Fred, if "just about the same" means a 3 to 4 pound difference per wheel, which is what I got when I last did weight comparisons with a commercial grade 0-50 lb. hanging scale, then it might count as "just about the same" in terms of a sidecar rig, but it's a helluva lot of unsprung weight on a sporting motorcycle pushed hard. When I was younger and inclined to pitch 'em over hard and deep, I replaced the steel bearing spacers in the wheels with modified KTM duraluminum spacers, replaced the steel caliper bolts, brake rotor bolts, rear sprocket bolts, chain adjuster fasteners, and axle block bolts with titanium fasteners, replaced the heavy OE brake rotor with a light full floating Brembo rotor, and installed a plastic front fender and a plastic chain guard. If you get frisky in the corners, every little bit hurts when it comes to unsprung weight.
Hmmmm.... I like the concept, Skull, but there's some plain bad design in the picture. After all those very expensive suspension mods, the guy left the ungodly heavy cast wheels on it to pork up the unsprung weight. The stretched tubular swingarm will not only slow down steering, without a brace it'll flex like half-cooked pasta. The trick suspension is wasted. The thing is styled like a motard bike (I like that), but it's only fit to ride as a highway cruiser.
Hi Skull,
all of that for only Aus$13,500? Is that a bargain where you are?
My son reckons that Australian bikes sell for twice the price of Canadian bikes but would I pay Cdn$6,250 for it if it was offered in Saskatoon?
Not when I could buy a quite nice unmodified one for a third of that.
But about those comments.
XS650 wheel weights:-
Accuracy, self holding a wheel standing on a bathroom scale. Cast vs wire. The wheel weights are just about the same.
Design concept:-
It's for being noticed, not for how it handles. The bike has aced it.