Are heavy bikes bad?

[KungFooBob]

It seems that most bikes (i'm not talking pukka sports bikes which are a very small percentage of bikes sold) are well over 200kg these days.

Is weight bad?

Yeah it's the enemy of acceleration and fuel efficiency and you'd want a light bike for racing or trackdaying, etc..

But does a bit of weight make a bike nicer to ride on the road?

I've had two bikes now well over 250kg with a tank of fuel... and they've both been my favourite road bikes. They just feel more planted and stable than other lighter bikes I've had.

The only real dis-advantage to both was pushing them out of parking spaces and around the garage.

What says RTTL?

[Yorick]

My fast one is 200 Kgs. Bearable

My stupid one is 105 Kgs. Good for when I drop it.

[asmethurst99]

My old cx custom - heavy thing but felt planted with me and the long haired general on the back.
I always look at weights of bikes because like you say pushing them around etc is a PIA
My CBR is 185 ish .

[DefTrap]

Mine weighs 208kg apparently.
Quite tricky to lift upright when it's on its side, and I'm a fairly big chap.

[dayglo jim]

I've never been a big fan of heavy bikes and I think a lot of it stems from riding off road; could I pick a big traillie or adventure bike up if it went over on sloppy mud or would I have looney tunes legs spinning round trying to raise it one degree from horizontal? Heavy bikes for having always been in between bikes (for me) rather than long term interests
I agree with the planted feel, the pan euro was by far the most stable and comfortable I have ever been on.

[bevvo]

You can forgive heavy if its got the power to shift itself. But my Triumph Scrambler 900 was a right lump and made less power than the 60s bike its supposed to be a tribute of/to. Unforgivably heavy I'm afraid... SOLD.

[KungFooBob]

I had a Honda NC700X, praised by all for it's brilliant fuel efficiency, it made just over 50bhp and weighs in at 218kg.

[Asian Boss]

There is a technique using which even une féblé can right even the heaviest of toppled bikes.

That said I think light is right. Weight is the enemy of all things good about motorcycling (except the fancy trousers).

[JackyJoll]

The good ones are.

[Ditchfinder]

I quite like both of mine, sprint is 215kg and griso is 225kg, I'm 5'6" and 13 stone and I manage just fine.

Previous bike was a Duke 390 was 140kg, prefer both of the current ones to the Duke.

I like the feeling of riding in a smooth controlled manner rather than an aggressive one which I think means I'm a bit of a Doris so ymmv

[Cousin Jack]

My current bike (CB500F) is light.
My last bike (VFR800) was heavy.
I have to push it (backwards) up hill on a cobbled surface to park it.

Yes, light is good. Trust me on this, it is the difference between just pushing it, and getting low and really pushing like a forward in a scrum.

[MrLongbeard]

I ain't not saying nothing.

[Skub]

I'll readily admit I have a thing about lightness,but I acknowledge the point being made.

My old ZZR11 was a heavy old bus,but it was a good road bike,because it was less flighty over bumps and rough surfaces,plus a longish wheelbase helped with stability. Easier work than a sportsbike when pushing on. My ZX10R was probably one of the lightest and close power/weight ratio ever and it was a real handful on the road at times.

The balance of a bike,how it feels and how some hide their weight,is something to be sought after,so when looking at a road machine,there is more to the pleasure equation than purely just weight,or lack of it.

When you happen upon a bike which feels right,then other issues are not so important,especially if there's a workaround.

If the overwhelming impression you get from a bike is how heavy it is,then yes it's a bad thing,but that will vary from one inside leg to another.

[chutzpah]

I imagine how it carries it may be a factor.

My wife's Tiger is allegedly lighter than my F850gt. But her bike feels very heavy compared to mine to manual handle, I guess partly as the fuel tank on mine is much lower. The seat height is a lot higher too so if I sit on her bike I have to move off the seat slightly to get a foot down (she's a lot taller than me so has the seat adjusted fully up!) and I feel like I'm holding the weight a bit, whereas I can easily plant a foot down on my bike.

[Scootabout]

My St1300 weighed about 300 kg wet, I think. A third of ton, near as dammit. Light as a feather on the move, but a lump of lard to paddle or push. Not, actually, the most stable of bikes at speed - it could occasionally be a bit jittery.
Next bike: NC700, 215 kg, steady as a rock and much easier to manhandle. Finally, Tracer 700, 196 kg, steady as a rock and even easier to manhandle. Although as I get older and weaker the perceived benefit of each lighter bike gets less and less, iyswim.

[Cousin Jack]

Although as I get older and weaker the perceived benefit of each lighter bike gets less and less, iyswim.

Go back to a heavier one - the benefits will become obvious.

As chutzpah said, how it caries it is a big factor. The VFR had a 22 litre tank mounted fairly high, a full tank made a BIG difference, not only to the weight but to the balance of the bike when moving it about.

[Bigjawa]

My ST1100 is about 300kg fuelled up, it's a bastard to manoeuvre off the drive but the weight disappears at walking pace. Ironically it handles better with a full tank as the extra 20kg is right in the centre low down.

[Supermofo]

I'm the opposite, I love small light bikes. My 690 is 148kg dry. Everything else feels like a lardy lump in comparison. I've owned a few 200kg+ bikes and they've been great but I love light, fun, flickable bikes.

[Bigyin]

My Yamaha Fazer 600 is alleged about 189kg, the Multistrada is alleged 212 dry, 235 wet ....... in all honesty the Ducati feels a lot more when pushing it about as the Fazer feels like a toy to move around, the Ducati feels a lot heavier. I think most of that is also down to the physical size of the bike and the Ducati is much higher as an ADV bike and i am a lot more careful pushing it ....add in its worth probably 7 times what the Fazer is

On the road the Ducati feels a lot heavier but i think its more down to physical size as i am quite big on the Fazer and find it easy to chuck about but the added height and twice the BHP makes the Ducati more work to throw about but with bigger smiles once it all comes into line

[ZRX61]

My '80 Z13 felt planted, right up to the point I buried it in the side of a Ford Granada with sufficient rapidity to damn near cut it in half.