Triumphrat

m_t_yeo · 03-01-2006

I'm debating on whether I should start a major project to lighten and lower the Thrux, or whether I should just bite the bullet and pick up a featherlight supermoto like the KTM Duke II. Wet, my Thrux just weighed in at 497 lbs. and around 500 lbs. is the mental barrier where I put bloated cruisers. I'm really not happy that the Thrux edges up on that barrier at all. The Duke would weigh around 360 wet, so it isn't an insignificant difference.

Some of you have torn off bits, replaced pipes, etc. How much weight is it feasible to save on the Thrux and where should I start to get the best bang for my buck? The stock pipes would go right away. The rear fender would go, too. After that ... who knows. C'mon guys, help a small guy out ...

Mancha · 03-01-2006

Hm, seems that getting rid of the rear fender and replacing all the lights should lose you at least ten pounds.

6449 · 03-01-2006

I agree with mancha, but I would also maybe check your scales.

According to Triumph, the Thruxton weighs dry at 451.9lbs.

Fuel @ 6.2 lbs per gal X 4.39(Fuel Capacity) = 27.2 lbs for a total of 479.1 lbs wet.

You claim 497 wet. So I don't know where the difference may be?

Tarmac · 03-01-2006

Are they importing the Duke to Canada? I don't think it's coming down here to the U.S.

You certainly could get a lot of wgt off of a Thruxton. I bet you could drop 50 lbs. You'ld want a 2 into 1 pipe, Ti would be nice. Cut the rear sub-frame off right behind the rider. Cut the front sprocket cover. Custom solo seat (carbon fiber pan with foam glued ontop). Remove headlights and turn signals, replace with LED's. Repalce battery with a Gell Pack (thats 5-7 lbs). Light wgt forged rims, with tubeless tires. Carbon fiber fuel cell. Cut off rear passanger foot peg brackets. Remove speedometer (who cares). Remover rear fender and stock air box. Replace chain and sprockets with 520. Remove stock chain guard, replace with alloy Sharks tooth.

CYNCRZR · 03-01-2006

Who cares what it weighs as long as it performs like you want it to and is as much fun to ride as mine is!!!

If I wanted light & faster than anyone ought to go... I'd a bought a sport bike... well come to think of it I might (D675) but only in self-defense as most of the idiots I ride with have the asian variety

m_t_yeo · 03-01-2006

I had it weighed informally at my brother's place, so it might be a bit out. All the same, 480 isn't much different in my opinion.

Cyn, the performance isn't the issue. I'm quite happy with it all around because I didn't buy the bike to be a speed freak.

The issue is that I'm quite small and I keep dropping the sucker and wrecking things. I can get perhaps an inch or so of each foot down at a stop light and if I happen to put my foot down in a crack in the road, pothole or even a minor depression, there is a real chance that it will go over. I just don't have the body mass or strength to keep it up if it starts to go over, either. I've broken the seat, the footpegs (twice), scratched the cam cover, scratched the exhaust. Lowering it would help, but I'm not sure that it would be enough to make a real difference. I honestly need to shave some weight.

The Duke is a used one (2005) that the owner will trade straight across and it has already been lowered 2". With the much more pliable MX style suspension, I actually get more of my foot on the ground despite the seat height being nominally higher (33" vs. 31.1")

I'm going to take Tarmac's list to my dealer, so what it will cost to get this all done, including dropping the bike an inch. Thanks for the help!

Mancha · 03-01-2006

Quote:

I'm going to take Tarmac's list to my dealer, so what it will cost to get this all done, including dropping the bike an inch.

Holy *****, two to three thousand dollars would be my guess! I suggest you start by lowering it and see where you stand (get it? ). :-D

Tarmac · 03-01-2006

uhhh.. I was sorta joking. I guess you could do all that stuff, but your looking at more like 5-7 grand.

Are you certain it's not a leverage problem? Maybe taller, wider handle bars would help. You could also lower the forks in the triple clamps an inch or so, and get a set of (shorter) Bonnie rear shocks, and cut down the seat.

Isn't the Duke a tall bike?

m_t_yeo · 03-01-2006

LOL. I wouldn't do it all at once!

Lowering it is obviously priority one and with the Thrux sitting 1" higher than a stock Bonnie, it should be pretty easy. I'm talking with Wilburs US about getting their 632 TS shocks in the 340 mm stock Bonnie length. If available, I'll swap them in and slide my front forks up in the triple clamp an inch to compensate.

Step Two will be the smaller, lighter pipes (Bubs) and the rear fender, but I wanted some ideas after that because past that point, weight savings weren't going to be necessarily obvious. Tarmac had some great ideas, though, which really helped.

I've seen some album pictures where there is no chain guard at all. I won't have a passenger on the bike - ever - so I can't see anything catching in the chain except coming up from the road. I would like to remove it if possible as it will also make maintenance easier for me.

m_t_yeo · 03-01-2006

Quote:

Isn't the Duke a tall bike?

Yes, it is. The seat height is nominally 35.4". I wouldn't even consider it and certainly didn't when I went shopping in the first place, but the current owner has put on a 2.25" lowering link, raised bars, and slid the forks up 2" in the triple, effectively putting the seat height down @ 33".

The sag on the suspension is set for a shade over 110mm, so when I have my full weight on the bike the seat height drops another 4.3", bringing me down to 29". That happens to be my inseam measurement and with the narrow seat, I can very nearly flat foot the bike. I loved riding dirt bikes for just this reason.

Sag on the Thrux is about 40-50 mm, max, so with my full weight on it, I'm actually higher than the Duke. Hard to envision, I know, especially when you see the two side by side, but true, nonetheless.