum) , the weight and the linked braking system and the asking price of over $11,000. This was something that I could not do! I went for a overlooked affordable (listed at $8,999 in 03' and bought in 04' with the add ons for $7,600) 1000cc V-twin in the Suzuki, I added the full fairing, gel seat and at the suggested dry weight of 417lbs (other reports where at 438) and 113hp vs. the over 500lbs and close to or slightly over 100hp VFR. It was a no brainer for me. Both had a more upright seating arrangement. I put over 26,000 miles on the SV. And am still kicking myself for selling it. I have the 2014 VFR because of the price ($8000.00 in 16' vs. $12,999 new) and the elimination of the linked system. I look forward to adding many things to this bike and be happy with it for years. Bar risers was a must, Exhaust will be next and the tail tidy is great. Now if only Honda will discount the hard bags this year or next. I will be with the last bike or one of the last bikes I own.

 

Ditto. Well designed cars, that look good and go well, but made out of cheap nasty bits that fall apart just out of warranty.

 

I swore up and down I'd never buy another GM product and kept that promise for decades. Then in 09 Pontiac brought the Holden Commodore to the U.S., and I bit. I was lucky to put 25,000 miles on it in 5 years and sold it, peeling leather, broken plastic bits, rattling suspension and all. I'm assuming I'm good for another few decades.

 

We still have dual radiators, just not either side. In my bike's case a significant proportion of the all-up weight is attributable to the lardy bastard on the seat.

 

Hmmm...lardy bastard from UK - were you ever in the movies? LOL
[video=youtube;hgfbafx137A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgfbafx137A[/video]

 

Whoa and funny, but that's a whole other thread topic. I've rode with some that complain about their bike not up to the task and wonder what the problem is, I'm polite and throw out have you set up the suspension / sag, Then SMH and smile, thinking have you looked in the mirror. As great as any bike may or not be, it is relative to the one mounted up.

 

So the engine is part of it, roughly 10Kg or 22lb. The rads make no difference, the CBR rad is bigger than our two !

VFR800Fi engine is 74kg,
CBR1000RR is 65.8kg for '04/'05.
CBR1000RR is 62.5kg for '08-'10.

Most of the rest is because the CBR is built lighter, as its primarily a single user machine & is a true sport bike. The current 2012+ model is 205Kg or 452lb wet, same as my much modified & lightened 800, but mine is actually slighty lighter, as I carry 3L more fuel, so approx 2Kg

But I'm only at 120hp, compared to 150+ for the 2012 CBR stock.
I shaved 32Kg off the dry weight of my 800, but it took a lot of work & loads of money. But its so much better for it

YMMV

 

Absolutely have to agree with this total piles of steaming S#*t well all the Australian examples I have driven and the one commodore that I bought I sold within the month of buying it I just couldn't enjoy driving it

 

That must have taken a lot of time and effort to get her to that weight. My CBR (06) is down to 420 with about 1/4 tank of gas with 156 at the rear wheel. Fun times.

 

Yeah 5 years, lots of experimentation & a lot of titanium & carbon about $6k in old money, before the exchange rate crash. If I only include 5L of fuel, then thats the same as your 1/4 tank, so minus 24lb, for a 428lb semi wet weight !

 

5 liters of gasoline weighs aprox 8 pounds.....

I'm hoping that a full exhaust swap, headers and muffler, is good for a 10 pound loss. I know the factory headers on a gen 5, weigh 4.2 pounds more than a Delkevic header.

A Shorai battery will weigh about 5 pounds less than the lead brick that's in there now.

Curb feelers, the weight under the left peg, reflectors, and that right side "triangle" weigh at least a pound.

So I'm thinking 16 pounds is realistic, for a gen 5.

 

Yeah, so 16 which is what is missing from my 21L tank to leave 5L is 24lb !!!! My 452lb weight is with a full tank.

 

calm down dude. Just trying to understand what you're saying.

Mine weighed 475, with about a half gallon left.

 

That last sentence is the most intelligent statement on the entire forum. Frame it.

 

LMAO on this. I love it! So if 7lbs lost = 1hp gain. My 220lbs = (-30hp and now the bike is down to a performance 63hp. with my ass in the seat) I can still scare the shit out of myself whenever I like! Shit I wonder how fast the bike would go without a rider, I want remote control stats on that! Hell Ya.

 

Can't all be Pedrosa, can we?

 

Agree. I have to laugh when they are looking to save few pounds, not that I can comment either, but at least my bike is set up for me. I know I'm a lardy bastard and that bike I get on is far more capable than its pilot who has a growing sense of self preservation, more than he did 30 years ago. I can laugh at myself too:tongue-new:

 

"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are very few old, bold pilots".

 

At what stage do you count as OLD >?