How to reduce weight on my 11 EC 300

G

gasgas249uk

New member
How would you reduce weight on your ec 300.

Whilst i love my GG ec300 it hasnt been developed well for decades...and it shows and feels. This is partly why they cant sell any in the UK because KTM etc have developed.

The online and magazine reviews all state that this bike is 4kg heavier than the competition. Im sure this is mainly own to the heavy old motor . My G G is going on a diet and i have a few ideas to do this.

There are no rocks here so the sump shield (mud trap) is coming off.
Spray underneath of mudguards with silicone - stops mud sticking
Lose weight myself !!
Drill the rear brake pedal.

With these changes im aware that i might be affecting longevity of the bike but im happy to live with that and take the risk . Some of these look drastic , but im happy with this and also your comments.

Here are my other ideas. I would love to hear from you with any ideas you have got.

The steel spindles weigh about 600g each .Replace with alloy along with chain adjuster bolts.

Yes i could replace all bolts with titanium or ergal and this would make a good difference , but it cost to much. I'm happy to experiment to get this right .


2016-04-17%2019.59.03_zpsxxzypkbs.jpg


I have a fully adjustable power valve on this 300 so can cater for power changes to some extent.Im aware that cutting the sielncer will affect power. Seeing as i dont repack it to often, im hoping that he changes from this will be small , but it will save weight.

2016-04-17%2019.59.44_zpsg4yrhbrm.jpg


The swing arm is humongous !! and can be reduced . I will cut out 20mm x 60mm rectangular holes on the inside of the swing arm along the entire length of both sides . Ill fill it with expanding foam after to stop is getting clogged up with mud.

2016-04-17%2020.01.57_zpsqa1jzppi.jpg


I have long fingers and i cant even reach the rails under the seat properly to lift the bike - so these are being cut off

2016-04-17%2019.57.18_zpshk1qxoo7.jpg


Ill cut out these 2 chassis bars on both sides and weld back in a short 1" section of bar to help rigidity
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I think all of these changes will get me down to another 3 kg and i wont gather mud either .

What are you thoughts and suggestions ??
 
Why bother?

You'll have a hard time selling a bike that's been cut up, as much as you will a heavy one. The pre 12 chassis isn't that heavy compared to the new one either. The bike is as reliable as a stone!
 
Bit late for april fools m8,but if you do all that to it please paint it orange!
How the bike feels and handles is mostly about how/where the weight is carried,the total weight is 1 aspect only,but if youre serious about shedding kilos via the cutting torch id start by axing the front wheel and riding everywhere on the rear...
 
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Yes its very reliable , but its also very heavy and in a competitive environment this holds the rider back , especially when they are tired .

I know this is semantics to a certain extent , as the 3kg weight reduction may only make a small difference to my riding , but i do think that if it can be improved , it should be .

GasGas are bound by financial restraints to modify their bikes to any worthwhile extent, but my labour is free :)
 
If 3 kilos are holding the rider back (witch is nonsense), i'd suggest the rider to hit the gym more often (or the local park for that matter, now that the weather is nice and dandy).

If the rider has to pick up the bike a lot, that means he need to practice/learn more, maybe on some softer terrain before hitting the spots that feel so difficult. Maybe some riding classes will help ? There should be plenty MX tracks that offer enduro-cross training witch will help a lot.

In the end, after a long hard day, picking up a 110 kg or a 107kg bike will feel the same on a steep hill climb or rocks in a river bed.
 
I just swapped out my WP43s for the KYB SSS forks from a 2009 YZ450f and dropped 2.5 lbs.

Going to thinner inner tubes and lighter tires can shed some easy weight. The extra heavy duty tubes can add a couple pounds to the wheel. If you have extra wheels hanging around, I noticed that some of the rims and hubs were about a pound lighter than others.
 
Apologies,when u started talking about cutting chunks out,i honestly thought you were taking the piss,so i responded in kind.changing components out for lighter makes far more sense than hacking (gasp!)chunks from the chassis.now im goin to shut my mouth...
 
memphis2857 said:
Oh my! I'm going to need some popcorn for this thread!


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Hahah!! That's what I was thinking!

Honestly though, it's not a bad topic. While I think the bikes weight is one of the things that makes it ride so well, it would be interesting to share ideas on weight reduction.

I have read that on the factory supercross bikes, one of the big things is extensive use of ti fasteners. I can see this as a pretty big savings. I think it would be a lot cheaper to spend the money on titanium, than on hospital bills from cutting up the bikes swing arm and frame/subframe.

I would do ti axles, but no way alum would last. Some of the enduro cross guys bend the ti axles!

Probolt-usa.com for alloy and ti fasteners.
 
barossi73 said:
Apologies,when u started talking about cutting chunks out,i honestly thought you were taking the piss,so i responded in kind.changing components out for lighter makes far more sense than hacking (gasp!)chunks from the chassis.now im goin to shut my mouth...
Click to expand...

My sentiments exactly!

Sand cast cylinder and cases, and the anvil of a swingarm, those big ol hubs! That is where the bulk of the weight is held.

Getting some billet hubs made, coupled with some thinner tubes, and a selection of tyres which aren't too heavy will be the easiest and safest way to shed kilos (and also unsprung weight).

If you have the time/knowledge/resources to engineer a new swingarm/modify the existing you could drop some weight... but personally I wouldn't be confident in taking a section out and then trusting it to perform. Same goes for alloy axles.
 
Leave it as is 4kg is not worth the effort

Rather start Banting and drop 10kg off yourself - remember every time you stand up it will be less kg you are lifting and you probably stand up more often than you pic up your bike
 
Yuck don't hack the frame or swingarm!

Tyres/tubes
Drill brake lever/side stand if u run it(not much gain but your bike not mine)
Smaller silencer/thinner pipe?
Ally sprockets n non oring chain
Ditch Handguards/rad guards/wiring/instruments/lights
Lighter triples/spokes/nipples/hubs/rims?

All I can think of. Be easier n cheaper to buy a newer bike wouldn't it?
Aren't the 14/15s a heap lighter?



Hey jake DBW still not workin for me n im still lurkin here:)
Hurry up n bring out the 2018 new GGs! Curse my impatience
 
I would go with- ti-hardware, aluminum for non critical, tu-bliss set up, find the lightest tires, ti-shock Spring, carbon handlebars, remove brake switches, roost deflectors- no bark busters, plastic skid plate only, non o-ring chain, ti-foot pegs, no side stand, aluminum sprocket. That would be a good start.


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adv rider said:
I would go with- ti-hardware, aluminum for non critical, tu-bliss set up, find the lightest tires, ti-shock Spring, carbon handlebars, remove brake switches, roost deflectors- no bark busters, plastic skid plate only, non o-ring chain, ti-foot pegs, no side stand, aluminum sprocket. That would be a good start.


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Not nearly as cheap as a couple cutting discs on the angle grinder though! :D
 
Yes, it would be cheaper to hire a personal trainer. So you could ride hard for 5+ hours, and lift it into your truck by yourself.
As far as lightening the bike goes- imagine if you did all that to a Ktm 250xc.


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