The Lure of Lightweight Motorcycles
Tuesday July 15, 2008
Thanks to my job I'm lucky enough to see quite a few motorcycles pass through my garage, and every once in a while an interesting group of bikes gets me thinking. Last week, while the ginormous Triumph Rocket III touring graced the garage of guest reviewer Jason Fogelson, I was looking at the Kawasaki Ninja 250R (333 lbs dry), Ducati Monster 696 (359 lbs dry), and the Yamaha R6 (366 lbs dry.) Their common thread? Their featherweight footprints.
While there's a time and place for everything (like the 787 lb Suzuki C109R or virtually any Harley), the latest array reminds me of how great it feels to throw around a compact little whisp of a bike. I'm sure a few of you disagree…
Photo © Basem Wasef
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Comments
I have to agree. There is just something to be said about flinging the bike back and forth with ease in the twisties. Also living in Japan I am limited to 400cc and under. My “heavy” bike is a Honda CB400SF at a 370 lbs. (dry), while my lean mean fighting machine is a ‘92 Honda NSR 250 SE at a featherlight 290 lbs. (dry). I have riden some bigger and heavier bikes and don’t get me wrong I know their merits too.
Les,
Heavier bikes certainly have their merits– especially when it comes to longer distance rides– but it’s hard to beat a lightweight motorcycle around town.
Even a Harley Sportster, while not a true lightweight by any stretch of the imagination, is fun to ride because of its low center of gravity and maneuverability.
That said, there’s also a time and a place for big bikes, as you’ll see in the next post…
Basem
I have a kawasaki KLR650 and at 330 LBS dry, it’s a blast to ride. The 60mpg is nice too.