[A Squids Life]

This may have been answered already. However, you have replaced a lot of bolts to save a few grams here and there and you have carbon wheels. Why the hell are you rocking the stock horrible can? You can easily save kg's here not 50grams.

 

[John Harris]

You can save around 7 pound, 3.2kg with a full titanium exhaust but that means you have to lose the CAT, but since I live in the most smog crazy state in the US I have to keep it. The stock exhaust system on the 2017-2019 isn't bad for power or weight, it also looks decent. If it wasn't for the smog laws here I would probably change it, and I still may if I need a big weight loss, but, while many do change the exhaust, if caught it is a hugh fine and the registration is pulled until it is returned to stock and verified. Slip-ons are ok so long as they pass the db test. They used to setup sound checks on the freeway and have CHP on bikes stop offenders and ticket them, haven't seen one of those since the Pandemic.

 

[A Squids Life]

You can save around 7 pound, 3.2kg with a full titanium exhaust but that means you have to lose the CAT, but since I live in the most smog crazy state in the US I have to keep it. The stock exhaust system on the 2017-2019 isn't bad for power or weight, it also looks decent. If it wasn't for the smog laws here I would probably change it, and I still may if I need a big weight loss, but, while many do change the exhaust, if caught it is a hugh fine and the registration is pulled until it is returned to stock and verified. Slip-ons are ok so long as they pass the db test. They used to setup sound checks on the freeway and have CHP on bikes stop offenders and ticket them, haven't seen one of those since the Pandemic.

Looks are subjective but the stock can is horrible imo. Swapping to a carbon Leo Vince i saved 1.31kg and still have the cat. Has a removable silencer as well.

 

[noveske556]

You can save around 7 pound, 3.2kg with a full titanium exhaust but that means you have to lose the CAT, but since I live in the most smog crazy state in the US I have to keep it. The stock exhaust system on the 2017-2019 isn't bad for power or weight, it also looks decent. If it wasn't for the smog laws here I would probably change it, and I still may if I need a big weight loss, but, while many do change the exhaust, if caught it is a hugh fine and the registration is pulled until it is returned to stock and verified. Slip-ons are ok so long as they pass the db test. They used to setup sound checks on the freeway and have CHP on bikes stop offenders and ticket them, haven't seen one of those since the Pandemic.

That Cali life. I spent several decades there then finally moved to America haha. I feel your pain, I’ve spent my fair share of time at the state ref over there.

 

[DannoXYZ]

It's something like $1500 fine if you get caught with cat removed. They used to have monitoring booth coming down Grapevine that detects your exhaust when you drive by. Anything too high and they chase you down for closer look. Busted huge amount of those slammed ricerboy cars and sport bikes.

I used to have shoppe down the road and would go up Grapevine to go home and entire shoulder on other side would be packed full of cars getting pulled over. It's like those sobriety checkpoints, no one gets around it!

It's really necessary evil since smog was extremely bad in L.A. basin back in '80s. I remember radio would announce "smog days" warning people to stay indoors when the pollution was so bad it would burn your eyes and make you cough! You can see clear skies over LA and actually breathe now!

 

[noveske556]

It's something like $1500 fine if you get caught with cat removed. They used to have monitoring booth coming down Grapevine that detects your exhaust when you drive by. Anything too high and they chase you down for closer look. Busted huge amount of those slammed ricerboy cars and sport bikes.

I used to have shoppe down the road and would go up Grapevine to go home and entire shoulder on other side would be packed full of cars getting pulled over. It's like those sobriety checkpoints, no one gets around it!

It's really necessary evil since smog was extremely bad in L.A. basin back in '80s. I remember radio would announce "smog days" warning people to stay indoors when the pollution was so bad it would burn your eyes and make you cough! You can see clear skies over LA and actually breathe now!

True, LA was notorious for smog back then. I loved seeing big rigs roll coal up the grape vine when was I a kid haha.

The sound booths are wild though. That’s some Laguna Seca level fuckery.

 

[A Squids Life]

Not suggesting you remove the Cat, there are 1-2kg savings to be had plus removal of that huge eyesore.

 

[John Harris]

I haven't seen a CAT back exhaust the meets sound level requirements, is US forestry approved, and has the back pressure control valve. For me, losing any one of those requirements is a step down from the current exhaust. Do you know of anyone who makes such? Back in 2017 when I got the bike, my brother worked for Honda, in the body design group (pushing clay), and told me of uncounted hours of engineering and wind tunnel testing for aero and sound. The same level of engineering went into the CBR Exhaust to make it light and the least restrictive for power while meeting government sound level requirements, it's always a tradeoff. I guess knowing that makes the large size of the exhaust not so much of an eye sore to me. But after I live with it for another couple years I may change my requirements.

 

[DannoXYZ]

yeah, my bike lost tonne of mid-range torque with exhaust-valve removed. Might make sense for track where you're near redline all the time. But was frustratingly slow on street. I put it back on after couple months.

 

[John Harris]

Well, today is Christmas, so Merry Christmas to all! Today I ordered a Bonamici Top Triple Clamp and Shorai lithium battery for the bike, or for myself but the bike will benefit or vice-versa. That will shave another 1 1/4 pound off the bike, have to re-weigh the bike but I think I will be close to 418 pounds wet. ,
Went to Yellowstone National Park for a quick holiday, it hit a record -50 F Thursday morning. I will never complain about riding in 50 degree weather again, even the snowmobiles didn't go out that day, the next day it was 11 F, felt almost balmy.

 

[John Harris]

For New Years Eve I ordered another set of Titanium bolts for the bike. Little bit at a time. Also, I spent the morning before New Years working on the Carbon Fiber seat cover. They made the tower part that goes into the lock too short so they had to put lots of adhesive between, making the cover heavier than it needed to be but they also didn't set it straight so the cover was tilted. I used a hack saw blade by hand to cut loose the tower, a real pain, then I used a die grinder to remove all the adhesive. Today I set the tower part into the seat lock then mixed up some plastic weld adhesive with some milled fiberglas fibers to thicken it and put big dabs on the corners of the tower, put the cover on, shimmed around the edges, then wrapped rope over the cover until the weld adhesion set. Today I mixed up some kitty hair, polyester resin and fiberglass, and filled the area between the plastic weld on the tower to cover. Tomorrow I will grind away any extra adhesive and kitty hair and install the cover on the bike. This removes another 3 ounces from the bike, and adds a little bling even though it is a matte finish. I will post some pics of all this when I finish tomorrow.
Have a great new year!

 

[DannoXYZ]

So what breed of "kitty hair" is this?
Are certain breeds preferred for strength-to-weight ratio?
Can yacked-up fur-balls be used?
Or only fresh hair cultivated from cat's back?

 

[John Harris]

I will have to take a picture of the can, Kitty Hair is the name for a fiberglass based bondo. :O
And here is the finished seat cover. Matt finish actually works pretty well, looks like a continuation of the leather seat satin look.

 

[John Harris]

If you look at the second pic in the background next to the rope on the table is the can of Kitty Hair. I usually use it to repair body panels of corvettes but it works well on carbon fiber also.

 

[John Harris]

Parts to install soon. Headlight surround and under steering head fairing. these piece are from Tekarbon, they do nice work and not too expensive. I will see how well they fit soon.

 

[John Harris]

Installed the headlight surround tonight, still putting it back together. An interesting look without the air tubes and fairings. Blade monster?

 

[John Harris]

Changed the oil while the fairing is off. Changed the drain plug to the Titanium one, stock is 28.5 grams, titanium w/magnet is 15 grams.
The under the steering head fairing piece stock is 67g but the CF one is 136g, twice a much but is very ridged.
The stock headlight surround is 121g and CF is 139g, so a hair heavier but much better looking. I had to open the front hole and side slits to fit the upper fairing cover and windshield piece. Also received the Shorai battery which will put in tonight.

 

[John Harris]

Finished putting the bike back together. The headlight surround might have needed a little more fitting work so it would fit an 1/8" farther back on the headlight, as it is there is a small gap where it meets the air tubes. I replaced bolts with titanium bolts for the front fender, rear fender, seat subframe, and frame hole covers. The weight loss offset the weight gained by the Carbon fiber two new pieces. And installed the new Shorai battery so a net weight loss of 3/4 pounds. Waiting for the carbon fiber subframe and billet upper triple clamp for another 3 pounds loss. Now that the rain has stopped I can go for a ride.

 

[John Harris]

While changing the battery one of the washers on the seat bolts fell to the floor and rolled under the dryer and into a black hole, even pulling the dryer out could not find it so went to the hardware store and got some stainless fender washers.
Then looking at the manual I decided it was time to change the coolant also, so removed the lower fairing, again, and the right side middle fairing, drained and replace the coolant, and put everything back together. Fun fun. But ready to ride again.😎

 

[John Harris]

Question for anyone knowledgeable on Brembo brakes. Will the Stylema 108 caliper fit on the 2017 SP? Mounting height and rotor distance spacing?
Looks like you can save a little over 5 ounces, 144 grams, with a pair of the calipers.
The stock Brembo has 32/30mm pistons, the Stylema has 30/30 piston, should be ok with the master caliper but will it lose any braking power. The Stylema Calipers come stock on the 2022/2023 Suzuki Hayabusa which is much heavier so probably good braking power to stop that monster but just don't know for sure.