Cutting Weight...

[crazy steve]

It's pretty hard to get any serious weight off a bike. There usually isn't that much 'extra' stuff...

But if you're gonna try:

Aluminum or carbon fiber sportbike mufflers
Fiberglass seat pan
Plastic fenders
Build aluminum replacements for as much of the steel stuff as you can (battery box, rear caliper bracket, axle spacers, etc)

This would probably offer the most loss for the least trouble. Probably the biggest single gain would be a chain drive conversion if you can stand the cost. There'll also be few pounds to be found in different lighting, losing the tool kit/side covers/grab rails/etc, and a smaller battery. I would be EXTREMELY cautious about cutting on the frame, as these things are flexi-flyers as it is. Most 'bare' bike frames only weight between 30-40 pounds anyway, and there's little to be gained with aluminum as wall thickness/size has to get bigger to maintain strength. The main reason for the alloy frames is rigidity, not weight.

The lightweight race bikes you see don't have lights, horns, padded seats, starters, and sometime even charging systems. If you took off all that stuff, you could lose a 100 lbs...

'78E original owner

[crazy steve]

I hate to say it, and I really am not trying to hurt anyone's feeling, but the thought of all these 11's being 'chopped' really sickens me. If you want a V-what-ever, get one. I have seen all the different attempts and they just look like wanna-be, poor attempts at Harley's. There are thousands upon thousands of Harleys out there, I don't understand why people want to chop up these limited/rare bikes.

Stepping down from the soap box.

I am not a purest by any means, but no matter what you do, the XS will never look like the choppers these folks set out to build. Maybe the aluminum frame is a great idea after all. We'll need something to replace all the chopped up frames with soon.

I hate to say it, but everybody on this list is a cannibal. Yeah, these bikes are becoming rare, but unfortunately not yet valuable. We're all feeding off the semi-dead carcasses of neglected XS's due to the terrible parts availability. And that's not likely to get any better. So as long as these things are cheap, powerful, and what few OEM parts you can find are expensive, expect to see unspeakable things done to them.

If you have a nice unmolested stocker, one of these days it will be worth some real money...

'78E original owner

[daveyg]

Well, now that the opinions are out about chopper XS11s, what do you guys think of cafe racer styling? That is what I have in mind for my xs11... Just putting a fiberglass solo seat, and fiberglass or plastic front fender, no rear fender, and moving the foot controls back a few inches, lastly building a taller tank with knee indentations, and low, drag bars or clubman bars... Let the hating begin.

[trbig]

Let the hating begin.

Well heck... let me throw my hatin' hat in the ring first then!!


Tod

[fredintoon]

"Simplificate and add lightness"

So how much money you got?
Replace sheet steel with carbon fiber/epoxy.
Find lighter wheels.
Install single wall 4 into 1 exhaust.
Remove the centerstand.
Convert to chain drive.
Use smaller battery.
OK, you just spent the cost of a new bike so go buy one instead?

[Crazcnuk]

"what do you guys think of cafe racer styling"

Same as chopping.

I get old vehicles and spend years trying to get them back to original.

I cry when I see bikes, in better shape than mine, being stripped on ebay.

As was stated earlier, though, these bikes are too common, still. It's the attrition that makes mint examples more and more valuable.

[Ken Talbot]

It's pretty hard to get any serious weight off a bike. There usually isn't that much 'extra' stuff...

Ah yes , but there's usually a few extra pounds sitting right in the saddle. It's way too easy to think you would have to replace heavy weight alumimun with light weight carbon fibre. In reality, most of us only need to replace a few pounds of 'easy living lifestyle' with 'regular time at the gym' and we would see significant performance improvement. Maybe even in areas not even remotely connected to 1/4 mile performance...

[T99Ford]

You guys crack me up...

It never ceases to amaze me the strong feelings some people can have over the simplest things. Here is a synopsis of anyof my toys:
My toys were purchased by me for the purpose of being used by me to either make my life easier, or to make my less boring. I suspect most of us are this way. Sooo, if I want to chop my bike, gut it, change every piece, and then throw it away, it has accomplished its purpose to me. If I want to buy a cheap XS, and make it look like a bike that I probably can't afford anyway, then I can, because it is mine. If I want to make it as racy as I want, and go fast and die in wreck, then I can, 'cause its mine. If I want to restore it to #1 original, and keep it in an environmentally controlled glass case, I can 'cause its mine. It is only a toy, anyway. Its relative worth is only what someone will pay for it anyway. Rare is the bike that is an investment. And, an investment only provides you with money if you sell it.
The bottom line, is that as long as you are having fun doing what you are doing with the XS, more power to you. There is no need for hatin'! I have seen nice bikes from all walks on here, and can appreciate the workmanship of each.
We have to use our bikes to the fullest. We have a long time to be dead!

[Ivan]

Having the largest collection of extra XS parts for5 yards around, I can tell you all that the motor could use some major weight loss. The motor and tranny assembly is half the weight of the bike, in my estimation. I have a crankshaft sitting on the floor and I'd bet that thing weighs in the neighbohood of 30 pounds. It is really heavy for its size. A drop forged crank that is probably stronger could be made to weigh half that. The gears in the tranny are more substantial than in a muncie 4 speed from a late 80s Chevy 1 ton truck. I am sure saving some of that cast iron weight would help a bit too. I haven't seen the con rods in person yet, but I am betting they are over built as well. There is nothing in these engines that wasn't overcompensated. It looks like an engine that was planned to be MUCH more powerful than what it is.

I bet the big bore kits shave a couple pounds of cast iron out of there at the least. Probably have lighter pistons as well.

The frame isn't space age cast titanium, but it really doesn't appear to be the major source of weight on the bike, quite like the wheels and fenders.

The drive shaft could be hollow, and save some weight.

All in all the XS looks to be the Sherman Tank of motorcycles, and probably could withstand a few mortar rounds. Choppers are more like the Pitts Special of the aviation world. Look sleek and turn quick, but worthless for anything else, and you can't stand to fly one for more than an hour.

Personally I think the XS is one of the best looking bikes on the road. It even out does the HD crossbones in the looks department.

If I could shoehorn a Vmax engine into an XS frame, I would have my perfect bike.

[fredintoon]

My toys were purchased by me for the purpose of being used by me to either make my life easier, or to make my less boring. - - - Sooo, if I want to chop my bike, gut it, change every piece, and then throw it away, it has accomplished its purpose to me. - - - The bottom line, is that as long as you are having fun doing what you are doing with the XS, more power to you.

Hi t71,
sure, it's yours, do with it what you will. But if you do something stupid (remove front brake/rear suspension/front fender/etc) to make your ride look like something the Teutels built, I gotta call you on it. The sarcasm & the sneering might save your life.

[Big Daddy Funk]

Speaking for myself

I would have to say that the most unnecessary weight on my bike is my spare tire. Sitting on the saddle also makes for a high centre of gravity. Cutting 50 or 60 lbs. off my bike would be a major expense compared to my losing weight. If your body can afford to lose a few pounds that would be the most effective means of overall weight reduction.

[DGXSER]

I'm with you Big Daddy....and as an added bonus, better health to go with it!!

[T99Ford]

Hi Fred--
I don't mean to imply that I endorse making a bike less safe. We already know that it is dangerous enough as it is. I just want to point out that just because someone wants to maybe hardtail their bike or try to make it faster, then there is no cause for anyone to rant about how evil they are for damaging the "pure" integrity of the XS. The reality is that it is a relatively low value Japanese made motorcycle. Most people don't even want to chop these bikes. The majority wants to make cafe bikes and streetfighters out of them. Those kinds of mods only make these bikes run and perform better than stock. While I am glad there are purists who would like to restore them so that in the future we will have good examples to look at, I am equally glad that there are people who take the time and effort to make something truly unique. If they choose to do so and not be safe with it, and die in the end, that is their responsiblity. But I would venture that more people have died on stock bikes than modded ones. My main point is that so long as the owner is enjoying his bike to the fullest, then far be it from me to criticize what he is doing.

[DGXSER]

Safety first...More than your life at risk

I certainly agree that anyone who wants to chop the thing into 100 pieces and put it back in whatever form they want is free to do just that.

The safety issue though, I feel we owe it to others to think of more than just our own safety. I know a man who lost his wife to a deer. He was driving along, and the deer jumped out, he slowed down and missed it, the truck coming the other way did not miss it, and slammed the deer through his windshield with the antlers decapitating his wife sitting next to him. Other than being a grusam story, it shows the point that our reckless actions can and probably will effect more than just ourselves when we ride on public roads with others. Not to insinuate the truck in that story was reckless, just that his actions or lack there of had that effect.

Just as we expect the cagers to look out for us the same as another vehicle (or at least hope they do and expect they are not for our own safety sake). We owe it to others not to take an unsafe vehicle out or operate at unsafe conditions in crowded streets or areas. So to that end, I support Fred's concern. I sure would hate to get the call that my daughter was dead because some biker cut his front brake off so it would look cool, then could not stop and hit her head on flying through her windshield at 80 MPH.

Yeah I know long winded, and thinking it through way to much

[Poprock]

South Beach diet works for me. Down 27# in 8 weeks, feelin' great. 750 or 850 hub swap good for 5 mpg too. FI conversion would be excellent once 81XSproject makes kits.