posted April 22, 2002 12:07 PM
Here's my thinking.... HAd my 12 for a few months, recently retired from racing a ducati 748/916(depended on which engine had blown and was being repaired!) in the "sound of thunder" series and at national/club level. Never took it seriously and found my spreading waistline a handicap, evolved the theory of every time the waist got bigger so did the cc's!
Anyway bought a crash damaged 12 and repaired it....and was pleasantly suprised with the handling...and the power is sooooooo nice.
Had a low speed high side, too much twist of the wrist on cold road and cold tyres. Decided to rebuild but try to improve the handling.
My aim is to get the weight down to 190 kg, sort out the handling and the power up a little, but more sort out the fuelling/timing 'cos after the duke it seems pants (that's pants as in underwear. Enabling the transatlantic translator!)
The plan: Fit ducati 916/ohlins internals forks, brembo brakes/lever+master cylinder/cast iron discs, ohlins steering damper, endurance fibreglass race body work, crash protectors, adjustable rear sets, ohlins shock, quick shifter. Bin the tank cover and the headlights, mirrors etc. Full system (Hindle?), PCRIII and K+N filter.
Couple of things I would like the good folks who use this site to comment on....any thing else they can think of that I can do that won't take away from my end aim to use the bike as monster sports bike.....tyres, what do you lot think are the dogs' danglies?
posted April 22, 2002 12:17 PM
Rennsports are now available in a 190/55, as for the rest, you can start by significantly enlarging your wallet so you can then significantly lighten it
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posted April 22, 2002 03:03 PM
How dry is your weight? 190 kg with a full tank? That'd be a pretty tall order. I've removed 13.6 kg and I'd guess that it'd still weigh around 220 kg (without fuel). Aftermarket wheels might bring it down 10 kg (optimistically) and race body work might be good for another 5~7 kg. Still, a full tank would adds on about 14.5 kg.
Is 190 kg impossible? No, but it'd be outragously expensive. There's a lot of stuff that I have left on my 12R that could probably be removed if ultimate weight loss was my goal. Since I weigh about 106 kg in full gear, I think it would be better and cheaper if I started trim wheight off of me first.
If you have the Duc suspension pieces just laying around, it might not be a bad idea. That is if they measure out close to the OEM (or what ever you own desired length is). The OEM rake and trail isn't that far off, but they'd still need to be revalved and the springs would likely need to be changed. I don't have a whole lot of knowledge about such. I'm just guessing here.
As for tires, I have been running Pilot Sports (180/55 & 120/65). In a couple of weeks, I'll be trying out the Rennsports (180/55 & 120/70). I've really liked the response of the 180 verses the 190 or 200. Then again, I'm so slow, my vie on such doesn't carry much weight (pun intended).
____________
There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
posted April 23, 2002 12:30 PM
The weight issue Right, weights of bikes. How much does a ZX12R really weigh?
I was involved in a group test for a UK magazine a couple of years back, putting the 4 main 600cc 4cyl machines against the Ducati 748Bp and SPS, and know that the weights claimed by 4 of the 5 manufacturers were optimistic in the extreme, with Kawasaki being the worst offenders. Suprisingly Ducati were closest to the truth!
I used the hi-tech method used by the mag, namely two bathroom scales, one under each wheel withe bike balanced upright and the weight came out at 218kg. I figured this to be about in the ball park as the bike was with all fluids but little gas.
Consider all the stuff that I am going to get rid of: headlights, mirrors, tank cover, air tube covers, bar end weights, sprocket cover, exhaust system including the b*****d heavy can (titanium! now I know were all the ex communist block CP Ti went!), pillion seat, all foot pegs and hangers, rear mudguard/number plate mount, the crap tray under the pillion seat and all the factory plastics(including all of the "winglets", heat absorbing foam etc).
Now all the stuff I'm putting on: 2 very small projector headlamps, full titanium system, full fibre glass race bodywork inc. single seat unit, adjustable rear sets for rider only. Stupid little things like coming down to a 180 or 190 rear tyre, the fact Brembo calipers are four pot not 6.
I know the cast iron discs will be heavier and I know it is rotating weight but I do like the way brembos can save your underwear!
Steering damper and mounts will add some, but I have already weighed a kwak fork leg and a showa from a duke and come up.25kg lighter per leg.
Maybe saving 28 kg is optimistic but I don't think impossible.
posted April 23, 2002 01:12 PM
I've had most of those parts off of mine at one time or another and except for the exhaust (the can really is amazingly light for it's size), none of it wieghs hardly anything at all. I can't imagine you being able to save 28kg without changing to mag or carbon wheels. The wheels are the one really heavy and easily replaceable part on the bike(although expensive). The ram air covers wiegh practcally nothing, same for the mud guard, pipe hanger, pegs, etc. You should have looked into buying lucky's bike. He had already done much of what you have planned, plus Marchessini wheels and the Muzzy 1270 kit, head work and other stuff. It dyno'd at something like 212HP at the wheel and probably other than the removing the lights, had much of the same weight savings you are talking about.
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"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences."
PJ O'Rourke
posted April 24, 2002 02:03 PM
Lucky's bike Had a look as you suggested, don't quite agree that he has done everything I am planning 'cos he put a lot of it back on.
I've just weighed (oh god, this is a sad admission to make as it seems that I officialy now have no life!) a side panel and it weighed 2.1 kg complete. The fibre glass one weighs .9kg. So I'm kind of hoping it will all add up!
Any how, we won't know for definite until I do the full thing but I am hoping that 190 kg is possible without having to resort to changing the wheels. I do have a Dymag front left over from the duke days that would tally up with the forks and brakes, so you never know.
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