Best power to weight ratio motorcycle?

[corksil]

After tiring of race cams and lots of engine work on a 250r, and then tinkering with a DR650 and eyeing up a 790cc overbore kit complete with aftermarket head and oversized valves and higher compression and a whole slew of other retardedly overpriced parts... I'm still feeling a bit lost.

Really need to come up with a new project bike to build up.

In your time on this planet, what is the most powerful AND lightest bike that you've ridden?

I'm really leaning toward a supermoto project, because supermoto bikes are typically the lightest two wheeled machines.

There is no replacement for displacement.

The Honda xr650 four stroke single seems to have limited aftermarket support and doesn't appear to respond well to modifications without sacrificing reliability. Also very heavy.

The suzuki dr650 has lots of aftermarket parts available, but is also very heavy.

I've considered the CR500 two-stroke into CRF250 frame because it seems to be the hands-down most powerful two-wheeled-death-with-contraption that anyone has built, but I shy away because the CR500 engine doesn't appear to last very long and can only be re-honed/over-bored a few times before it is scrap. Also wouldn't be possible to become street legal because of two-stroke noise.

Aprilia SVX550 twin is a nice machine and I've ridden one and liked it, but after reading through all 25 pages of horror stories regarding shoddy assembly, expensive rebuilds, and how finicky the machine is, I'm a bit scared.

inb4 "get a girlfriend"
inb4 "start a family"
inb4 "don't waste more money on bikes"

[RacinNinja]

The water cooled XR650's are more uncorkable than you think....pipe, airbox mod and carb and they make some decent grunt.

[Rifleman]

KTM 630 all motarded Husqvarna 610 with some super sticky street rubber.

if you are looking for nuts power on a "toss it around" weight bike...

tard it up, that will get your blood pumping.

[subxero]

Originally Posted by corksil

After tiring of race cams and lots of engine work on a 250r, and then tinkering with a DR650 and eyeing up a 790cc overbore kit complete with aftermarket head and oversized valves and higher compression and a whole slew of other retardedly overpriced parts... I'm still feeling a bit lost.

Really need to come up with a new project bike to build up.

In your time on this planet, what is the most powerful AND lightest bike that you've ridden?

I'm really leaning toward a supermoto project, because supermoto bikes are typically the lightest two wheeled machines.

There is no replacement for displacement.

The Honda xr650 four stroke single seems to have limited aftermarket support and doesn't appear to respond well to modifications without sacrificing reliability. Also very heavy.

The suzuki dr650 has lots of aftermarket parts available, but is also very heavy.

I've considered the CR500 two-stroke into CRF250 frame because it seems to be the hands-down most powerful two-wheeled-death-with-contraption that anyone has built, but I shy away because the CR500 engine doesn't appear to last very long and can only be re-honed/over-bored a few times before it is scrap. Also wouldn't be possible to become street legal because of two-stroke noise.

Aprilia SVX550 twin is a nice machine and I've ridden one and liked it, but after reading through all 25 pages of horror stories regarding shoddy assembly, expensive rebuilds, and how finicky the machine is, I'm a bit scared.

inb4 "get a girlfriend"
inb4 "start a family"
inb4 "don't waste more money on bikes"

A few things

If you want power to weight 2stroke is the way to go. There are a few options there as well. 80's 90's 2t road bikes or build a 2t sumo from an open class dirt bike engine. Sumo will net you the lightest bike obviously, the 2t road bikes especially the twins can put up some impressive numbers, the 4cylinders, they can be found but not cheap for an old used bike, they are crazy awesome though. The rz350's that basically have a banshee motor can be hopped up to over 100hp but I am not sure what the power curve looks like, that could be more of a drag build that would suck for city riding. the rz's also have oil injection if you desire it. There are some super sexy hybrid rz350's out there.

2t motors are cheap and easy. You said a 2t jug can only be honed so many times/over bored ect... well yes, that is accurate but as long as you keep up on the engine and don't screw anything up seriously the cylinders can be replated indefinitely. Cost me about $210 a cylinder all said & done with shipping for replate back to stock bore. Then the jug lasts many many years until you need another if ever. You being in Hawaii I don't know if there are any good replate shops local or would you have to ship to the CONUS? There is a reputable one fairly local to me in my own state so shipping is cheap and helps keep costs down.

If you don't care so much about satisfying your need to tinker which it would see you have a serious need for then you could just pick up any OEM hyper motard sumo with a decent engine and it would be more than a handful and just enjoy it as is until you feel the need for something different and save yourself the time and money and instead ride the darn thing till the wheels fall off.

and now for some 2 stroke porn

[Ralgha]

Man, you need to get a girlfriend, start a family, and stop wasting money on bikes!

Kidding, all of those are bad ideas.

[spooph]

2 stroke all the way for power to weight!

I also saw a guy build up a 450 super single that was keeping up with the 600's except for the very last bit of the back 1.5 mile long back straight. He had to add dead weight to make it legal for racing, I think it was around 200lbs or some such?

[TnNinjaGirl]

Most power & lightest weight. My old Hypermotard 1100s foots that bill. @CycleCam303 could comment on that

For me it wasn't fun. That bike had to have the living piss beat out of it for it to function properly.

I still don't get what your specific goal is... Just want to say you have the lightest bike with the most power? Land speed racing? Road racing? General hooliganism?

[SLOWn60]

Where is that picture of a pit bike with 1000cc when I need it?!?

[VaFish]

If you want street legal I would think the new Husqvarna 701 would be right up there.

http://www.701supermoto.com/en/home/

The KTM 690 is very similar.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

Where is that picture of a pit bike with 1000cc when I need it?!?

[SLOWn60]

Close but there's a 2 wheel version.
Pretty sure it's a Suzuki.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

Close but there's a 2 wheel version.
Pretty sure it's a Suzuki.

[SLOWn60]

So powerful; no point wearing gear!!!

[corksil]

Damn. Handling like a 'pig on stilts' comes to mind.

Turning a bike with ten inch wheels at 40mph is sketchy. Can't imagine going any faster on something with two inches of front suspension travel :s