Very light street/sport bike

Last weekend, I rode a CBR1000RR and realized what I was missing in terms of light and nimble handling.

Now, a bike with 150 hp shouldn't be as quick-handling as something with half the power, and there surely has to be a bike that's significantly lighter than a 400 lb 1000, but what are my options?

Short of a plated track bike, your best option is a motard.

The only thing significantly lighter than 400lbs that I could think of would be a supermoto. But even a DRZ400SM is rated at 321lbs dry.

sv650's come close.

600cc sport bikes are all right around 400lbs. So are 1000cc sport bikes. The only things lighter are motards. And it's not by much as noted earlier. I suppose if you took my Honda CRF250R(approx 200lbs.) and got it street legal it would be around 220lbs? Likely more if you put a bigger fuel tank on it. 400lbs. is pretty lightweight when you think about it. Most American males weigh more than 200lbs.

The Daytona 675 is often praised for being lighter than it's fellow 600cc stablemates, you're looking at a claimed dry weight of sub-400lbs.

EvanB wrote: The only thing significantly lighter than 400lbs that I could think of would be a supermoto. But even a DRZ400SM is rated at 321lbs dry.

The DR.Z is a pig. Yamaha says the WR250X is 302lb dry, I wager the other 250 moto's come in close (I'd go for the WRX, I heart revs).

ninja 250 is low 300s, Hyosung 250...

KTM 450 SMR = 246lbs.

Describe your idea of nimble:

Nimble = 100mph

I would never consider a sport bike to be nimble. Stable, maybe, nimble...not really. I

What kind of sport bikes have you ridden?

Here's a nimble sports bike for you:

EvanB wrote: What kind of sport bikes have you ridden?

CBR, ZX6R, ZX6E.

I have ridden a CBR600 and found it very nimble, never ridden a ZX6R. I considered my SV650 to be nimble. My Guzzi definitely isn't at over 500lbs.

Here are some good ones to google. I might pick up an SDR200 soon.

Yamaha SDR200 Yamaha FZR250RR Honda CBR250RR Yamaha R1-Z Yamaha RZ350 Honda NSR250 Yamaha TZR250 Suzuki RGV250 Yamaha SRX-6 Aprilia RS250

All modern sportbikes are nimble at anything more than a parking lot pace. Hell, the new GSX-R750 is only a few pounds more than the 600.

oldtin wrote: ninja 250 is low 300s, Hyosung 250...

I was thinking 250s as well, if you aren't looking for brute power.

I say it depends on what speed range you want, and how much of the bike's capability you'l like to be able to use w/o killing yourself or going to jail.

Modern 1000s are out. They don't feel heavy and change direction well - on a race track between 75 and 160mph. 600s are a little bit better at human speeds, but still, not nimble in town.

Mid sized tins are better - naked SV650 and such.

Nothing, however can touch a motard. I've got a KTM690SMC - 65hp, 297#, comes w/ track tires, turns and brakes unbelievably well. I road raced long enough to get pretty good, and this bike makes me feel like I have super powers.

Yamaha FZR400 is around 380lbs...

Grey market CBR400RR is about the same...

I have ridden almost every japanese motorcycle produced in the last 10 years either at work or one I owned and honestly I would go with a DRZ400SM or Yamaha WR250X if you want light, nimble and fun. Despite the difference in displacement, I do not notice a whole lot of difference between the two bikes due to the WR250X's 6 speed tranny(the drz has a 5). While not great for long highway rides, these things are soooo fun around town and on back roads!

If you want nimble

Motard is the answer.

you are looking at 400lbs +/- ~10% in most cases.

Go Motard, be happy.

In reply to CLNSC3:

Then when you are ready, get a kit

http://youtu.be/hYbiTKtlFd4

I suppose you could get a Gasgas trials bike...they weigh around 150 lbs. Of course they have no lights, gauges or seat, so they aren't too practical for daily use.

Bandit 400 - around 370lb dry, 14000 RPM, 60ish HP Street Triple - about the same weight with 40 more HP

IIRC,de-restricted NSR250 weighs around 325lbs and has about 65hp.

FlightService wrote: In reply to CLNSC3: Then when you are ready, get a kit http://youtu.be/hYbiTKtlFd4

Oh yeah the MP Fab turbo kit! That would be sooo much fun!

I dunno what you guys are comparing the supersports to, but they are most definitely nimble, especially in 600-750cc guise. They certainly will not feel nimble if you don't know how to properly ride them. Protip: you don't ride them like they're motards. DRZ-400SM's are super fun, but can get boring if you're wanting something fast.