There are some things in life that are a constant. The sun always rises in the east, Trevitt will hammer on new guy Siahaan at least once a day...and once a month, we'll receive a letter from a reader asking why our road test weight specs don't match what the manufacturer brochure or website states.
It's been a fact of life ever since sportbike sales brochures were printed up. In their headlong rush to always put their product's best foot forward, motorcycle manufacturers usually trampled on what would constitute the truth in real-world numbers, especially when it came to claimed weight figures. In an incredible twist-or maybe distortion would be the better term-of the actual interpretation of "dry weight," most manufacturers achieved their numbers by not only draining anything remotely resembling fluid from every possible cavity on the motorcycle (nevermind that you'd never be able to ride the motorcycle in that state), but also pulling off any components that were deemed "consumables".
This meant anything that could be considered a replaceable item during the useful life of the motorcycle. Think about it: what's the first thing most owners replace on their bike? Tires. Bam, that's an instant 21 to 25-pound weight loss. Even components such as brake pads and the battery were included, and thus removed before weigh-in. Amazingly, the apparent reasoning behind this farce was that because different components are often specified for different markets across the world, the manufacturers couldn't guarantee that one published weight figure would be accurate for the bike in all markets.
During the past couple of years, however, it appears that there's been some sort of movement by the manufacturers to come clean with weight figures that are more in line with reality (as in a bike that actually runs and can roll around a corner). This all sounds great, but there's only one problem: it appears they're all using different interpretations of what an actual "wet" weight is. Some manufacturers are listing curb weight, which would tend to mean all fluids present with a full tank of fuel. Others are listing a "wet" weight, but some numbers look suspiciously like our measured dry weights-all fluids present, but no fuel. Only one manufacturer actually lists its weight numbers as being "ready to ride"; i.e., all standard components present with a full tank of fuel (but even those figures are a few pounds under what we've measured on our digital scales).
While we've always gone through great pains to try and keep readers from making snap judgments based on just numbers, it's an inevitable part of human nature to draw conclusions based on initial impressions, whether it's on paper or in person. First it was quarter-mile ETs; then it was racetrack lap times. Then with the advent of readily available rear-wheel inertial dynamometers, the dyno graph suddenly became the Holy Grail to some (and actually, many were only interested in the peak number, not the rest of the curve).
A motorcycle's weight, however, is a spec that shouldn't have too much room to fudge. Quarter-mile ETs and racetrack lap times are heavily dependent on the rider, and dynos have even more variables that can cause wildly differing numbers.
Weight was never really that much of concern to sportbike riders until the '86 Suzuki GSX-R750, which rewrote the rules on what a race-replica sportbike could and should be. But the real catalyst for weight-spec mavens was the original '93 Honda CBR900RR. While the first GSX-R raised the bar as far as weight savings, the 900RR basically booted the goal posts right out of the park. Manufacturers were suddenly faced with the market reality that it didn't matter if their latest and greatest had boatloads of horsepower-if it wasn't lightweight as well, the bike was going to be an anchor on the showroom floor.
With emissions standards becoming ever stricter worldwide, many sportbikes have been picking up some additional pounds with each new generation. Much of this is attributable to the need for stouter (read: heavier) exhaust systems that can withstand the heat of catalytic converters, as well as larger mufflers that have enough volume to keep exhaust flow up while maintaining legal noise levels. But it's obvious that the manufacturers are sensitive to excessive weight gains now, as every other generation seems to stem the tide; there is none of the advancing porkiness that afflicted sportbikes for a while after the '86 GSX-R's debut.
Thus, it's pretty commendable that the manufacturers (well, the Japanese factories, at least) are attempting to come clean with their weight specs, especially since the newest wet weight numbers make the previous claimed dry weights look like their new models have suddenly turned into lumbering heavyweights. Let's just hope that all the manufacturers can create an industry standard so that consumers can at least have a general idea where each new model stands.