Rear tyre too wide for SV?

Originally Posted by northwind

Was that for me or for Zunkus? With me it's just a hobby, though the light front wheel is very nice for cack-handed last-minute course changes I'm sure if I was faster I'd feel more benefits, but I'm not. Also, it helps push the bike uphill, mine in its current trim is about 170 kilos fully wet compared to, what, 185, 190 standard? So that's a well noticable difference.

My original post was directed at Zunkus; I know you simply like to fiddle!!

Easiest method for weighing tires, rims, cans, etc (just about anything you can hold comfortably):

Pick up the part, stand on the scale, write down the weight.
lay down the part, stand back on the scale, write down your weight.

Subtract your weight from the combined weight, it will give a pretty accurate measurement. Also puts your bathroom scale in the range where it is most accurate.

If you are really heavy, say close to the 140kg top range of most bathroom scales, just get a skinny friend to do the holding. I have one Harley friend who has to do this.

[northwind]

I tried that, didn't work to any reasonable degree of accuracy, so I got a couple of small fishing scales instead.

Hahahaha

We must have better bathroom scales over here, (mine's DIGITAL) and you must have better fishing scales, ours are outrageously optomistic, and seldom repeatable!

Best place in the US ( at least in a small town), if you really want more than just a ratio, is the postal service. If you have a friend there, you can get an accurate reading, at least down to the ounce.

[northwind]

Mine's digital, but using that method still said all my wheels weighed exactly 6.2 kilos I've checked the fishing scales against known quantities (I used myself as a calibration tool on my big scale, got weighed at the hospital then went home and weighed myself )

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Paul C

and you must have better fishing scales, ours are outrageously optomistic, and seldom repeatable!

Isn't that just the fisherman saying "it were thiiiiis big!"

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscart...s/pjun439l.jpg

I know it,s a little off topic (but isn,t everyone else anyway!) but as for the why try and lighten the sv, although it,s not the heaviest (especially in feel) bike in the world, lightening any bike is about the best thing you can do to it, it helps in every department, on that subject one thing (and this is nearly back on topic!) that I have given some thought to is that huge rear disc and caliper, why so enormous ! anyone ever fitted a smaller disc and caliper (something off a moped or the like would do as we dont use the back much do we ?) also I am surprised to hear the comment that gixer forks are lighter than the sv ones, I have been told by more than one reasonably well informed expert (?) that the gixer ones are quite a bit heavier as are most usd forks in comparison with rwu,s,

[yorkie_chris]

You don't have to use USD's...

SRAD600 and k1-k3 600 are RWU.

180/55 on the bike looks cool and is very fun to try and relieve the rear of chicken strips I never had any problems with handling IMHO. 140 would deffo turn a lot quicker, remember though, lean angle may be affected.

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

May I ask why you are trying to reduce the weight of your bike?? Just an idle project/aim or is it to some end?!?!

Sorry for not participating lately on this thread but been having some monitor problems at home and sort of had to sneak in here during work (quick looksee if boss is around, no ok).

I have a very light Supermoto for daily commute, it's around 130kg fully loaded (without me of course, you'll have to add an extra 75-80kg then).
I've noticed how much easier to live with it is on a lighter bike and how much more fun it can be. I'd just love to lighten it just for that cause. I'm not into racing, though I do play Rossi now and then come Sunday or after watching a race, but mostly I'm just another guy who likes to thinker, Hi Northwind! )

The smaller rear disc brake is a good idea. For one thing that stock big brake is dangerous in the wet if you're a bit of a stomper with your back brake and second as someone here said, we don't really use the rear that much do we?

I honestly think that for 70ish bhp the rear tire on the SV is simply unnecessary but nice to look at being a 160 and could have benefited (other than lack of supply) by being a 140. The rim would have been thinner and lighter and so would the tire. I'm into marketing and think that some things are done mostly for marketing or for using stock parts bins and not always because the bike/rider benefits from it. I think the rear tire is a case in point. (just to prove this, a 4 cylinder 600 would benefit from having more midrange torque but the manufacturers keep competing in the top bhp figures; why because that shows up on the magazine specs page and when Joe Public's deciding that's what he looks at).