Carbon Handlebar Tubes? --- Verdict is IN

[TZDeSioux]

The Rev Dr has spoken...

I'm not either one anymore. I've decided to be a Gangsta now.  ;)

[Super Dave]

Dave?

I missed that....oops.

Optimizing?  Yeah, we did that on mine.  Will be getting it down to http://4and6.com again as soon as I can get time.

I'm supposed to know how to do things, but it does take time.  The process put me in the ball park that I needed to be in to take a new bike out on the track and be up to speed with all the deveoloped bikes.  Changed some things over the course of the year with their help too.  We'll be able to see the changes that I made over the year too.  

[Nate R]

Awesome. Then I'll put it in the budget for the new bike.

[Nate R]

Also, ekraft: My bars (Woodcraft, IIRC) weigh .345 lbs each, making the total weight of the tubes with ends .69 lbs.

I'm thinking the weight loss for the PAIR will be between .25 and .35 lbs.

I'm just curious more than anything to see the wall size of the tubing, and finding out if they do save any weight. 4 oz, well, I could not eat breakfast and lose more weight, I know it won't mean squat.

Ekraft - your SV is about what? 330? SS legal? Did you do any Ti or Al bolts, or just mainly chopping things off?

[ekraft84]

Nate,

I would guess the Woodcraft ones are fairly light to begin with.  I think mine were heavier.  So in the end, you're probably just getting them to look cool.  Nothing wrong with that.  :)

My bike weighs 332 pounds according to the GNF Suzuki scales.  I have the stock wheels with a '94 750 front end, which is very heavy.  The wheel, forks, triples .. all of it.  It's heavy just pushing it in the pits.  :)

I haven't done anything too fancy - just cut weight where it isn't needed.  I haven't done any Ti bolts - I think that would be cool, but I don't have that much time.  It would be nice to get a lighter front end and some aftermarket wheels, which I hope would put the bike in the 315-320 lb range.

I heard Ed Key had carbon bodywork and a carbon tank.  I need to go faster on the bike before that will make a difference for me.  :)


I haven't done anything too fancy - just cut weight where it isn't needed.  I haven't done any Ti bolts - I think that would be cool, but I don't have that much time.  I'd like to get a lighter front end and some aftermarket wheels, which I hope would put the bike in the 315-320 lb range.

I saw Ed Key had carbon bodywork and a carbon tank.  I need to go faster on the bike before that will make a difference for me.  :)

[Nate R]

K, so standard Bodywork and tank, no aluminum fasteners, and you got it down to 330 with a race load of fuel, or what?

Not bad at all.

I'm shooting for under 350 with a newer SV, and I don't think that will be TOO hard.

Also, I didn't even know about carbon bars until someone showed them they got them for lighter weight. I don't really care what they look like.

[ekraft84]

Yes, 1 gallon of gas and ready to go out on the track.

Under 350 on a new SV should be doable without too much hassle.  If you're keeping it SS legal, you can't change the subframe though.  That's usually a quick place to drop weight.

[Nate R]

Why can't I change the subframe? That's totally legal, in CCS.

[ekraft84]

Oops.  Thinking WERA rules.  

[Nate R]

 :D

Love the CCS SS Rules  ;D

Well, I guess I'll aim for under 340 then, IF Al subframes are out for the 03+. No one has one yet, STILL, that I know of.

[StuartV666]

Speaking of new bikes: What do you think about getting a Brand new bike optimized a la GMD? Waste of time/$ or worth it?

I'm just curious. Does you think it matters that it's a brand new bike vs. (I guess) and old, used bike, when you're considering getting it optimized?

GMD's optimization is something they only do to a bike after they've measured it and verified that it's perfectly straight (or straightened it, if needed). So I don't see why it would matter whether the bike is new or not.

In which case, the question would be: Optimization? Worth it or not?

To that, I can say that it was well worth it to me. I had my R6 forks completely done over by Traxxion, and bought the Penske triple adjustable shock from Traxxion also. I then spent a year racing the bike and going back to Max for tweaks. At the end of that, I was going no faster than I had been with stock suspension/setup.

At that point, I decided to spend the money and get GMD to optimize it. Kent (from GMD Atlanta) changed the fork preload spacer, the rear shock spring, ride heights at both ends (by *tiny* amounts - single digits of millimeters), and damping adjusters on both ends. In one weekend, I improved 2 seconds a lap at Jennings, and the next time I went to Roebling, I was 2 seconds faster there, also. I think the optimization was $550. You can't buy 2 seconds a lap for $550 any other way!

I give 70% of the credit for my championships this year to Kent at GMD. (and the other 50% ;) to Dick Suarez at Full Spectrum Racing in Orlando, for building me a motor that has run well and been competitive for 4 seasons now with nothing but an occasional oil change)

- Stu

[Nate R]

I guess I meant brand new as compared to crashed a few times.

It seems that those that take in their new bikes are glad they did, so I guess I probably will