lightweight wheels questions

[Qfactor]

If I was trying to impress someone, I would have bought a gsxr1000 w/ chrome wheels or something with big flashing LED's all over it.

I am modifying this bike for personal satisfaction. I bought the SV for it's ease in twisties and I want more and more and more.

I would love nothing more than to get some seat time on the track, penguins, etc... but my jobs don't leave me with enough wekeend time to do many trackdays. But I will attend a few in 2006, that I promessed myself.

Until I become more experienced w/ suspension setups and weight distribution on 2 wheels. I have to ask and filter info from u guys and others.

the SV isn't as light as it could be considering it's size. an SV weighing @ 350Lbs would insane knowing how cool they are w/ ~400Lbs.

Q

[benVFR]

I thought you were building a racebike...

If you haven't even been to the track you're totally wasting your time.

You've already got a lot of $$$ and time put into your bike and you'll get lapped like mad by someone with track time and a 100% stock SV.

Spend the money on track days. For the cost of fancy wheels you're talking 5-10 track days at least.

[Qfactor]

Originally posted by benVFR
I thought you were building a racebike...

If you haven't even been to the track you're totally wasting your time.

You've already got a lot of $$$ and time put into your bike and you'll get lapped like mad by someone with track time and a 100% stock SV.

Spend the money on track days. For the cost of fancy wheels you're talking 5-10 track days at least.

Ben, read my post again....please.

[Currently]

I agree with most of the posters here ...

You are at the point where you ought to take some time off and go to a track or school and learn to use what you got.

What is all that hardware you are putting on going to do for you when you start leaning on a curve and a dog or ball comes flying across your path? ( I am still having trouble getting out of bed in the morning because of my little experience with Newtons Law).

Like you, I put some serious money in my bike.
Wheels are not going to cut it at this point.

These wheels also have problems ... they crack under stress, not as tough as stock wheels with road hazards and are VERY expensive to replace. Unlike steel, they have a finite life, you cannot weld magnesium without seeing the light afterwards along with a pile of white magnesium oxide ash.

My next big commitment will be track school ... not to race but to become "one with the bike" in order to enhance my street survival skills. I am too old to start going on a racing circuit.
I am not too old to enjoy a sport that I had to deprive myself of because of commitments and obligations that are now over.

I have been thinking of going to a Kevin Schwantz school but if I can find similar in the local area ... well I would like to give it a shot.

[Qfactor]

I am definitely planning to go to school and then to get into racing. Hopefully I will be able to drop my nights and weekend job and still be able to afford a motorcycle, let alone school and racing, at the end of 2006.

Until that I'll have to do w/ what I know, read and learned from others. I already started collecting enough track worthy gear (decided to get pants after putting holes in 2 pairs of jeans).

until then, when something comes flying accross my pass in a curve, I do my best to avoid it...

but to stay on topic: magnesium cast wheels are not strong enough for street?

Q

[Awesome]

Have you considered spending $20 on a riding book or two?

[benVFR]

I heard you loud and clear now that you clarified. Because 99% of the people responding to you were racers and were specifically talking about using lightweight wheels for racing, I assumed you were also talking about a racebike.

If you're just doing it for the street I still say you're wasting your money. The benefits will be minimal, as your handling skills will be improved so much by going to the track that the wheels won't even be a factor.

If you are just going for bling bling the question is "Why???" Having one high end lightweight wheel on the bike and one stock is going to look totally ghetto. Bling Bling is often about who can max out their credit card the most. If you're in that game just charge a set of wheels and make sure to put some big stickers on the bike so everyone knows you got the bling.

[Qfactor]

Ben, you little joker, finally someone answers my question....

So we can sum up that lightweight wheels are worthless on a street bike and that they will not improve the handling of the bike.

thank you all for the response.

I did read all kinds of books and internet articles ( ).

Q

[highsider]

Just to add confusion to this this read.......

Do those sweet lightweight rims bend easier, or are they just as strong as a stock rim? As in, if I buy some for my bike, will they be bent the first time I hit a Vermont-sized pothole?

[Qfactor]

Originally posted by highsider
Just to add confusion to this this read.......

Do those sweet lightweight rims bend easier, or are they just as strong as a stock rim? As in, if I buy some for my bike, will they be bent the first time I hit a Vermont-sized pothole?

Vermont-sized potholes < Boston-sized potholes, Fo sho...

I lost a shoe after hitting a pothole on jamaica way...

Q

[OreoGaborio]

Magnesium wheels like to shatter, not bend and forged will definitely be stronger than cast. Cast magnesium is primarily racing use beause of the fact that theres no big Vermont (or Boston )sized potholes

and lightweight wheels can definitely be felt on the street, they're hardly "worthless"... it's the same pavment as the track. BUT you're not gonna use em to their full potential (of course the same goes for just about any sportbike on the street) AND there are definitely other things that can be done first, both to the bike AND the rider, that'll be a higher priority over wheels when it comes to streetriding.

[Awesome]

Originally posted by Qfactor
Ben, you little joker, finally someone answers my question....

So we can sum up that lightweight wheels are worthless on a street bike and that they will not improve the handling of the bike.

thank you all for the response.

I did read all kinds of books and internet articles ( ).

Q

Isn't that what I've been saying the whole time?

[Qfactor]

Originally posted by hessogood
Isn't that what I've been saying the whole time?

no you were saying that according to your percection of my riding skills it would not be an improvement as I could not exploit the added handling characteristics.

I am asking whether or not lightweight wheels improve the handling capabilites of a street riden motorcycle regardless of the rider's skill level/ envolvement.

Q

[Awesome]

Originally posted by Qfactor
no you were saying that according to your percection of my riding skills it would not be an improvement as I could not exploit the added handling characteristics.

I am asking whether or not lightweight wheels improve the handling capabilites of a street riden motorcycle regardless of the rider's skill level/ envolvement.

Q

I was saying that there are many many more important and more beneficial mods than light wheels such as a damper, when you seemed to dismissed my advice and some of the others. I strongly disagree with Paul here, I'm actually beside myself regarding his opinion. The ability for a mod to improve performace is mainly depended on the riders ability to explor the new limitations of the modified or replaced part. I didn't know I had to say it with a sugar coating to be heard. A person's riding ability whether newbie, novice or expert isn't a derogatory thing, it's a relevent perception and essential point of refference when looking for equipment improvements or skill improvements. You've pretty much been all over the map with your point of view, you saying you want the bike on a diet, through rotational mass and to be going faster, but looking for better handling in the front end, yet disregarding a damper. If you're looking for advice don't shrug it off when it's given. Sometimes some of us know what we're talking about.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by Qfactor
I am asking whether or not lightweight wheels improve the handling capabilites of a street riden motorcycle regardless of the rider's skill level/ envolvement.

Q

and right off the bat, i said yes it would... no matter what your skill level is, you can feel the difference riding around... but it's the same thing as getting a liter bike over a 600 for the street... there's an obvious performance advantage & you can tell it's there... but you're not gonna take full advantage of it

there's other things that should be done first.

[Qfactor]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
and right off the bat, i said yes it would... but there's other things that should be done first.

thanks, I am not known to do things in the correct order...

a steering damper is on my watch list, as soon as I can find one @ the price I want to pay for it..

Jay, you don't have to get defensive, I never acused you of not knowing what you are talking about. ur profile obviously proves the opposite.

Maybe I should stop riding on 2 wheels because i can't afford or have time to go to racing school...

I am nothing but a squid...a mole...god for nothing


It must be wednesday...

Q

[OreoGaborio]

beware the ninja edit

[Qfactor]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
beware the ninja edit

AMEN!

[benVFR]

Do you have a specific issue with your bike you want to "fix"?

Steering is too heavy?
Bumps are felt sharply?
Bike goes wide or doesn't want to hold a line?

If you have a real complaint why don't you spit it out and someone will tell you how to fix it on the cheap...

Why the heck do you even want a steering damper on an SV for the street while we are talking about it? Do SV racebikes even have a steering damper?

Unless you lowered the front end drastically your bike shouldn't have a headshake problem, if you spend money on a steering damper it might make you feel like you have a better bike but it won't help you, it might just make the steering feel heavier. Don't get it unless you are getting head shakes... which again might indicate something else is wrong.

I had an SV for 15k and I *never* had it headshake, even on the track, even setting down (small) wheelies or having the front end get light coming out of a first gear corner. And mine didn't have any of the mods you've already got. The only thing that even resembled a headshake was due to me putting crappy aftermarket windscreen on it which caused the bike to get a bit unstable at high speeds. Fixing it would have just required unbolting the screen. But now that I think about it, that screen wasn't even a problem at the racetrack.

You should ask Oxx (SVRacer01).. he has an SV racebike and kicked some ass with it this year... find out what his setup would be.

[Qfactor]

I did raise the forks in the triple about 7mm.

I only get some minor shaking on uneven pavement during spirited riding. especially under hard acceleration exiting corners.

That's the reason, I am looking for a cheap (maybe even an oem would do the trick) since SV's are very prone to head shake.

other than that the bike is spot on. I am just curious about making the bike even more fun to "flik" around in the twisties.

I have had my SV for 18,000mi. I kept it stock for the first 10K. I wanted to be able to go faster thru the twisties (113a ) while still keeping a safety margin in case something jumped out in front of me.

Q

[benVFR]

Yah minor shaking is not a need for a damper. You need a damper when the bars shake so hard you can't hold on and they hit the tank.

You're the first person I've ever heard say the SV was very prone to headshake.

I doubt anything you can do to mod the bike is going to allow you to go faster on the street safely. The limits of safe riding on the street are very far below the limit of the stock bike.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by benVFR
I doubt anything you can do to mod the bike is going to allow you to go faster on the street safely. The limits of safe riding on the street are very far below the limit of the stock bike.

i woudn't say that... doing trackdays is like a mod & it makes you safer on the street... upgrading the brakes is a mod that makes you safer on the street... getting better tires is a mod that makes you safer on the street... get my point?

If you can take a corner at 50 & you're on the edge, that's unsafe... if you can take the same corner at 80 & you're on the edge that's unsafe... but if you have the ability to take it at 80 but instead take it at 50, it's alot safer, no?

[benVFR]

I don't know man.. being able to take the corner at 80mph in perfect stability and confidence doesn't help you at all if there is sand around the corner or someone pulls out and you should have been going 40mph.

Yah maybe doing brake upgrades or something.. but it remains to be seen how much they help, barely anyone tests stopping distances on bikes.

And besides you can't use the whole stopping power of the bike anyway if you're leaned way over as a result of going around a corner too fast for conditions.

Definitely agreed go to the track though then you're going to be less likely to crash on your own whether you choose to go 40, 50, or 80 around said corner. But nothing you do can get rid of the unpredictable conditions. The only solution is to keep speeds sane.

[Qfactor]

All this talk about safety and speed limits and sand on the road sure are a buzz killer.

Q

[Currently]

This comment is the one that I was looking for ...

"What makes one rider faster than another? It's the rider's confidence in his/her skills and knowlege to be able to maximize the use of available traction."


And I would like to add one more word to it....

instinctively

When crap happens on a bike, there is no time to think about it.
You got to do it without thinking. That takes practice.

It is my understanding that a safer place to practice is on the track.