weight of a valkyrie

[doubleminded]

I know the bike has a motor that weighs about 300 pounds.I wonder if the frame weighs most of the rest of the 800 pounds.Mine is a tourer.I wonder minus the bags and windshield you probably subtract 50 pounds.To make a really much lighter valk you probably would need a different frame.I can only imagine how quick my bike would be if it weighed 600 pounds.I have always thought why no one makes a lightweight touring bike.

[salty1]

...I have always thought why no one makes a lightweight touring bike.

Probably because of our love of horsepower, convenience, comfort and toys.      Dry weight of a Valk std is 682 lbs as I recall. 

[Valker]

Honda lists the Tourer at 714 lbs. A BMW will weigh under 600 for some models. There is a lady in Amarillo who tours on a 125 Kawasaki with windshield and bags. That bike weighs about 325. Depends on a definition of touring I guess.

[doubleminded]

Honda lists the Tourer at 714 lbs. A BMW will weigh under 600 for some models. There is a lady in Amarillo who tours on a 125 Kawasaki with windshield and bags. That bike weighs about 325. Depends on a definition of touring I guess.

Good gosh,can you imagine doing that?

[salty1]

Sweet little old ladies get away with anything, just ask my wife? 

[Valkpilot]

I have always thought why no one makes a lightweight touring bike.

My guess would be because few could afford it.

Touring implies carrying: passengers, luggage, camping gear, and so on.  That means the bike has to be powerful (125cc "tourers" notwithstanding.)  Carrying and power mean the bike has to be strong.  Heavy but strong materials (steel) are inexpensive.  Strong but light materials (titanium, carbon fiber) are expensive.

The other aspect of this is that weight means stability on the road.  I've toured on a 750 Shadow Spirit, which is about 200 lbs lighter than the Valk.  You get blown around a lot, you hydroplane easier.  So, for my money, the weight of the Valk has value.

All that said, I haven't bothered to check the sport-tourers such as the ST1300 to see if they are substantially lighter.  Serk?

[mario]

'12 v strom 555 lbs, wet.

'09 concours 670 lbs, wet

[godfire]

The other aspect of this is that weight means stability on the road.  I've toured on a 750 Shadow Spirit, which is about 200 lbs lighter than the Valk.  You get blown around a lot, you hydroplane easier.  So, for my money, the weight of the Valk has value.

It is hell behind a truck on my Sportster...... the wind ripes you apart!

[doubleminded]

Now i know why there arent lightweight touring bikes.good answers.

[salty1]

The "wet" weight of  a ST 1300 is going to be about 712 lbs or higher depending on the addons. So it's similar to the Valk in weight.

[Hoser]

Packed with touring gear and full of gas, my tourer and me weigh 1015 lbs, over half a ton.  I only weigh 165 lbs.  That being said, it runs and handles just fine that way. I weighed at a highway weight station when I went to the black hills a couple weeks ago. Hoser    

[Disco]

Great info, Hoser.      Thanks! 

[salty1]

So you and the bike account for approximately 900lbs. What was the other 115lbs? Tools? Not trying to get personal.   

[Hoser]

With 100,000 plus on the original alternator, I took took my new one with me in the saddlebag, plus a spare ujoint and a gallon of gas, for a 130 mile stretch of no gas available in the Nebraska sand hills on my route.  I only needed the gas, on the way home I was pushing 80 mph against a 40 mph headwind in the aforementioned 130 mile stretch.  Had some tools also.  Hoser

[Rocketman]

I weighed at a highway weight station when I went to the black hills a couple weeks ago. Hoser    

Interesting.  Sometimes I would be curious to know how much I weigh, but I wouldn't want extra paperwork, or a fee  to do so.  What did you have to do to get weighed, and were you risking some over-officious who-knows-what writing you some ticket for overloading your vehicle if you're over the GVWR?

Mark

[Hoser]

It was closed, I just parked on the slab and looked in the window at the weight indicator.  I've been known to do that at grain terminal scales also.  I think the state leaves them on for truckers to check themselves.  They are not open 24-7.  Hoser

[Rocketman]

Copy, thanks.
That's a pretty good idea, I never figured they'd just be left on where I could check.

Mark

[Jess from VA]

We have a local big rock, stone and sand seller down the road a few miles; they don't charge me to pull on the scale and get weighed....... so long as its not in use.  Gotta go down/up a steep little sand and gravel road with a tight U-turn to get on it.

[Hoser]

I dont know about other states but Kansas usually leaves them on when they are closed.  I have never stopped at one that was open, figured they would not approve.  They are mostly on the superslab.  Hoser