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6th gen drop weight work in progress


CVFR

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Hey all, I'm posting a pic and description of my 6th gen in progress to share my ideas and hear others'. First off, I ride solo and commute using a tank bag. Original goal was to reduce weight mostly when moving the bike at slow speeds or in the garage. Thus far I've dropped more than 20 lbs. for $300. This difference is immediately noticeable when lifting the bike onto its center stand (now much easier) but also riding at all speeds. I may revise what I've got at this point, but i'm satisfied at this point for having accomplished the weight reduction goal. 

 

So, what I've done: 

1. Pulled the OEM mufflers and replaced these with a single side exhaust. I found a used DAM exhaust on eBay (btw, awesome quality, throatier sound yet not obnoxious). Note that this 8th gen pipe fit fine onto the 6th gen rear passenger peg drop frame (I cut a 2" length of 1" diameter radiator hose and sliced it in half at a slight angle to give a rubber isolation mount for a bolt and nut). Now in general I like the styling of the 6th gen rear taillight/body work and I wasn't ready to swap out the rear subframe immediately. To deal with the exposed space under the seat I fabbed two dummy cans for about $25. Hardware store recipe: (2) 4-in x 24-in Aluminum Round Duct Pipe $4 each (cut to fit under the seat frame), (4) 4"-to-3" plastic pipe/vent adapters $3 each, and (6) 4" hose clamps $1 each. Each weighs about 8 oz. If you want to add about 1 lb. you could turn these into storage tubes with closed ends (check out Tom-Kap 4" Cleanout adapter and ring). With the spare aluminum ducting I made a simple bracket to attach the hose clamps to the stock subframe muffler mount points. The net drop was 15 lbs. 

2. Replaced the lead-acid battery with a Deltran LiFePO4 battery. Easy fit with the included foam filler pads. Since these have four terminals, after securing the negative and positive that fit the VFR orientation, I taped down the plastic cover over the secondary positive terminal as a safety precaution. Net drop was 6 lbs. 

3. Ok, these last two are freebies, but every bit removed cuts weight. I removed the rear passenger grab handles and my underseat tools. I put a tire patch kit in my tank bag with a basic leatherman multi-tool. Net drop was 3 lbs. 

4. Not in these pics but I've removed the windscreen since I get an annoying buffet that hits my helmet. I much prefer straight air flow that I can lean into as desired. I may add back a severely cut down windscreen. 

 

What I'm thinking about: 

1. Fab a hanging tab for the single side exhaust and then remove both passenger peg assemblies (drop about 4 lbs.)

2. Keeping the OEM subframe but selectively lighten it since it really just needs to carry me as a solo rider. (drop maybe 5-10 lbs). In general I think Honda engineers did a great job with the subframe and under plastic design. It's just way more than I need as a solo commuter.

3. Long-term I'd like to turn the bike into a lightweight street fighter and pull the fairings and add wider handlebars for easy leverage. 

 

 

 

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  • Member Contributer

loose the centertand and passenger pegs, delink the brakes, convert to a lightweight 520 chain and sprockets, galfer rear rotor, thats worth another 20lbs. After that its one lb at a time

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