making the Saturno as light as I can, ideas...

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agusta74
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making the Saturno as light as I can, ideas...

Post by agusta74 » Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:57 am

I have some ideas for weight lose on the 350 Gilera Saturno...

As I have a duff leg anyway I will remove the kick start, decompression system, and see about thaking the shaft out and blocking the shaft hole.
Helmut lock off....
Smaller lighter indicators.
One light bar end mirror.
New mount for number plate that removes the black plastic bit.
Lightend foot levers a supports.
Aluminum cap screws for none essensial parts.. like outer engine covers, in gas cap etc....
Titanium fastenings for stressed area (I have a bunch left over from a race bike project)
Titanium studs to replace the bolts to hold the engine in... (again I have titaimun rod left over)
Smaller rear brake caplier... most likely from a KTM off road bike.
Lighter afternarket rear disc.
More drilings in front disc....
Air box gone.
Lightened battery box.
Smaller modern more efficent battery maybe?
Lighter muffler... thinking titanium or aluminum maybe?
Turned down hollowed out bolt heads... mostly top of forks and steering head ones...
Drilled front sprocket
Aluminum rear sprocket.

Then if I go really crazy down the line.....
light weight wire wheels
painted carbon fibre bodywork (biggest saving their would be a carbon gas tank)
upsidedown forks and triple clamps from a Aprilia RS125 or similar...
Titainium axles
Anything inside the engine I can drill, maybe primary gears etc (no idea until I look)

So I have some ideas!!!! lol
Not ALLLLL of then totally nuts...

Any more ideas???

I will weigh the bike before I start and keep a record of each components before and after weight.

I got my bike 3 days ago and I ordered my new belt today from Germany! Should be here in a week:)

What oil for you recommend for the bike??

Also does anyone have a bare Saturno wheel they could weigh for me??
I remember a place on the net that did carbon body parts for the Saturno but now I cannot find it... anyone know the place??
Regards
Gavin

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Joachim
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Post by Joachim » Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:20 am

you may get in touch with Albert from SebyPoly germany.
He did aftermarket plastic parts for Saturnos too.
Carbon fibre is possible.
He also has a fuel tank.
But he is just out for a holiday. So maybe you will have to wait for an answer :(

ciao Joachim

www.seby-poly.de

PS replacing al the so called non stress bolts and nuts will save you about 500g.
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oekotopia
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Post by oekotopia » Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:49 pm

:D
Hi,
one idea is take a look at the driver first,
maybe he can save you more than 500 g.
Georg :twisted:
Trap ist kein Pferdesport

agusta74
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Weight of a 350 Saturno, standard

Post by agusta74 » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:50 am

I just weighed my Saturno 350.

Standard weight wise except for K&N filter and no airbox...

NO petrol, but with all other fluids, ie water, brake fluid, oil in the engine, forks and rear shock.

Weight is "road legal, ready to ride when petrol is added" which will be my bench mark for weight loss.

Weight came to 75.35kg front, 77.70kg rear (+ or - 0.05kg each end)

Total weight 153.05 (+ or minus 0.1kg possible error)

Interesting and higher than I thought it might be!!
Gavin
New Zealand

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Post by hahne » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:53 pm

Dynamo-cover Aluminium = ~ 450 Gr./Magnesium =,~ 250 Gr.Greetings Gottfried

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Joachim
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Post by Joachim » Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:02 pm

replacing all the bolts and nuts by such from alluminium was saving another 500g.
But!!! only these bolts which re not used for mountings with high load. You should not replace the bolts from the brake calipers ;)
Unfortunatelly i lost the list with all the sizes some years ago :(

Removing the electrical starter, the starter flywheel and the batterie saves 6,5kg (if i remember right)
My #uno was about 150kg + with full tank

ciao joachim
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agusta74
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some weights...

Post by agusta74 » Sat Aug 02, 2008 3:45 pm

I have started working on my Gilera... and here are some observations.

Tank with tap, cap and wiring for level weighs 5.95kg
Seat with padding is 2.359kg

Padding alone is 1.052KG!! That I didn't expect.

I think I will make a carbon fibre seat with the part the upholstry is attached to included in carbon in one part.
The rear padding will be remade and not go over the top of the seat, and be glued on not bolted. Also I will cut away some of the seat were it curves under as it is not needed or seen.

FUNFUNFUN!!!
Gavin

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Weight update on Gilera Saturno...

Post by agusta74 » Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:56 am

Well the work is going well on the Gilera to make it the lightest road going 350 Saturno in the world!! lol

Savings so far... all savings in grams.

Foot guard of rear master cylinder 27
Warning stickers 2!
Kick lever 520
LHS Mirror 220
Rear hugger 296
Gas cap change to non locking billet 224
Rubber gromet from ignition 35
Rubber from front brake lever 13
Rear chain guard 131
Headlamp shell rear cut 97
bar end weights 618
Tail light replaced with small LED 171
rear guard (number plate mount) 473
Upper seat pading 238
Seat captive nuts and wing nuts 51
Plastic wiring cover from engine 7
rear section of frame cut off 508
Gilera badge from rear of seat 24
Lower edges cut off orginal seat 306
Turned down bolt for front sprocket 4
Rear axle hollowed 173
Friont axle hollowed 140
Rear brake push rod (titanium and aluminum) 17
Rear sprocket replaced with aluminum one 702 saved!

So thats a total of 5024g so far without even doing the big items like the battery and muffler and gas tank..... and the inside kick start parts.

I was suprised that the steel orginal sprocket was 1054g! Bloody heavey!

Other interesting weights....
Bare front wheel 3918
Bare rear wheel 4756
Front caliper with pads 884
Rear caliper with pads 606
Front disc 1500
Rear tyre 5250
Front tyre 3500
rear axle before hollowing out was 500!

So their is a lot to go yet.....
Later
Gavin
New Zealand

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spares saturno 500

Post by anthill » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:58 am

I noticed fellow Kiwi Gavin's quest for the lightest 500 on the planet which is in the true Kiwi spirit eh!

If you have no further use for the L/h mirror are you interested in parting with it as the kind people who shipped my bike over the Cook Strait managed to break mine and the screen.

I am yet to find a supplier for spares and after reading about recommended cam belt replacement my bike must be due at 11,000k.

Over the years i have had quite a number of bikes but i am really taken by my 1988 500 .

Would appreciate contact details for any suppliers of spares for this model.

Thanks in anticipation
Tony Hill
Marlborough
New Zealand

agusta74
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Gilera weight.

Post by agusta74 » Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:28 am

I have sent you a message off list about the mirror.

I got a new belt from the German site http://www.hahne-power.de/
And you will need the special tool that takes the flywheel off.

Latest weight saving is 101g off the sprocket holder. 352 down to 251.
Wheels are next on the hit list and a new rear brake caliper and disc.

Also thinking about making a new tube swing arm myself modeled on the Swiss one.

And looking into light weight wheel bearings.....

Regards
Gavin

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ich558
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ähm...

Post by ich558 » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:03 am

Hi,
the latest are carbon-wheels but I don't know if they are avaible for the saturno.
Greetings
Torsten from Muc
PS: once I was half a year in NZ :)
rulez
2xNordi + 1xNordi Korinna (Frau) + Zündapp RS50 :)

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Post by Samuel » Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:14 am

If have got a offer somewhere at home for carbon wheels for the Nordwest: third of weight, but costs of about 8k $ both.

:wink:

Kind regards

Sam

agusta74
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carbon wheels...

Post by agusta74 » Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:54 am

Thanks for that wheel sugestion... I have looked into wheels and the carbpon ones are bloody expensive and way to wide... which is bad as the tyres would be heavier and it might upset the handling.

I have looked into wire wheels with light weight motocross hubs and rims but I have not had a definative weight for them yet.

At this stage I will keep the standard wheels and modify them to be as light as I can get away without making them unsafe... but I will keep my options open for later.

One thing I was lookuing into was the Marvic Assen magnesium wheels used for 125GP bikes.... they are a bit narrow but very light. I am looking for a second hand set to turn up!

I am having no luck finding a much lighter 4 piston front caliper... so at this stage I am thinking of just making mine lighter.... and looking into lighter pads.

Regards
Gavin

agusta74
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Re: making the Saturno as light as I can, ideas...

Post by agusta74 » Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:58 pm

Latest Gilera Saturno activity.....

Wheel bearings...
I changed to the 17 35 10 bearings with drilled aluminum bearing
holders...

The results are as follows...

Original bearings were 114 grams each making 570g total wheel bearing
weight.
New bearings are 38g and each holder is 24.8g.
Making a new total of 314 and a saving of 256g off the bike in unsprung
rotating weight.

Have a second hand billet GP MK 3 front brembo coming.
Having new discs made next week.... 188mm rear 3mm thick.
Front will attach to the same thined down carrier, but be 4mm thick (not 5) and only have 6 not 12 buttons.
Both discs will be custom made of high carbon stainless.

NOTE! I am ending up with a growing pile of good low miles Saturno parts that I will sell if they are needed!

Regards
Gavin
New Zealand

agusta74
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Re: making the Saturno as light as I can, ideas...

Post by agusta74 » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:25 pm

Just a follow up to the light front brake caliper...

I have bought a secondhand Mk 3 GP billet brembo for the Gilera...

Weights with pads, no line or line fitting....
Orginal P432mm (4 pistons at 32mm) Gilera item (like those fitted to the 851
era bikes) was 886g

916 Ducati type cast P3034 (4 piston 2 at 30 3 at 34) weights in at a surprisingly
heavey 929

Mk 3 GP billet brembo 30-34 weighs in at 760g.
So thats 126 lighter than the original and 169g lighter than a 916 style
item.

Now I need some nice titanium cap screws to set the caliper off and make it
even lighter!

Regards
Gavin
Aim... the lightest Gilera Saturno in the known world!

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