Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Motomegal t1_iy471ya wrote

I’m quite certain that bike weighs more than 203 lbs

858

Varanjar t1_iy4x339 wrote

These lightweight builds, called Magnum 45's, are well known and weigh around 300 lbs. Randy said his was 203, believe it or not.

85

notbob1959 t1_iy4xooe wrote

Found a photo of the bike posted to the Facebook account of the Harley-Davidson Museum with following description:

>1970 Magnum built by Randy Smith. A model name for this one? Hard to pin down... Smith relished making motorcycles that defied the laws of logic. He was the owner of Custom Cycle Engineering. To build this bike, he took a 1940s WR 45 ci Flathead bottom end and grafted it with a Sportster OHV top end. It has a Cerani front end but with a KR road racer front brake. It weights 250 pounds and went over 100 mph on the quarter mile.

>The bike came into the Archives collection in 2006, and is currently on display on the lower level of the museum in the Custom Culture gallery.

80

homeyinharamony t1_iy51tax wrote

Pic says 203 & article claims 250lbs - so i assume 203 is claimed dry. Terry Sheppard Tuning did one off builds(frames etc) using TL1000 V-Twin engines in early 2000's & got nowhere near that weight. V Twins are HEAVY.....using just the basics my TL motor weighed 153lbs alone.

I'm calling BS - no way that bike pictured weighs 203lbs dry or 250lbs wet

41

notbob1959 t1_iy555t5 wrote

You would think that the current owner of the bike (the Harley-Davidson Museum) would know the weight. However, I found an article at motorcycle.com about bikes at the museum that says this about the Magnum:

>the end result was a bike that weighed less than 320 lbs Harley says (Smith claimed 203 lbs) and hit 106 mph in a quarter-mile drag. I highly doubt the entire bike weighed 203 lbs, but I like Randy’s optimism and hey, 106 in the quarter-mile using a mish-mash of 1940s and ‘50s engine parts ain’t bad.

So it seems there is a wide range of claimed weights.

33

TheCarrzilico t1_iy5el6q wrote

I'm beginning to think that the bike weighs thousands of pounds and Randy is superhuman.

19

astrorobb t1_iy52veg wrote

that front drum brake probably weighed 30lbs on its own.

13

-Lumpy-Space-Prince- t1_iy6kce3 wrote

The fuel injection on the tl1000 sure made it… “exciting”.

3

JD0x0 t1_iy8bmwy wrote

My little 49cc two stroke scooter is over 203lbs. Also, calling BS.

1

kdubstep t1_iy56gjj wrote

Gotta be dry weight too. Oil, gas and other fluids add another 30-40lbs I’d imagine

4

DrNickRiviera8000 t1_iy54pwn wrote

One other thing is that this is dead weight not a balanced barbell with equal weights on each end. Much more difficult than it appears.

5

JD0x0 t1_iy8bg8c wrote

What materials are they using for the frame and engine block? I'm pretty sure my little 49cc two stroke scooter is over 203lbs.

1

Varanjar t1_iy8e4q0 wrote

Randy Smith is a pretty well known early Harley builder, so I'm not sure where all the skepticism about this bike is coming from here. But if you want to see a similar build from someone else, do a search for Brew Bikes 45 Magnum, which weighs a bit over 300lbs.

1

JD0x0 t1_iy8euo7 wrote

So, a 'similar build' is ~100lbs heavier? That lines up with my skepticism.

1

potatogoth t1_iy577yz wrote

Maybe dry... a stock sportster used to weigh just over 400 lbs, and this is a fairly stripped down hardtail. It's surprising how much weight you can lose just dropping the shocks and mufflers.

2

bigjamey t1_iy5ffhv wrote

It’s a shovel head, not a sportster.

2

potatogoth t1_iy5fmuc wrote

It's an iron head, look at the pushrod tubes.

4

z6joker9 t1_iy60q2g wrote

It’s confusing. Sportster (ironhead) top end, flathead bottom end.

1

FeanorFury t1_iy5bpwq wrote

Was gonna say I had a small ninja and that was like 400lbs.

1

Vikingwithguns2 t1_iy6taho wrote

Yeah, for real. I mean think of a barbell with two plates on it. (225) Just the sheer mass of metal alone. It’s gotta be way more.

1

Ted4828 t1_iy4b4cw wrote

If that weighs 203 pounds then I weigh 57 pounds.

67

MyDogGoldi OP t1_iy4dtah wrote

Didn't read the source?

−79

RedstripeRhapsodyHP t1_iy4ejg7 wrote

You haven’t provided a source.

51

notbob1959 t1_iy4wgja wrote

OP tried to but didn't know that the spam filter in this sub deletes comments when it sees the h t t p in a link.

You can find the comment on their profile.

Here is the text of the comment:

>Full caption from the source: "Because he can. And back then it might get ya’ a boob flash. In a Herculean effort to prove the 45 Magnum is a lightweight, Randy Smith hoists 203 pounds of machine off the ground, solo. The whole 45 magnum weighs only slightly more than a unit Sportster engine."

The source is an article at selvedgeyard.com.

19

born_on_mars_1957 t1_iy4q0ef wrote

Who is Randy Smith?

46

SloodPizzo t1_iy4ywd7 wrote

The famous motorcycle lifter guy...

31

Solidknowledge t1_iy62a7l wrote

> Randy Smith

machinist, racer, custom chopper builder. He founded a company called Custom Cycle Engineering way back in the day that focused on speed and performance parts for Harley's. Some of the first aftermarket parts for Harley Davidson's came out of his shop

12

jacknimrod10 t1_iy4r1av wrote

So that's where the inspiration for the Harley-fight came from in the Simpsons..

We both knew it would come to this.

17

compaqdeskpro t1_iy4kt4s wrote

More like 600 lbs. My R3 weighed around 350 lbs and that is considered a small motorcycle.

9

bateees t1_iy4t53p wrote

why didn't he make a video and upload to youtube

9

Middle_Aged_Mayhem t1_iy4av9s wrote

This picture is obviously fake for multiple reasons. First, this bike is WAY more than 203lbs. Second, nobody on the planet I'd lifting this bike the way he is in the photo.

8

tok33 t1_iy4ci2b wrote

Scott Summers used to dead lift his XR600 the same way. It was 290lbs, not as heavy as a street bike, but it was the biggest tank of a dirt bike being raced at the time.

I'm wild ass guessing the bike in this pic would be about 350-400lbs.

3

Middle_Aged_Mayhem t1_iy4elip wrote

This bike weighs 600+ lbs easily. Highly unlikely someone could lift that much uneven weight the way he is in the pic.

−3

tok33 t1_iy4fmuc wrote

A Sportster with rear suspension/exhaust is about 550lbs. This is a straight piped hardtail, it's way under 600.

8

prostipope t1_iy4tyxc wrote

This is how I feel every night carrying my 40 lb daughter to bed.

7

Ninjafolife t1_iy5a9r4 wrote

A Grom weighs 230lbs… I highly doubt this is lighter than that

7

JD0x0 t1_iy8gwd4 wrote

Yeah, I have a small 49cc 2 stroke scooter. It has the bare essentials. All the cowling is light plastic. The wheels and tires are tiny, and don't have massive drum brakes up front. It has two small plastic lights, rather than a huge metal lamp. The suspension and frame are more anemic because it has such a small amount of horsepower, yet it still weighs more than the bike is claiming to be in this picture.

That thing must be made of Mithril..

2

RuralMNGuy t1_iy4jin8 wrote

446 pounds would be light too

6

Whitworth t1_iy4lk4p wrote

200ish is what the motor weighs

6

PocketDog t1_iy4yj0b wrote

That's... not how to motorbike

6

slackerzinc t1_iy4dio7 wrote

That sportster motor is going to weigh 180-200 itself!!

5

SpecificUnlucky1952 t1_iy4uraa wrote

That's not a sportser motor. Shovelhead Pan bottom

0

CB200Cafe t1_iy4vd6j wrote

It's absolutely a Sportster (Ironhead) motor. Shovels have twisted pushrods, like every other big twin HD has ever made. The pushrods are straight, it's a sporty.

1

Ratchet_72 t1_iy57qau wrote

Magnum 45. UL bottom end Sporty/ironhead top end.

4

CB200Cafe t1_iy57wwb wrote

With that cam cover you're probably right.

0

Plus-Tangerine-723 t1_iy51nh9 wrote

Geez Randy must be really strong to lift that motorcycle

5

DylanKarissa t1_iy6e34e wrote

it's weight is greater than 203 pounds!

5

Varanjar t1_iy4ewg0 wrote

That's a custom lightweight motorcycle called the 45 Magnum, and that's its real reported weight.

4

JD0x0 t1_iy8c1hu wrote

Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say whoever 'reported' that is lying. Pretty sure that even if it had a titanium frame and all aluminum engine (which I can almost guarantee it has neither), it'd still be well over 200lbs.

1

MyDogGoldi OP t1_iy4hfgu wrote

This is true

−1

Varanjar t1_iy4xux9 wrote

I have to laugh at all these "experts" downvoting you. There's no point in arguing, they already know everything...

6

TommyTuttle t1_iy5zrtt wrote

That vintage Harley-Davidson is waaaaaay more than 203 pounds. Probably more than 203 kilos. My 2001 Sportster weighs 562 lbs for example.

203 lbs is incredibly light for a street cruiser. I used to have a little Yamaha 400 that weighed more than that, and not by a little.

4

24STSFNGAwytBOY t1_iy71eec wrote

350lbs minimum ,minimum.And he’s not holding that up.Look at his face.

4

jackballer75 t1_iy4g02o wrote

No way anyone is picking up a shovelhead of any kind like that.

3

Ratchet_72 t1_iy580cp wrote

Well…it’s not a shovelhead, so there’s that.

5

carldubs t1_iy4rclu wrote

that whole motorcycle only weighs 203lbs? that seems light. *knows nothing about motorcycles.

3

guitardave1968 t1_iy5en6n wrote

I saw Bugs Bunny do something similar. You put helium in the tires.

3

TylerKasprzyk t1_iy6btx5 wrote

That motorcycle weighs more than 203 pounds!!!!

3

kneecapped33 t1_iy6hxnl wrote

That dude does not look like a physical specimen. 203 pounds seems fair dry

3

not_another_drummer t1_iy6q6ub wrote

ITT: whole bunch of idiots who are too busy explaining what they know about bikes to see the point of the pic.

Making custom bikes did not start at OCC. Go ask those guys who Randy Smith is, they'll laugh you about of their shop and tell you to go learn about bikes before you shoot your mouth off.

3

Mundane-Set-206 t1_iy6uoss wrote

The engine has to weigh more than that by itself

3

sealow08 t1_iy5agzl wrote

Right before his left nut exploded....

2

happyends t1_iy5kv5c wrote

I had a dirt bike that was 212lbs. It was a lot smaller than that bike.

2

kaowser t1_iy5qa56 wrote

My back hurts looking at his.

2

LeatherRebel5150 t1_iy60el9 wrote

Nah, I weigh 230, no fricken way a full size bike weighs that little. I had a Yamaha V-Star 250 that weighed at around 300 and that thing was a tinker toy compared to this

2

dcal1981 t1_iy66761 wrote

When ya have to get the Harley in the pick up truck.....

2

angels_unaware t1_iy673l9 wrote

TIL i weigh more than a motorcycle. FML

2

ScoobaMonsta t1_iy6et0i wrote

I call bullshit that weighs 203 pounds! That must be a fake bike if it is!

2

graye33 t1_iy6gr5w wrote

“TAKE THE FUCKING PICTURE HURRY UP”

2

finix240 t1_iy6nq6v wrote

I think 203 kilos might be more accurate

2

Ecstatic-Bell5105 t1_iy6z9bc wrote

How does that bike weigh 203 lbs? Not a chance, which makes this all the more impressive.

2

Rockalot_L t1_iy7006t wrote

When are you gonna stop doing this to us and use the metric system

2

messylettuce t1_iy716be wrote

Be willing to bet he built the frame out of farrr more engineered tubing than what Harley has ever used on production machines. Likely Reynolds 531 and/or 631. Probably sandcast & machined his own case & heads too. OEM Harley leaves a lot of fat on the plate.

2

S-Markt t1_iy7rw4c wrote

yeah, i too had a bike once that has been always broken.

2

mandelmanden t1_iy8ahmp wrote

I guess the impressive feat here is that the motorcycle is only 203 pounds, not that it's impressive to lift that much.

2

Crafty_Ranger_2917 t1_iy47rte wrote

Waaaaay the fuck more than 203 pounds and he's not lifting it by himself!

1

Pilotman49 t1_iy5c98j wrote

Motorcycles were lighter back in the day.

1

ToMorrowsEnd t1_iy5f86o wrote

That is insanely light for a motorcycle of that size.

1

TommyTuttle t1_iy60k05 wrote

It is, frankly, wrong. That’s a Harley. They never made a street cruising bike anywhere near that light.

2

Mayor_of_BBQ t1_iy5ghe8 wrote

The idea of a 203 pound Harley today is just laughable

1

Worried_Football2780 t1_iy5t1ki wrote

A real man would do it right after riding it and light A cigarette with his burning flesh

1

Hrrrrnnngggg t1_iy5vzs6 wrote

I can do that but I don't wanna

1

jfduval76 t1_iy5xizp wrote

And he lift it with his dick !

1

Darcmagicweir t1_iy6bunw wrote

How did his Back Turn out in the long run? Is there a headline for that?

1

jbeech- t1_iy6d3hw wrote

Yeah, 203 lbs? Sure . . . maybe using the pot dealer's scales!

1

Jorad56 t1_iy6ezrq wrote

An impressive feat of strength, but who is Randy Smith?

1

krendos t1_iy6tg5v wrote

Look Ma, no hands!

1

Shyne-Bryght t1_iy87meq wrote

Is this the nodding meme guy?

1

montycar t1_iy8ri2d wrote

Wow they sure were light back then. Add all the options and....500 to 800

1

gitpusher t1_iy9477j wrote

Sorry, honey. That is actually Steve Wozniak, showing off the first Apple computer

1

skexzies t1_iy4u0po wrote

Just because you can...doesn't mean you should. Barbells are easy, but that weight extended outwards, would torque his bones and ligaments. I'd hate to have his spine after a few of these deadlifts.

0

ZekDrago t1_iy5530d wrote

A lot of people can lift 200 lbs. That's not that much.

0

nugymmer t1_iy5ehor wrote

But it sure isn't easy to grab 200 lbs and hoist it up past your chest level. In my prime I could manage about 260 lbs (115kg) but it was very difficult and I could bench 350 lb (160kg) at the time.

3

TommyTuttle t1_iy60qw1 wrote

The caption can’t be right. That’s a Harley. A small stripped down Harley but still. It is more like 500 lbs.

1

dlkh223 t1_iy6q76h wrote

where is his arms and hands unless this is famous weight lifter, i am going wit photoshopped.

0

motocreep404 t1_iy540ke wrote

Those were iron blocks. Had to be wayyy more even stripped

−1

gwcrim t1_iy4fdnf wrote

That's a 500 lb. bike all day long.

−2

spannerboy69 t1_iy4p0aq wrote

If that motorcycle weighed 203 lbs it would be fast. It’s not.

−2

noeljrG t1_iy4qpv9 wrote

That bike weighs no less than 450 pounds. The engine weighs 200 lbs.

−2

[deleted] t1_iy4z3xe wrote

Feather weight bike? 203 lbs isn’t all that impressive…

−2

MercuryMorrison1971 t1_iy4z6l3 wrote

Who is this guy. The title says his name like I should know who he is, it I don’t.

“Edit” go ahead and down vote lol, it’s a legitimate question. Gotta love Reddit.

−2

happycj t1_iy54f74 wrote

Um... what? That motor alone is 160lbs, the frame is another 80-100, and the wheels are 30-40 each.

A much smaller Harley Sportster is 500lbs, dry (no oil, no fuel).

This is at least 750lbs. Even in kilos that closer to 350 than 203.

−3

ChocolateBananaCats t1_iy4zndy wrote

Prolly not a smart idea to stick out your tongue when doing stuff like this. Although "smart" doesn't really come to mind when looking at this picture.

−5

MinotaurGod t1_iy49x1w wrote

Try closer to 750lbs.

−9

Defiant-Giraffe t1_iy4nska wrote

Naww- it's a stripped down hardtail. Closer to 500 lbs. 203 kgs would be 440-some pounds, which is still pretty light, but at least believable.

3

MyDogGoldi OP t1_iy4dm8n wrote

Read the source

−17