Lightweight Flywheels

[DucatiFan16]

Ok guys so I've been doing a lot of looking into these lightweight flywheels. If you can't tell I've got a '96 M900. I've heard people say "best bang for your buck" and "not for street" so I just don't know.

I like that the engine would rev faster. That the bike would turn faster. And I do like the added roll off engine braking. These all sound great as I plan on doing it along with a lightweight aluminum clutch. I'm just worried about stalling.

I've heard some people with these old carbed bikes don't have to mess with idle speed at all and it's perfectly fine, others have issues. I live in Minnesota so mornings are generally pretty cold. And I like having a normal to slightly low idle because a high idle just bugs me.

What are my best options? I can't really machine the stock one down. Is the Nichols too light at I think 9 oz. ? Or is the DP one any better. I have heard great things about both products and bad things about just generally lightening the flywheel, but most of the bad things I hear pertain to newer FI bikes.

I guess I'm just looking for some input or feedback from someone with any experience preferably with a bike similar to mine. Thanks

[Motobrewmaster]

I personally would recommend the DP light flywheel. My bike has a STM slipper with a machined stock flywheel. It has never posed a problem at all and that is after 33k miles.

You sound like you have done your research so you know there is not a HP gain. You would really only be gaining a slight faster rev up and slight increase in engine braking. You also loose a fair amount of weight, specifically from the rotating mass. That is the real benefit in my opinion.

[Maple Monster]

I lightened the flywheel on my (EFI) '06 S2RK last year at the same time I put in a new clutch and had the cam balanced. My mechanic had a flywheel that he'd machined down to a little over half the weight of stock, and he installed that for me.

Once in a while it'll stall when warming up whereas in the past I never had to touch it after hitting the starter button. Not a really big deal, just an occasional nuisance.

I like what it did to the feel of the throttle response. It's snappier, more responsive and it makes the bike even more fun to ride. When you roll the throttle off abruptly with a lightened flywheel, you get less of that Monster tendency to feel like you've dropped anchor, so it feels smoother.

I think it's a worthy mod for these bikes, but it's not as night and day a difference as some would have you believe.