Carbon fiber Wheels

[leecash]

I want to put Carbon Fiber wheels on my Hayabusa would this be a good idea?

[bosozoku]

Welcome to Pashnit, Lee!..

CF wheels are available for your bike, but they're seriously expensive.

https://www.harris-performance.com/w...ag_Wheels.html





Where money doesn't matter as much as does losing weight where it matters the most.

[DrDuc]

Originally Posted by leecash

I want to put Carbon Fiber wheels on my Hayabusa would this be a good idea?

It is one of the best mods that anyone can make to a motorcycle. It will absolutely transform what it feels like to ride your bike. You will have to learn new braking and turn in points because you'll probably run off the INSIDE of turns if you use your current braking and turning in points. You'll be stunned by how much easier it is to initiate a turn. Your suspension will probably have to be adjusted as well. Stopping will be quicker, and acceleration will be quicker.

Expensive? Yes.

Worth it? Yes.

[TravisLutter]

I have BST on my 10r love them. Travis Lutter

[MrDude_1]

Originally Posted by leecash

I want to put Carbon Fiber wheels on my Hayabusa would this be a good idea?

BST wheels can be ridden safely on the street.. and they're awesome... but look at the price. thats the major downside.

people like to imagine the wheel will shatter if you hit a pothole. it wont. the force needed to break a street certified CF wheel is greater then whats needed to shatter an OEM cast aluminum wheel (and yes, alum does shatter)
people like to argue that point by pointing out bent aluminum rims.. but they dont realise, if that was a CF rim, it wouldnt be bent yet. lol.

they're cool. Although I dont know of any busas with them, usually just hardcore track guys have them.

[redrider]

I dunno, I've read a couple horror stories about CF wheels coming apart at speed, not a pretty sight. Also, one has to wonder if they were so good, why aren't MotoGP bikes using them? Is it because of reliability or safety concerns?

Furthermore, apart from the reliability issue, there is the stability issue. Yes, as others have mentioned they enhance agility, but like all things it's a tradeoff. Greater agility comes at the price of stability. Sportbikes are especially vulnerable to tank slappers due to the propensity to loft the front end. The front end stability equation includes the mass of the wheel among other factors. If you significantly reduce the rotational mass, the probability of tanks slappers will increase. It would be good idea to bump up the steering damping but even this is not a guarantee.

[bosozoku]

Originally Posted by redrider

I dunno, I've read a couple horror stories about CF wheels coming apart at speed, not a pretty sight. Also, one has to wonder if they were so good, why aren't MotoGP bikes using them? Is it because of reliability or safety concerns?.

There hasn't been a public CF wheel failure in MGP since Freddie had one break in the mid-80's...the immediate rulebook knee-jerk cure was to dis-allow them. That rule may still be in force. The units currently sold to the public have to pass the same durabilty tests that all wheels do. The only common fault found so far with CF wheels is their cost.

Originally Posted by redrider

Furthermore, apart from the reliability issue, there is the stability issue. Yes, as others have mentioned they enhance agility, but like all things it's a tradeoff. Greater agility comes at the price of stability. Sportbikes are especially vulnerable to tank slappers due to the propensity to loft the front end.

Not really...the squirrelyness some bikes have at the front end is primarily due to steep front end geometry, ie:minimal trail, and/or incorrect suspension setup. Bikes that don't have a prayer of ever lofting the front wheel can still develop a front-end wobble problem that'll promptly grow to the point of flinging the rider off.

-If you don't belive me, go flog an early 750 Honda on a crooked bumpy road that you know well...while anything BUT nimble, an early sportbike like that one will do its' best to kill you when ridden forcefully enough. If you mount newer/large/stickier tires before you ride, it'll happen sooner and at lower speeds.

Originally Posted by redrider

The front end stability equation includes the mass of the wheel among other factors. If you significantly reduce the rotational mass, the probability of tanks slappers will increase. It would be good idea to bump up the steering damping but even this is not a guarantee.

Actually, with less mass to have oscillating, the potential loads on the steering damper will be less, not more. Everything gets easier for the suspension when you reduce the amount of unsprung mass that needs to be controlled.

[eye.surgeon]

I'm an ignoramus when it comes to track and racing but my high school physics tells me that it's the gyroscopic rotational inertia of the wheels that keeps the bike stable and resists the bike's desire to lie on it's side I think it's rotations per minute times mass= angular momentum. So do CF wheels on the street mean the bike has less upright stability at low speeds since the mass is less?

[bosozoku]

Originally Posted by eye.surgeon

I'm an ignoramus when it comes to track and racing but my high school physics tells me that it's the gyroscopic rotational inertia of the wheels that keeps the bike stable and resists the bike's desire to lie on it's side I think it's rotations per minute times mass. So do CF wheels on the street mean the bike has less upright stability at low speeds since the mass is less?

Maybe...but it's probably not enough difference for most mortals to notice. One thing to keep in mind is that the largest-diameter component, the tire, is unchanged. Although it doesn't weigh as much as the rest of the wheel package, it (Mr. tire) has the most influence. Location, location, location.

-Out of curiosity, what's "low speeds"?.

At normal riding speeds, the improvements from weight reduction of that amount will be very noticeable....don't forget that unsprung weight changes are double-points.

[taosports]

$3,000. for a set of rims???

It will absolutely transform what it feels like to ride your bike

I'm sure it will. It will also absolutely transform my depleted budget.

Think I'll pass on this purchase.