How Much For An Ultra Light Bike

[charliechitlins]

How much weight would a carbon fiber frame save?

A couple years ago, I heard that Yamaha had a process to cast aluminum where air was drawn out of the mold and castings could be made the same strength with half the thickness/weight. This was supposed to shave 6lbs from their sportbike engine cases alone.

Anybody ever hear if this went into effect?

Would be cool for our frames and swingarms.

Seems to me that several companies could shave weight by eliminating that annoying suspension linkage.

In the meantime, I'm still filling my tires and Camelback with helium.

[copemech]

It is really not that difficult, just take a new Sherco and cast the motor in magnesium as well as the swingarm, hubs, and fork legs and clamps, make the frame and steel parts from titanium.

Then get the FIM regs changed in tires to save another 1.5k!

More EXTREME than the Raga bike? Yes! Cost! Probably not worth it!

It just costs too much!

Will it improve my riding?

Yea right!

MC

[austini]

Wow this post has got the forum talking, 17 posts in one day!!!!!

Not including the top riders most mortals are overwieght to an extent, some more extent than others. Most realistic new buyers look at Spares availability, brand loyalty, looks etc more than lightness when buying a bike. Dropping 2,3,4 kgs in a bike is a lot more expensive than dropping the same in body fat although less painfull. When you see a 50kg 13 year old float over a log wouldn't you love to strap two 20kgs bags of spuds to his bike and say "try it now me young chopper!!!!!!!!!!."

I appreciate where your going with this however the majority of riders won't hand over that sort of cash and the FIM wouldn't allow a bike 20 kgs lighter than the rest or Dougie would already be on one. If it were allowed there would already be a Scorpa 4tricks with a TYZ engine winning every indoor and the majority of outdoors.

Put your expertise and money into a good looking trials bike, with great spares availability, made from parts from all the major trials manafactures and around 100kgs then we can all lose the 10 kgs in body fat required by most average trials riders!!!!!

[atomant]

Wow this post has got the forum talking, 17 posts in one day!!!!!

Not including the top riders most mortals are overwieght to an extent, some more extent than others. Most realistic new buyers look at Spares availability, brand loyalty, looks etc more than lightness when buying a bike. Dropping 2,3,4 kgs in a bike is a lot more expensive than dropping the same in body fat although less painfull. When you see a 50kg 13 year old float over a log wouldn't you love to strap two 20kgs bags of spuds to his bike and say "try it now me young chopper!!!!!!!!!!."

I appreciate where your going with this however the majority of riders won't hand over that sort of cash and the FIM wouldn't allow a bike 20 kgs lighter than the rest or Dougie would already be on one. If it were allowed there would already be a Scorpa 4tricks with a TYZ engine winning every indoor and the majority of outdoors.

Put your expertise and money into a good looking trials bike, with great spares availability, made from parts from all the major trials manafactures and around 100kgs then we can all lose the 10 kgs in body fat required by most average trials riders!!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting point you make there.. How many riders would pay 6-10k for a light bike rather than lose 20 kgs in weight?

I wasnt thinking of the average rider though, I was thinking of the upcoming rider who would have an advantage with a lighter bike. I dont know what rules govern the weights of bikes but I did see an article suggesting 2 strokes be increased in weight to make the 4 strokes more able to compete. Dont know if any thing will come of it.

With reference to looks, that keeps coming up.. why is that so important

If you look at the analagy of a golf ball, as long as its performance is good, who cares what it looks like !!!

[hrc1]

see: here

here

[austini]

I would'nt like to change a tyre on those rims!

[atomant]

I wasnt thinking total carbon fibre. prone to be damaged too easily , I was thinking more radical..

What i will do is have a little play with a new design and when I think its not far away from what im looking for, Ill post some piccies..

dont expect it like next week though

[alan bechard]

FWIW, I think you will quickly hit a wall on price / performance ratio, we are at such a point of diminishing returns on weight savings at this point, it almost get's funny. Heck, take the kickstand off of most bikes, and you saved as much weight as going to TI fasteners or the like. (this is just an example folks, I have not weighed everything out)

I myself like to tinker quite a bit, and have a son that rides and was in between sizes of bikes. I very seriously considered mating a Sherco 50 and 80 together, but as I sat down and looked at the costs involved, even though I consider myself committed to the sport and willing to spend some jack on the project, I could not even rationalize the money spent for the possible performance gains, and that was me doing the work with a helping hand from Sherco USA and RYP.

I guess my point is, I think you will be hard pressed to find a market for a substantially more expensive machine then what is currently available. Some folks will reach the extra 10 to 20% but I think you will be extremely hard pressed to find someone willing to double the money.

It sure would be neat too see though and as processes and practices become available, that is how progress is made.

I met a guy at one event that did Kevlar and Carbon fiber stuff for F1 as a business, I cannot remember what all he had made from CF and the like, but I can assure you their costs if you had to pay to have them made would have been in the ludicrous department, but it sure was cool.

[atomant]

Well I can play around at the CAD station and not actually build anything that costs at this stage. I will just mess around with concepts and see what I can come up with. I will post some 3d models of it when im done.. . watch this space coz its gonna be a bit radical.