It is no secret that here at Motomillion we have a love affair with carbon fiber and titanium.  These exotic materials are what most riders think of when the topic is weight reduction.  However there are some other modifications which are fairly common but are not necessarily first things we list when talking about weight reduction.

The examples below are all from a BMW S1000RR but the results are consistent across all the range of modern sportbikes.

Here are 5 mods you didn't think of as weight reduction:

Dare we say this is the most common modification which we all do to our street bikes before we even bring them home for the first time?  We really like the fender eliminators made by New Rage Cycles because while looking great, they do not compromise on safety. The integrated led signals which they supply on most of their kits are brighter than stock.  What if we told you that it weighs less than the stock fender? 

Pictured is the stock fender of an S1000RR weighing in at 658grams (1.45lbs)

 The New Rage Cycles Fender eliminator for the S1000RR only weighs 321grams (0.71lbs).

That is pretty impressive given that the stock fender is made from plastic, while the New Rage Cycles fender eliminator is made from metal and is powder coated to match the finish of the tail of your S1000RR.  Furthermore this is weight reduced from one of the highest point of the motorcycle.

This is another very common upgrade with sportbike owners, mainly for ergonomics and visual purposes.  We are very big fans of the TWM levers here at Motomillion, because of the racing heritage, fit, finish and the functionality of them.  Unlike others these are truly race bred levers which can be spotted at the highest form of competition all over the world.  Weight is a big variable when it comes to racing machines and it has trickled down to the smallest details like the brake and clutch levers.

The stock OEM levers for the BMW S1000RR weighed in at 289grams (0.64lbs)

Even though  it has the signature turn-by-click span adjuster on the brake side the TWM Brake and Clutch levers for the BMW S1000RR weighed in at 208grams (0.46lbs).

The next mod on the list is again from the Italian Artisans, TWM.  Another fairly popular upgrade which most sportbike owners do to improve functionality and aesthetics.  Often never thought as a weight reduction item.

We must mention that the stock gas cap on the S1000RR is fairly lightweight for an OEM gas cap, weighing in only at 178grams (0.39lbs).  Just to compare, the stock gas cap on a Ducati Panigale weighs in at 255grams (0.56lbs).

The TWM Quick Action Gas Cap for BMW S1000RR weighs in only at 106grams (0.23lbs).

One main area which we can upgrade to change the overall performance of a sportbike is the unsprung weight.  When talking about unsprung weight, wheels usually dominate the discussion, followed with titanium fasteners, sprockets and often the rear brake rotor is forgotten.  MM Racing of Canada produces some beautiful rotors which are also ultralight.

The stock rear rotor of a BMW S1000RR weighs in at 734grams (1.62lbs).  This figure would be marginally higher since the rotor which we weighed had been used, so it is missing some material.

MM Racing Ultralight Rear Rotor for the BMW S1000RR weighs in only at 481grams (1.06lbs).

5. Rear Brake Reservoir Delete

This is one of the forgotten upgrades with the modern sportbike crowd.  Early in 2000's this was one of the must do upgrades to get that racing look.  Even to date, many race top level race machines around the world utilize this trick bit of kit to shave off the last bit of unnecessary weight.

The idea is to get rid of the extra weight of the rear brake fluid reservoir by deleting it, and further optimizing the weight reduction since the HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) rear brake reservoir kit holds less fluid than what a traditional brake fluid reservoir.

The stock rear brake reservoir, hose and the metal bracket for the BMW S1000RR weighed in at 180grams (0.40lbs). (We weren't able to get a picture of this item on the scale due to some technical issues, but here is the offending object for you to see).

The HRC rear brake reservoir delete kit weighed in at a featherweight 31grams (0.07lbs).

This was our list of 5 mods you didn't think of as weight reduction.  We hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.

You can view all of the products for the BMW S10000RR which we have displayed in this blog at the links given below, check out our website www.motomillion.com to view similar items for other brands of superbikes:

- New Rage Cycles Fender Eliminator Kit

- TWM Brake and Clutch Levers

- TWM Quick Action Gas Cap

- MM Racing Ultralight Rear Brake Rotor

- HRC Rear Brake Reservoir Delete Kit

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