How do lighter wheels change handling?

[fallenarch]

I have been considering lighter wheels for the Busa for quite some time. I understand how they can improve the bikes turning, but I don't want it to be "twitchy". I used to run 55 series tires at the track but felt them too nervous for the road. While many say the Busa is a slow turner, I find the OEM setup very good for back road blasting, which is mainly how I ride my Busa. I use counter steering and the half a cheek off the seat method of convincing the bike to make direction changes and this works magically. I like not having to watch the bike every second. I can look at the GPS, watch the corn zipping by, or look behind me for that unmarked car hiding in the slower traffic without the bike inadvertently heading in the direction I'm looking.

So here is my question: do lighter wheels make the bike twitchy, or just more willing to follow direction?

 

[ROADTOAD1340]

Hi Willie , my BST's definitely don't make my bike more twitchy . I do find I it easier to make even more fine adjustment to steering and thus bikes position as I arrive at the entry to corner , to avoid bumps etc. that I didn't spy setting up for the corner for example . The wheels seem to definitely provide real extra agility to my Busa , from entry to mid corner and exit , everything is just better . Of course the suspension set up helps , but the wheels were first fitted to the L2 , with Ohlins 30mm cartridge equipped stock fork and the SU046 rear . It was from these earlier days , when the benefits were discovered of light weight wheels on Busa . I have always been a strong believer of lightweight wheel exchange on my motorcycles , and have swapped out every bike I have owned since the very early nineties with some type of lightweight race wheel .

 

[1busa]

Yeah I wouldn’t describe my Busa as twitchy with the BST wheels on it. It’s definitely more flickable and overall feels like a lighter bike. But it’s still a Busa so it’s not gonna feel like a 600 on steroids or something. It will still hold lines and provide the stability @ high speeds that the Busa has always been know for.

I never had a problem with hitting sweepers and turns on my Busa but it did take a little bit more effort. With the BST’s it was a lot easier to do. I had the R1 wheels on there for a couple years and I felt a difference with those vs the stock Busa rims. But it was night and day difference when I put them BST’s on it!!!

So if you went from stock rims to a lightweight wheel like a BST you’d feel a vast difference 2minutes down the road

 

[ali123]

before the bst's…. typically these bikes run 9-10 sec quarter mile times... AFTER the bsts… low 6s... and good for around 35 seconds at the streets of willow... don't drink the cool aid.... some people never have anything negative to say about their mods.... add power and do wheels last.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Oh man, 3-4 seconds quicker in the quarter just by fitting BSTs? Gotta get me some of those before the fantasy fades....

 

[Cantab]

When i had my oil boiler GSX1400 a friend of mine fitted his with Hi Point wheels (https://davemosstuning.com/carrozzeria-wheels/) and what an immediate effect in cornering
it was night and day difference over our usual hill roads even rolling on the straights
the centrifical forces was so noticably less , there wasnt any issues with stability.

 

[ROADTOAD1340]

before the bst's…. typically these bikes run 9-10 sec quarter mile times... AFTER the bsts… low 6s... and good for around 35 seconds at the streets of willow... don't drink the cool aid.... some people never have anything negative to say about their mods.... add power and do wheels last.

The benefits of wheel change for lighter items , for all sort of motorcycle application is pretty well documented . The BST wheels in particular , are popular sellers worldwide , so all sorts of information for and against can be sourced from the web , because of this sale success .
I guess it comes down to what you want out of your motorcycle , if you are happy with your bikes standard chassis setup but want more power , all good , and of course the chassis update first , power up later owners and everyone in between are going to go about their own path to desired ride also . Whether that even involves lighter wheels , only those people can decide . It goes without saying... but as always , do a thorough research before any modification is purchased , weigh up the best $ / gain / quality manufacturer for your needs .
Everyone's preference and desire is their own , so long as you get to ride and enjoy your chosen application , good enough I'd say .

 

[Bumblebee]

I kind of get a chuckle......

I belong to a Bandit forum which is all about going faster and handling better.

I join a Hayabusa forum which is geared towards the same thing...here we are riding the flagship of the Suzuki corporation and one of the fastest production bikes offered and we still want to go faster (and handle better which makes sense).

I'll bet if I visited the Kawasaki H2 forum, they'd be doing the same thing...

I for one for the time being am happy to just have a Hayabusa to ride after the long wait.

ROADTOAD1340-Your last line makes a world of sense to me.

 

[ali123]

The benefits of wheel change for lighter items , for all sort of motorcycle application is pretty well documented . The BST wheels in particular , are popular sellers worldwide , so all sorts of information for and against can be sourced from the web , because of this sale success .
I guess it comes down to what you want out of your motorcycle , if you are happy with your bikes standard chassis setup but want more power , all good , and of course the chassis update first , power up later owners and everyone in between are going to go about their own path to desired ride also . Whether that even involves lighter wheels , only those people can decide . It goes without saying... but as always , do a thorough research before any modification is purchased , weigh up the best $ / gain / quality manufacturer for your needs .
Everyone's preference and desire is their own , so long as you get to ride and enjoy your chosen application , good enough I'd say .

all im saying is.... if u go from a bolt-on busa to a big bore.. the difference will be dramatic and apparent IMMEDIATELY.... it is a completely different bike.... u wont have to go looking for subtle differences.... im getting off topic... but arch to answer ure question.. for 3500 bucks... with ure current statusas being able to use alllll the bikes power and wanting more/./// that 3500 could be much better spent... and honestly... how often do u make it to the track where the wheels will shine the best...

 

[ali123]

I kind of get a chuckle......

I belong to a Bandit forum which is all about going faster and handling better.

I join a Hayabusa forum which is geared towards the same thing...here we are riding the flagship of the Suzuki corporation and one of the fastest production bikes offered and we still want to go faster (and handle better which makes sense).

I'll bet if I visited the Kawasaki H2 forum, they'd be doing the same thing...

I for one for the time being am happy to just have a Hayabusa to ride after the long wait.

ROADTOAD1340-Your last line makes a world of sense to me.

people want to go faster because others own this bike and we end up in impromptu drag races and highway pulls against each other.. always looking for an advantage.

 

[ali123]

When i had my oil boiler GSX1400 a friend of mine fitted his with Hi Point wheels (https://davemosstuning.com/carrozzeria-wheels/) and what an immediate effect in cornering
it was night and day difference over our usual hill roads even rolling on the straights
the centrifical forces was so noticably less , there wasnt any issues with stability.

my carrazzerias are poop.

 

[c10]

You can pick up a set of CZ wheels on sale @ times for under 2000 . Not BST light , but lighter than oem , and you will notice a huge difference. I'm currently saving for a set in Titanium finish . You will not regret the purchase once ridden .

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

You can pick up a set of CZ wheels on sale @ times for under 2000 . Not BST light , but lighter than oem , and you will notice a huge difference. I'm currently saving for a set in Titanium finish . You will not regret the purchase once ridden .

You’re not having Ti wheels made?

 

[Bumblebee]

people want to go faster because others own this bike and we end up in impromptu drag races and highway pulls against each other.. always looking for an advantage.

Of course there is always a reason....I just get a chuckle is all...human beings are not designed to be content with anything.

 

[sixpack577]

before the bst's…. typically these bikes run 9-10 sec quarter mile times... AFTER the bsts… low 6s... and good for around 35 seconds at the streets of willow... don't drink the cool aid.... some people never have anything negative to say about their mods.... add power and do wheels last.

Light weight wheels do alot less for you straight line guys(hard to see on a time slip), than those of us who drag knees and are constantly flicking the bike hard into corners.

 

[sixpack577]

all im saying is.... if u go from a bolt-on busa to a big bore.. the difference will be dramatic and apparent IMMEDIATELY.... it is a completely different bike.... u wont have to go looking for subtle differences.... im getting off topic... but arch to answer ure question.. for 3500 bucks... with ure current statusas being able to use alllll the bikes power and wanting more/./// that 3500 could be much better spent... and honestly... how often do u make it to the track where the wheels will shine the best...

Those wheels will shine on all the twisty country roads he rides.

 

[mabupa]

You can pick up a set of CZ wheels on sale @ times for under 2000 . Not BST light , but lighter than oem , and you will notice a huge difference. I'm currently saving for a set in Titanium finish . You will not regret the purchase once ridden .

CZ has some nice color options, but mixed reviews. My OZ piega were $1600 after talking to some forum members to get in touch with “the right people”. Not sure which one of the two are lighter, but might want to consider them too.

 

[ali123]

Those wheels will shine on all the twisty country roads he rides.

Arch.... damn the bullshit... turbo the damn thing/or build the motor... ull have 50 times the fun.… then u can actually look these h2 riders in their eyes... make it special/give it the HP she so desperately needs/ and u know u want.... uve prolonged this as long as u can arch... u know what to do.... get down or lay down.

 

[1busa]

Some people enjoy riding their Busas on curvy roads. There’s a certain rush you get when your dragging a knee into a turn @ speeds that most squids and “highway drag racers” will never know about!!!

It actually takes Skill & Cajones to hit a sweeper or switchback @ 85+mph. You have to commit to the turn....... when your approaching a turn/bend @ a high rate of speed it takes focus and total commitment. To 2nd guess yourself or not fully lay into that bend will result in catastrophe. It takes technical skill to be able to see the turn know where you want to enter it then hold the line through out and exit properly.

@ that point suspension and chassis setup play a big part. HP not so much....... 300 HP will do you NO GOOD whatsoever on the Tail of the Dragon or any technical road for that matter. But lighter rims and a properly setup chassis will. You can have a 400 HP Busa and get absolutely embarrassed by an SV650 on a tight curvy stretch of road or a track for that matter. Not everyone wants to hang around a gas station bragging about how much HP their bike makes then hop on the the highway twist the throttle hold on for dear life and go fast in a straight line over and over and over again.

 

[ali123]

Some people enjoy riding their Busas on curvy roads. There’s a certain rush you get when your dragging a knee into a turn @ speeds that most squids and “highway drag racers” will never know about!!!

It actually takes Skill & Cajones to hit a sweeper or switchback @ 85+mph. You have to commit to the turn....... when your approaching a turn/bend @ a high rate of speed it takes focus and total commitment. To 2nd guess yourself or not fully lay into that bend will result in catastrophe. It takes technical skill to be able to see the turn know where you want to enter it then hold the line through out and exit properly.

@ that point suspension and chassis setup play a big part. HP not so much....... 300 HP will do you NO GOOD whatsoever on the Tail of the Dragon or any technical road for that matter. But lighter rims and a properly setup chassis will. You can have a 400 HP Busa and get absolutely embarrassed by an SV650 on a tight curvy stretch of road or a track for that matter. Not everyone wants to hang around a gas station bragging about how much HP their bike makes then hop on the the highway twist the throttle hold on for dear life and go fast in a straight line over and over and over again.

look man.. u had steve knecum build u a stock displacement hayabusa motor.... WITH NITROUS... and I hate to kill the fantasy but ure not rossi.... these are streetbikes…. ure just crazy.. u have never been on a 400 hp bike.... stick to what u know.... and u show me the road.... bring ure baddest bike there and bring 5 grand with ure mouth.... u can embarrass me..... show me the spray... arch has stated he can use alllllllllll of his busas power...and HE WANTED MORE..... for some people 200 hp is enough...… for some it gets boring./