Star YZ450 8lbs Lighter!!

Zesiger 112
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Zesiger 112 1/22/2021 1:00pm
1/22/2021 1:00pm Edited Date/Time 1/22/2021 1:02pm
Air forks
billet clamps over the stock clamps factory team used
Possibly Lighter battery and less data equipment.
Stripped out the charging system for the battery
Shaved material out of cases
Pulled a few gears out
Ceramic bearings
Looks like it still has plastic tank
Maybe trimmed out the airbox and air boot?
Light weight seat

There are tons of ways to take weight out.
I’d say if they did the gears and cases that would be worth 3-4 pounds alone. Japanese engines are pigs compared to Austrian. Add the air forks and you’ll be knocking go on that door
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ZOBITO
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ZOBITO 1/22/2021 1:03pm
1/22/2021 1:03pm Edited Date/Time 1/22/2021 1:05pm
ZOBITO wrote:
Metallic blue anodized carbon hubs?
Yeah, right.
navalseabee wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/01/22/474267/s1200_taloncarbonhub_blue_1_2_1.jpg[/img]

Once again, yeah, right.
Exactly the same.
Tongue
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ZOBITO
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ZOBITO 1/22/2021 1:07pm
1/22/2021 1:07pm
endurox wrote:
Ceramic bearings and a 3 speed gear box?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the rules require keeping the same number of gears as the stock bike.
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Dirty Points 1/22/2021 1:18pm
1/22/2021 1:18pm
endurox wrote:
Ceramic bearings and a 3 speed gear box?
ZOBITO wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the rules require keeping the same number of gears as the stock bike.

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mx317
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mx317 1/22/2021 1:19pm
1/22/2021 1:19pm
endurox wrote:
Ceramic bearings and a 3 speed gear box?
ZOBITO wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the rules require keeping the same number of gears as the stock bike.
They have to be in there, but don't have to work. They make them from plastic or nylon.
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LungButter
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LungButter 1/22/2021 1:24pm
1/22/2021 1:24pm
Thanks for the podcast link!

I'm always interested in this stuff, I often wonder if the seat pans and battery trays etc. etc. just look like swiss cheese cause they have removed every shaving of material they don't need.
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mwilcox349 1/22/2021 1:25pm
1/22/2021 1:25pm
They are also using the older front brake master cylinder which is adding weight from the one that comes stock now.
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ZOBITO 1/22/2021 1:30pm
1/22/2021 1:30pm
mx317 wrote:
They have to be in there, but don't have to work. They make them from plastic or nylon.
They used to, back in the two stroke days.
Don't think plastic gears can handle 4 stroke oil heat.
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mx317
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mx317 1/22/2021 1:33pm
1/22/2021 1:33pm
mx317 wrote:
They have to be in there, but don't have to work. They make them from plastic or nylon.
ZOBITO wrote:
They used to, back in the two stroke days.
Don't think plastic gears can handle 4 stroke oil heat.
KTM has plastic oil pump gears.
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GalagaOnMYArm 1/22/2021 1:50pm
1/22/2021 1:50pm
Imagine this weight savings plan on the 250f. It's pretty much the same chassis right?
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cheers_22
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cheers_22 1/22/2021 2:44pm
1/22/2021 2:44pm
twotwosix wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/01/22/474257/s1200_max_011720pb0054_547066.jpg[/img] I'm straight up guessing here... PSF1 Air forks vs Works Spring forks? Carbon hubs? FMF Exhaust vs PC? Neken clamps/bars vs stock? Different plastic/thinner graphics...


I'm straight up guessing here...

PSF1 Air forks vs Works Spring forks?
Carbon hubs?
FMF Exhaust vs PC?
Neken clamps/bars vs stock?
Different plastic/thinner graphics?
Lighter seat?
Lighter battery/ECU/Electrical, less data collection bits?
Maybe a smaller fuel tank?
Copious amounts of Ti?
And of course who knows if they were able to make that engine lighter?

All guesses here, but lightening a Jap 450 is a fantastic way to gain performance get rider comfort closer to the Austrian level. If it's true they shaved 8 pounds off Barcia's last race bike, I could imagine those Star guys are in heaven compared to what the Works effort was last racing.
No true works bike in the US anymore.
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acres951
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acres951 1/22/2021 3:29pm
1/22/2021 3:29pm
Honestly, not sure to most of us we’d even feel it if given a true “blind” test.
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Zycki11
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Zycki11 1/22/2021 3:53pm
1/22/2021 3:53pm
acres951 wrote:
Honestly, not sure to most of us we’d even feel it if given a true “blind” test.
8lbs is significant. Wether it’s trimmed from the cases/trans or a combination of hard parts. It’s impressive. Yamaha has been needing to go on a diet, and this number places it(compared to stock) in the 3rd position of weight.
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skypig
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skypig 1/22/2021 5:25pm
1/22/2021 5:25pm
acres951 wrote:
Honestly, not sure to most of us we’d even feel it if given a true “blind” test.
Zycki11 wrote:
8lbs is significant. Wether it’s trimmed from the cases/trans or a combination of hard parts. It’s impressive. Yamaha has been needing to go on a diet...
8lbs is significant. Wether it’s trimmed from the cases/trans or a combination of hard parts. It’s impressive. Yamaha has been needing to go on a diet, and this number places it(compared to stock) in the 3rd position of weight.
Still heavier than a Stock KTM (Orange, White or Red.)
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Brent
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Brent 1/22/2021 5:53pm
1/22/2021 5:53pm
So, now the Factory YZ 450 is only 20 LBS heavier than my stock 21 KTM 450SXF?

Thats awesome.

Barcia must be a happy man.
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skankhunt69
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skankhunt69 1/22/2021 6:06pm
1/22/2021 6:06pm
I heard from someone close to the team that some of the weight they shaved was from removing a lot of sensors that the factory had on there not sure if there is any truth to this.
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Dirty Points 1/22/2021 6:09pm
1/22/2021 6:09pm Edited Date/Time 1/22/2021 6:20pm
Brent wrote:
So, now the Factory YZ 450 is only 20 LBS heavier than my stock 21 KTM 450SXF?

Thats awesome.

Barcia must be a happy man.
Chad Reed complained the factory YZ was 9 lbs heavier than the factory SX.

So now they may be exactly the same.
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sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 1/22/2021 7:01pm
1/22/2021 7:01pm
Sorry but Factory Yamaha has not been a well run team since 2000.
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Brent
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Brent 1/22/2021 8:09pm
1/22/2021 8:09pm
yz133rider wrote:
It’s not even that star has done it, but that factory Yamaha didn’t. There’s guys on this forum that have done builds showing how they sweat...
It’s not even that star has done it, but that factory Yamaha didn’t.

There’s guys on this forum that have done builds showing how they sweat every detail and lose serious weight on the bikes for their own personal bikes, without huge sponsors and factory dollars.
Yeah, because Keith McCarty was the wrong guy for the job. He wouldn't allow a lot of changes the riders wanted over the years for whatever reason.

Yamaha should have replaced him years ago.
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rhargrave431
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rhargrave431 1/22/2021 8:34pm
1/22/2021 8:34pm
Isn't it only obvious that they trimmed the extra material off around the numbers??
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Timo
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Timo 1/22/2021 10:27pm
1/22/2021 10:27pm
Zycki11 wrote:
Plessinger always was. Barcia ran spring A kit. I would assume that Dylan is running PSF1 as well as AP, probably the mookster as well. Even...
Plessinger always was. Barcia ran spring A kit. I would assume that Dylan is running PSF1 as well as AP, probably the mookster as well. Even then, what is that 3lbs? They trimmed weight elsewhere for sure.
Timo wrote:
It's enough weight that KTM has refused to go back to a spring fork according to Keefer.
Zycki11 wrote:
I assume your talking production? The factory teams are running 52mm spring forks I thought?
Yes, production bikes.
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Yeti831 1/23/2021 9:55am
1/23/2021 9:55am
endurox wrote:
Ceramic bearings and a 3 speed gear box?
ZOBITO wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the rules require keeping the same number of gears as the stock bike.
Dirty Points wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/01/22/474271/s1200_gears.jpg[/img]

From what I understand, factory teams replace the steel gears with plastic gears. Then they block them off and only ride on the remaining steel gears.

Rules say they have to be in the engine. Doesn’t say what material they have to be or that you can’t run a special shift drum.
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Zycki11
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Zycki11 1/23/2021 10:09am
1/23/2021 10:09am
ZOBITO wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the rules require keeping the same number of gears as the stock bike.
Dirty Points wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/01/22/474271/s1200_gears.jpg[/img]

Yeti831 wrote:
From what I understand, factory teams replace the steel gears with plastic gears. Then they block them off and only ride on the remaining steel gears...
From what I understand, factory teams replace the steel gears with plastic gears. Then they block them off and only ride on the remaining steel gears.

Rules say they have to be in the engine. Doesn’t say what material they have to be or that you can’t run a special shift drum.
Correct, they do that as well as have a dummy neutral that retards the engine for sound test
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PTshox
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PTshox 1/23/2021 12:33pm
1/23/2021 12:33pm
I suspect it was 10 lbs of corporate fat the bike lost. If you have ever worked in Corporate America you know what I'm talking about. The fat is insane.. but blow hards that take up space and pay checks. LOL
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The Moto Log
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The Moto Log 1/23/2021 12:37pm
1/23/2021 12:37pm
I saw RaceTech had a crapload of Ti components that were sent over to star for the bikes. Bolts, axles etc. Im sure that helped a ton
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YAMATHUMP1
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YAMATHUMP1 1/23/2021 12:51pm
1/23/2021 12:51pm
The Moto Log wrote:
I saw RaceTech had a crapload of Ti components that were sent over to star for the bikes. Bolts, axles etc. Im sure that helped a...
I saw RaceTech had a crapload of Ti components that were sent over to star for the bikes. Bolts, axles etc. Im sure that helped a ton
a ton..........c'mon man you must be kidding
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resetjet 1/23/2021 1:14pm
1/23/2021 1:14pm
Dimblewambie wrote:
Are they running air forks like their 250s?
Zycki11 wrote:
Plessinger always was. Barcia ran spring A kit. I would assume that Dylan is running PSF1 as well as AP, probably the mookster as well. Even...
Plessinger always was. Barcia ran spring A kit. I would assume that Dylan is running PSF1 as well as AP, probably the mookster as well. Even then, what is that 3lbs? They trimmed weight elsewhere for sure.
Timo wrote:
It's enough weight that KTM has refused to go back to a spring fork according to Keefer.
Well that may be true, but ktm has not always had thtr best judgement when it comes to suspension!!
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