Unsprung weight reduction: bang for the buck...

[pankakekid]

Hey,
Anyone know what the best value mods are for reducing unsprung weight? Seems like a TI axle is a good value in terms of ounces saver per dollar.. (going rate seems to be $150 ish)

 

[phoneman064]

There was a recent article in one of the bike mags discussing various differences in tire / tube weight. I don't remember the numbers but they were significant.

 

[David Trustrum]

Take the stickers of the swingarm. Granted this will lose an almost unperceivable amount of weight, in percentage terms for $ spent you will be well ahead. :clue:

Weigh some tires. A friend was getting retread tires cheap & asked if I wanted to try one. Until I lifted one. No thanks!

‘course decent tire traction may be worth more than the weight saved swapping tires. Maybe some decent tires are lighter than others. For the trail heavy tubes are insurance against compression punctures, mx tracks should be devoid of decent rocks so tube weight worth a look.


I wonder how well MX tires would seal if you went tubeless? Don’t gfworr too loudly, my GasGas trials bike runs tubeless & all they’ve done is fill the centre spoke area with sealant, rim doesn’t appear different. Not rushing out to try it myself though, the tire may be more leakproof, or they may just go flat when the rimlock slips when you are stuck in a rut.

Please tell me you are not intending to buy a 150 note Ti axle for a 14 yr old CR.

 

[JasonWho]

Yeah, I am thinking 14 year old bike and TI axle do not go together. April Fool's Day is many months away.

 

[DEANSFASTWAY]

Put helium in the tires

 

[PMK]

Run lighter fluid in the suspension... Seriously if you work in a shop and need to buy some fresh tires, don't weigh the tires from brand to brand, rather weigh the style you want and all of the same styles next to it on the rack, buy the lightest one. Remember this is not only unsprung but rotational also, so it accellerates and stops better.

You also may be suprised at how much weight can be removed by lightening some of the steel oem parts. And if daring remove the brake disc guards and such. Also if your ride doesn't run a Honda route brake hose, convert it. It is more cost effective than ti.

PK

 

[pankakekid]

All,
No, I refuse to be "that guy" at the track with an ancient bike outfitted with bad ass parts. I saw a 92 CR125 at Glen Helen a year or two ago with new Ohlins components all the way around. Yikes.

The new MXA recommends running 1 rim lock in the rear. that sounds sketchy to me - I can see doing that in the front, but the rear?

Anyway, i'll be switching from an o-ring chain to an EK 520mrdl and finding a lighter tire of possible.

Then i'm buying a new bike.