[jjn]

I'm kind of in a similiar situation. I can get a brand new 250 (actually a 229cc) Hawk delivered to me near Hilo Hawaii for $1499, which is a very good price considering where I live! I could buy a used Japanese bike for $3500-$4200. But, I don't need a lot of speed. 50-55 mph would do. I also don't mind a pushrod engine. I appreciate something that is easy to work on.

You should go through the threads here on the Hawk, the 250 and 200 Storm, the TMEC, and maybe the 200 and 250 Will's. You'll find that most consider the gearing too low, so plan on replacing the front and/or the rear sprockets. The good thing is, except for the TMEC, which uses some pretty obscure rear sprocket (but it IS available through JT Sprockets), the sprockets are easy to get through Amazon and Ebay. On some of the bikes, you may have to do some rejetting in the carbs. Some of the bikes are running quite lean. But, the carbureted Japanese bikes have also been that way since the 1980's. Some owners that have the Kehin clone carburetor are replacing them with a Mikuni clone (about $40), mostly because jets are easy to find even locally for them, whereas the Kehin clone units would probably have to be ordered.

Some of the bike engines have an extra counterbalancer (the Storm and Will models). Though all engines are counterbalanced by the crankshaft weights, these models have an added counterbalancer. I have heard the counterbalanced engines, then have to use a short chain to drive the oil pumps. The noncounterbalanced bikes (the Hawk and TMEC??) have gear driven oil pumps, which means these bikes have no chains in the engines, as they are pushrod models.

I think I am going to order a new Hawk after my birthday weekend coming up at the end of the month.


So, look through the threads going in about 3-4 pages in the dual sport section. Maybe take some notes like I did. The company I would order Hawk from want $299 shipping, whereas some others want $500 all the way up to $700-$800!

You can find what jets owners used on the different models (of course temperature and elevation differences rule), also plenty of gearing info. Some models seem to do okay with going to a 17 tooth front sprocket only, and no lengthening of chain needed. Others replaced both sprockets and had to add some links, or go to another longer chain. I think the 250 Storms, for 2015, went to a 17/45 sprocket set, which is probably good as is.