I understand what you guys are saying. I didn't buy this bike to compete with crotch rockets, and I know it's a losing battle. I just want to make my bike lighter and faster and I really enjoy doing power to weight comparisons.

As far as cost, I don't see how it could be that much. I checked out Hammers stuff and it looks like a 1250 kit($600)+ported heads($600)+cams($300)=around 100 whp on pump gas. If I install it myself that is really not very expensive for a 100% power gain.

Madnss's bike is awesome, but I don't plan on drag racing, so that simplifies things quite a bit. I don't need an extended swingarm, chain conversion, or really any of the extreme stuff he has. One of the big weight reduction items that I plan on buying is Excel spoke wheels. I heard that's at least a 20 lb sprung weight loss vs my stock mag wheels. Then the highway pegs, passenger pegs, front fender, belt guards, and rear seat should be at least 10 more pounds. Just for perspective that would make the bike 640 lbs with me on it, which is the wet weight of a V-Rod.

 

I can’t even.

Is the new Harley owner really telling us about the potential of the Sportster? I can’t even..

I can’t even...

Is the new Harley owner really referencing a professionally built drag bike with at least $10k in go fast parts not including the labor costs of the research, porting, polishing, matching, track and dyno tuning? I can’t even....

If you put the same $10k in parts plus another $10k of the labor costs of the research, porting, polishing, matching, track and dyno tuning into that R6 it would be a 9 second bike. Busa an 8 second bike. I can’t even.....

Your bike would have to weight about 225lbs to match the power to weight ratio of a SMALLER modern sport bike. I can’t even......

Ya think? You come as a new Harley owner to a Sportster forum lecturing us on how easy it is to make an 883 a sport bike killer just by shaving some weight. THEN ask us to do the work for you and provide metrics?

I.... can’t.... even......

Maybe I just need another cup of coffee.

 

Is the member with 306 posts really acting like a 10 year veteran of this forum? I can't even...

Please feel free to prove one thing I've said wrong.

Why do people have such a hard time with power to weight ratio?

2013 Yamaha R6:

Wet weight: 417 lbs
Wheel horsepower: 100
Rider weight: 220 lbs

Total weight: 637 lbs

Dale Gribble's 2002 Harley 883:

Wet weight: 500 lbs
Wheel horsepower: 100
Rider weight: 140 lbs soaking wet

Total weight: 640 lbs

Please explain to me how my bike would have to weigh 225 lbs, Jersey.

 

Yeah I would put the money in madnss bike every time for that's what I like. I wouldn't take a sport bike if it was free.

 

you know he's right though.

we want you to go ahead with your dream but, be realistic. sport bikes are made for this. the sportster is the sport bike of 50 years ago... and even then it was at the tail of the pack. you are embarking on a $$$ quest.
you may be the next Madnss or MatHormell (http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s....php?t=1976997) but, respect the work that they put in. pulling off parts your 883 WILL NOT have you hanging with sport bikes (maybe 250s), vrod, or confederate 120s... but, it's a start. you may have weight shaved but, technology and engineering is different.

dig in

 

Interesting topic, an assembled list of various weights would be cool if the hall monitors and armchair racers could contain their lust for attention.

That said, a bare '84 frame weighs 41 pounds.

t

 

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Your so wrapped up in numbers on a piece of paper. Please go ride a 600 sportbike. Then immediately hop back on your 883 sportster and give it all it has and see the monumental gap between the 2 bikes!!! then Maybe a light bulb will kick in and you'll come back to reality.

That Madness reference is a straight drag bike built to go fast for a quarter mile and that's it. Serves no relevance whatsoever to your initial comment about beating 600's on a straight away. You think that taking off a few tins or changing the rims are gonna make all the difference in the world. I have a set of BST CARBON FIBER rims for my Hayabusa. They weigh next to nothing but no where near a 20lb weight reduction from stock. Still gotta account for tires, sprocket, rotors, etc. So whoever told you that a set of excel rims will drop 20lbs is smoking the same **** your on about hanging with 600's.

These sportsters have been around 4EVER!!! There's no new trick or idea that you can come up with that a million other guys on here and other forums haven't. There's a reason why most trade them in for a bigger bike...... You wanna keep it and customize and dump a ton of money into it and make it yours go ahead!!! I'm all for custom projects but just know the rabbit hole your headed down won't be easy or cheap

 

LOL!! Is the amount of posts on an internet forum really the measure of knowledge these days? Wow....

Welcome to the forum.

 

That's like comparing a stock Supra to a Gallardo. Of course it's not impressive stock, it's the potential that counts. I guess I'm just used to the car community where stripping parts and engine mods are the norm.

It's completely relevant since it proves that my plan is feasible, and not nearly as expensive as everyone keeps saying. If you look into Madnss's bike he said that he only put 3 grand into the engine to make 120 whp. Not 10 grand, 20 grand, or whatever other asinine prices people keep saying.

A Hayabusa is probably the biggest sport bike you can possibly buy, so of course you're not going to get that much of a gain. Not only that but I think 13 spoke Sportster wheels weigh just a hair more than your OEM Busa wheels. Look it up and you'll see that it actually is at least a 10 lb weight savings per wheel.

Fair enough. I know that I'm facing an uphill battle but I don't mind. I'll test ride a few bigger bikes before I start buying parts and maybe I'll change my mind. I doubt it though because I don't need a huge expensive bike to commute to work.