While we are at it, another motorcycle question.

Ok lets admit I turn a blind eye on the uglyness of the MT03 and decide to get one.

Anyone know if it's realistic to try to shed between 10 &nd 15 kgs out of it as the motorbike is way to heavy (and underpowered but I can cope with that) as my tatty old thumper is still 20 good kg lighter.

Exhausts would be a good start.
Then it starts to get expensive….

Yeah, exhausts. Especially if you live near iamtheresurrection.

I wouldn't assume it's too heavy and under-powered until you ride one. Weight distribution and engine characteristics can make all the difference (or not).

Buy the bike, whip the engine out and stick it in your SRX?

Keep going peter, I am curious, plus not sure money is gonig to be that much of an issue.

Buy the bike, whip the engine out and stick it in your SRX?

To be fair I'd rather have th SRX prepared, some people wisper that you can get a 670 cc kit that would put the power in the 70bhp mark…
but then before that you need a complete engine rebuild with new oil pump but it might be worth it 😀

Well, after loosing maybe 4-6kg off the exhaust (Make sure you ditch the heavy CAT), the next heaviest part that can easily be changed is the wheels….. £1000-£1500 should loose another few kg.

MTs don't have much bodywork, and I doubt you can get carbon replacemnets anyway, but you could maybe trim another couple of kg by ditching unnecessary stuff like indicators and mirrors, changing the bars for Renthals, putting on smaller headlights, trimming the tail unit, fitting a smaller numberplate

I'd say you could ditch 10-15kg, but that it's going to cost £2500-£3000 to do it.

Which begs the question – "Why not just spend the extra on a different bike?"

e.g. Monster 1100? That won't be much heavier than my 696. And that felt lighter than some push bikes I've ridden! 🙂

Peter you do know that I can't ride motorbikes with more than one cylinder 😉
Otherwise i would have gone for the 696 (I was actually thinking about trying one, but lets face it test ride are only 30 minute long) 1100 is way too much for me my build and my skills.

Or just get a 696. You'd LOVE it. You really really really would. Or an S2R. Or an S4R. Or a Tricolour (sp?) Have you ever seen one in the fleash?

Oh.
My.
God.
That's.
Beautiful.

(I was actually thinking about trying one, but lets face it test ride are only 30 minute long)

You'll only need 5m 10s

5 mins to get used to it and get out of town, 10 sec to open the throttle, listen to the airbox howl, and feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

5 minutes to get out of town 😯
You do know I have moved back to developed country 😉
30 minute will only get me out of town, plus i really want to know how much torque that stuff has so I might need a longer trial.
Mind you it will be the duo bike and I am fordiben to grind the foot peg when not alone 🙁
So maybe a duke would be just fine 😉

30 minute will only get me out of town, plus i really want to know how much torque that stuff has so I might need a longer trial.

There's enough torque to make it easy to ride if you wish to pootle.
But pootling is impossible with a bike that BEGS and PLEADS and WANTS and NEEDS and CRAVES and MUST be thrashed to within an inch of it's life. I test rode a GSXR 600 once. I'll take a 696 over that any day, every time.

Oh my god why did I sell it?????????? 🙁

**sniff**

Spend your money on your SRX. Engine rebuild and tune, sus rebuild and tune. Should be able to get a good few more BHP and improve the handling

Will the 660 motor go in that frame?

hmmm. Scratches chin. Used to be lots of XTZ660 engines being used in singles racing.

Don't CCM do a cafe racer thumper build these days? ahh yes: http://www.ccmmotorcyclesuk.com/cr-40/cr-40.html

How about one of these? Should be lighter that an MT03 and more powerful to boot. There are a few around on the 2nd hand market. Or if you like the styling the 690 supermoto (what i've got)

No, no, no. You want one of these:

Well I am not keen on supermotard, too modern in look and they are a bit of a fashion if you ask me. That CCM on the other hand. It's a shame about the engine size (mind you nothing that can't be cured with a bigger cylinder/cylinder head) and their non existance in France.

TJ the only place I am aware that can race prep my srx is in the UK 🙁

Juan – I am suprised given how popular singles are in France compared to here.

Tj the only popular single in France was the XT. But I shall investigate on the French SRX forum

I am just in the market for something a bit more civilised now that I have a bag of sand on the back most of the time.

i used to have a Duke III, lovely bike, sips petrol and felt lighter than my dh mtb. Only disappointment is the exhaust makes it sound like a lawnmower. New prices are now a joke for them, but you should be able to pick up a 2nd hand for 4k.

A ducati then Juan – monster 900 – only its a rubbish pillion seat. TDM? TRX?

The TRX is so tempting. I'll try to test ride a mt03 "just in case" because apparently they are going to stop it so it's likely to go down.
I'll try to negociate some very light can with it.