Last night I decided to lighten up my Mojo and got rid of the mud flaps, under fender tool box, fan, coolent overflow bottle, lower bracket, chain guard and the front rim rock guards. I had already removed the foot fences the second day I owned the machine. I weighed each item with a hand held fish scale and the total was 12 lbs. The foot fences alone weighed 5 lbs.

There is more weight to be saved if a guy shaves his front fenders but I ride in mud so I didn't want to do that. Next on my list is to replace the skid plates, handlebars and rear grab bar with aluminum units. I also plan to remove the parking brake assembly and the junk that goes with it. A lighter weight exhaust will help out too.

My goal is to get my Mojo down to 350lbs. This will be right around the same weight as my old 250X. I think by selecting the right type of light weight tires it will be possible to do this. The stock tires are very light but don't work well in snow or protect the rims very well.

 

Why did you take off your fan? It's not that heavy, but helps keep the macine cool, espically in tight trails, unless your going pretty fast to keep wind flowing through it. Where did you route the overflow line? I am wondering if it is possible (If submerged) to let water into the cooling system?

 

I don't feel the fan is necessary. Sure it helps somewhat but you already have a thermostat that works to regulate the temperature so the fan doesn't come into play unless it is really slow going on a very hot day. MX bikes and the Quadracer's and 250R's don't use cooling fans and their systems work fine. My thinking is that the cooling fan is on there more for idiot proofing the machine and also the fact that Kawasaki loves to put cooling fans on their products. No joke. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

By eliminating the mud flaps and cooling fan it really opened up the area around the radiator allowing a guy to hose grime out much more easily. For the time being I zip tied the overflow line to the frame and let it drain onto the ground. After going on a short ride tonight I decided that wasn't the best idea and I'm going to fab a new aluminum bracket and remount the overflow bottle.

During my 45 minute ride I rode both tight and wide open trails. Every time I stopped I checked my hose and noticed coolent slowly dripping out. The engine never got super hot but then it was in the 30's so I didn't really expect it to. Still the location of the radiator cap makes it a pain in the *** to add coolent so the overflow bottle is important and will go back on my machine. Tomorrow I'm going on a big ride and I'll find out whether or not the fan is necessary. I don't believe it is but I have to try without it to be sure.

 

I would put the fan back on-Kawi wouldn't waste time putting it there if it didn't serve a purpose-longer engine life and lower temps are a good enough reason for me. As for the overflow bottle I simply used the stock bracket and attached it to the other side of the motor mount it was already attached to-this tucked it more inside the frame-I had to bend it just a little, but it looks factory-I also used a zip tie to compensate for the fender bracket that I removed.

 

A good tip for filling the radiator is to buy a funnel with a .5" dia. hose attached to it then drill a hole in the fender directly above the rad. cap so you can push the hose thru the hole and directly into the radiator. Its pretty easy to get the cap off with the fenders on.

 

Mordr,
I can visualize how you relocated the stock bracket to the other side of the motor mount but I'm unsure of how you supported the overflow tank on the bottom. Did you use a zip tie? If so, where? I like the idea of tucking the bottle inside the frame.

As far as the fan goes, I rode 5 hours over the weekend and the machine never boiled over or acted like it got too hot. I think for general riding the machine doesn't need it but for really slow going the fan it probably necessary. I took a look at my brothers Quadracer and his radiator was quite a bit larger than the Mojaves. I'm thinking this must be the reason Kawi equipped the machine with a fan.

jeffksf3, thanks for the tip.

 

rockrider-I took the bottle out of the black plastic cover and drilled a hole thru the bottom corner of the cover-then put a zip tie thru it and put the bottle back in-and zip tied it to the frame and used the other stock mounting bracket. It's been this way for about 4 months with no problems. I also used some old hose to protect a couple stock hoses that rub on the bike now because of the relocation.

By the way I just noticed that you live in Alaska-maybe you don't need that cooling fan after all!

 

That sounds slick, I'm going to have to try it.

 

ive got one better than that take it from an old drag racer... take the over flow bottle and throw it away... i took part of the hose and used it to make my own over flow bottle which it still must have but belive me not that big.. i took a cold medicne bottle plastic an drilled a small hole in the top and stuck the hose from the radiator in it and stuffed it up and around the brackett by the cowl and you dont even see it unless you look under the fender... i mounted with two zip ties and after a hard day out at the sand dunes it never missed a beat... theres your tip for the day... oh and as far as removeing the frt disk brake guards out here in the desert thats not a good idea besides the dam things dont weight any thing..... Jim