[loudnlow7484]

no no no, not hatred..... Haterade, you know, like Gatorade, but with Hater

[Anonymous]

IMHO of course....

The best weight reduction mods you can do in best to least order..

1. 4 to 1 exhaust (most weight loss, requires rejet which increases performance, sounds great, looks better)
2. Wheel weight reduction (2nd most weight loss, better turn in speed, possible different sized rims for better tires)
3. Brake rotors (preferebly wave rotors, better turn in, better braking than stock, minimal weight loss)
4. (not available for katana but...) Racing fairings are usually lighter


And Lou, stop pounding the

[fixer]

ever try to stop a bike with just one front brake? same effect as a car with just one front brake....it will pull you to the side the brake is on. not as bad as a car....cuz of just one wheel and not much distance between the 2...but it pulls none the less. good luck with that. you won't stop for shiate like that. I wouldn't advise it. You would be better off to cough up the dough for lightweight rotors if you are going to that extreme.

sorry, bro... plenty of bikes are sold with only one brake disk up front... like my KLR... and it don't pull to the side while braking.

[blacksheep]

Also I removed rear sets and cut off brackets on frame at least two pounds each and use solo cowl, remove grab bar, remove rear seat, remove metal bungee frame,remove shovel, flush mounts, vansen hines exhaust and jet, remove emmisions equipment cut off heel guards, remove all reflectors, I think 35 or 40 pounds alltogether. oh yea no stickers either HA! and don't forget to paint it black!

[crazymofo]

im seriously comtemplating, replacing the frame cross brace and the lower part of the perimeter frame of the engine, and the swing arm for alloy ones, plus i have fitted a gsxr front end, i should have a fairly large drop in weight to the kat. only prob is... the 2mm thick tubing i have used on the exhaust manifold combined with the IHI turbo have added a little extra weight back onto the bike!

cheers.joe.

[gsxr6racer]

IMHO of course....

The best weight reduction mods you can do in best to least order..

1. 4 to 1 exhaust (most weight loss, requires rejet which increases performance, sounds great, looks better)
2. Wheel weight reduction (2nd most weight loss, better turn in speed, possible different sized rims for better tires)
3. Brake rotors (preferebly wave rotors, better turn in, better braking than stock, minimal weight loss)
4. (not available for katana but...) Racing fairings are usually lighter


And Lou, stop pounding the

Sorry to resurrect an such an old post but I was wondering how much weight does a full exhaust knock of the pre98 Kats? And I think you can get firberglass body work from Airtech, for pre98's I know you can anyway. It's not race bodywork but it is fiberglass and should be lighter. Can you get wave rotors for the pre98's?

[93kat750]

paint it flat black!!!!!

[Spedee]

Here is my weight savings on brake rotor change.
This is also unsprung weight savings as well.

Front:
Stock: 6 1/2 pounds
Galfer: 3 pounds

Rear:
Stock: 2 1/2 pounds
Galfer: 1 1/2 pounds

[The CyberPoet]

very highly contemplating cybers ohlins shock, wonder if its any lighter? or heavier?

The Ohlin should be about 2.5 - 3 lbs lighter, according to the data I have, but I'd need an accurate measurement on a stock OEM shock to compare it to.

IMHO:
If you are looking for a crash diet for a Kat for drag racing-only (no longer street-able) purposes:
scrap the centerstand (8 lbs) and sidestand (1 lb w/sensor)
Cut down the fork springs and fork tubes by an inch (1 lb saved?)
Replace the stock wheels with carbon fiber or magensium wheels (most effective savings right there -- CF is lighter of the 2, but magensium is cheaper)
Diet yourself. You can probably lose weight easier than the bike...
Run with the bike only holding 1/2 gallon of fuel (that will save like 30 lbs -- fuel weighs about 6.45lb/gal) and at minimum on oil (1.875-1.925 lbs/liter).
Scrap the starter. Push start it for the strip. saves 3 - 6 lbs?
Scrap the battery and place in a tiny replacement just to take the excess charge rate (if it doesn't have to start the bike, and the bike needs no headlight, you can have a miniscule battery). saves 5 lbs.
Have the alternator rewired with minimal windings by a pro-level shop. Save 3.5 lbs.
Remove the headlight cases, bulbs, support bracket (3 - 6 lbs?)
Replace the wheel bearings, chain & sprockets regularly. These all induce parasitic loses on power-output that increase with time & use; parasitic-losses that can be avoided. Use aluminum sprockets and the narrowest race chain you can get away with (520? 510?).
Scrap the bar-end weights, replace the bar extenders with aluminum tubing. (2 lbs)
Scrap the oil cooler. For 1/4 mile runs with the stock engine, it's not that critical. (4-6 lbs?)
Use the lightest motor oil you can find, with the lowest level of pumping & frictional loses available. Out of the ones' I've tinkered with, that's Castrol's R4 5w40 Motorcycle Race Oil.
Shave the tires, and look specifically at tire weight (probably switching to bias tires will net you some weight savings). Getting used tires that are already down to minimum tread depth (but not below) would save both $$ and weight. I hate the way Chin Shen tires handle (and there is a lack of grip as well), but they weigh about 1/2 of what most brands weigh...

But as others have pointed out, you will get far better increases by increasing the engine size/compression ratios/etc., than by trimming the bike back. I won't even get into the brakes vs. weight arguement -- the amount of over-run available on the track should play into that decision (many tracks don't have another 1/4 mile over-run).

Q: I thought the deal about drag racing was being consistent in your trap times run after run (bracketing?), not absolutes? Am I missing something?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet