liter bike stagnation

Has anyone noticed since the r1 of 98 liter bikes have not really gotten much lighter? In some cases (honda)they have porked out.The 05 R1 is about the same weight as the 98,The 1000RR is much heavier than any of the previous cbrs. No doubt these bikes are much better than bikes from 98 but it seems all we hear from the manufacturers is about how they saved weight hear and there.What gives?  

You can add weight and gain performance apparently.  That's why Honda wasn't too concerned with some worthless weight figure on a spec sheet for their 1000RR and trying to make it lighter than the 954RR.  They knew even with the extra pounds the 1000RR would have greater performance.  Kawasaki added some weight to a few of the engine internals for their '06 ZX10R to make it more ridable/give better performance.  It's true what they say, nobody rides a spec sheet.  The whole undertail exhaust fad doesn't help, all they do is add weight and cost more.  Glad to see Yamaha's new R6 and Suzuki's new 600/750 are starting a new trend that should actually save weight.

There was an article in Car and Driver a few months back where some editor talked about sportbikes getting lighter and lighter over the past 2 decades yet cars kept getting heavier and heavier.  Maybe each bike model doesnt get lighter every year but over the past 2 decades atleast motorcycles are going in the right direction.  

Kawi lost weight.    The 9R weighed about 460 wet, while the 10R is about 435 wet.  

They are taking the weight off of the pieces that matter, wheels etc...  And I do believe that this mass centralization thing that they talk about works.  I also think that they've had to put extra material in the frame/swing arm to handle the extra power that liter bikes are now making.  But yeah, I do agree that they make all these claims about this being 500 grams lighter, that being 50 grams lighter, etc.  And when it is all added up you end up with a heavier bike.

Maybe they've reached the limits with the current (cheep) mass produced metals.  I don't know...  Forged wheels are lighter, but can they make the quantities needed for say a Ninja 6R which they expect to sell 30,000+ world wide?  Carbon fiber bodywork can be bought on the 999R, but could Honda make enough bodywork for how ever many 1000RRs that they want to sell?  And with the current materials, they've shaved enough weight off of bikes that minor crashes aren't so minor anymore...  

We might be seeing more R1 LE like bikes in the future.  Build just enough to meet racing rules, and to show off your engineering prowress.  

Just rambling...  


Chris  

Good comments. Yep no doubt the bikes are getting much better, Especially the Kawasakis, When you look at what the zx10 636 replaced. Not bashing either of thier predecesors but they waited a long time to replace those bikes. Revolution instead of the evolution taken by most of the other manufactures.
The horsepower is what is really amazing to me."and suspension,brakes" Not the weight losses. Although if you believe the figures the manufactures give these bikes would blow off of their sidestands.Lol..
speaking of brakes, what exactly is the benefit of the radial mount brakes? I'm sure there is somthing but I just don't know it. Anyone?  

There's a limit to how much weight you can shave before you sacrafice durability for a given material.  I'm sure they can make a 300lb bike, but then that'd essentially be a MotoGP bike using some exotic materials and who has the money for that?  

Plus, and correct me if I'm wrong, the main factors that you are talking about when you discuss a bike's weight are 'handling' and 'acceleration'.
If these bikes already have razor-sharp handling and run sub-10 second quarter miles, STOCK, then why would further reduction of weight be of such concern?  

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Good comments. Yep no doubt the bikes are getting much better, Especially the Kawasakis, When you look at what the zx10 636 replaced. Not bashing either of thier predecesors but they waited a long time to replace those bikes.  

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Hey go easy on the 9r  I know your not bashing but i like the fact that they didn't shrink their bikes along with the rest of the competition at the time.  Don't get me wrong i see the numbers of the new bikes and i drool too but then i remember i'm not 5'6''.  I like a bike that fits, and a bike like the 05' Gixxer felt like i was on a dirt bike.  Ok now that i've said all that i'm gonna go put a down payment on an 06 10r    Gotta love performance!  

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Good comments. Yep no doubt the bikes are getting much better, Especially the Kawasakis, When you look at what the zx10 636 replaced. Not bashing either of thier predecesors but they waited a long time to replace those bikes.  

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I really wished they would have continued to make the 9R, it really is a great bike. I still have an 89zx10. Can't find bikes like that anymore really.
Hey go easy on the 9r  I know your not bashing but i like the fact that they didn't shrink their bikes along with the rest of the competition at the time.  Don't get me wrong i see the numbers of the new bikes and i drool too but then i remember i'm not 5'6''.  I like a bike that fits, and a bike like the 05' Gixxer felt like i was on a dirt bike.  Ok now that i've said all that i'm gonna go put a down payment on an 06 10r    Gotta love performance!

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I was hoping they would bring the 9R back like they did with the ZX6R/ZZR600. I had a '98 ZX9R (first of the new design) I still think it was the best all around bike I've onwed.  

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Plus, and correct me if I'm wrong, the main factors that you are talking about when you discuss a bike's weight are 'handling' and 'acceleration'.
If these bikes already have razor-sharp handling and run sub-10 second quarter miles, STOCK, then why would further reduction of weight be of such concern?

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Fuel economy and tire wear.  Duh.    


Chris  

Alright, Mr. Funny Guy.