Hawk just dies. Need some input.

LunaTech · 02-19-2017, 03:13 PM

Ok I've got a weird problem. Hawk was running great a couple days ago. I get it out today and go the 5 miles to the end of my road. Pull in the clutch and the engine dies. Have to full choke the carb. and flip to reserve to get to finally start again. Put choke to off and petcock to normal position and kill the engine and restart several times and all is good. Decide to go home anyway and see what happens there. Hawk seems to have less power on the way home and I get home, pull in the clutch and the engine dies. Have to go through the same steps to get it started again. So I decide to put it up and try to figure it out.

Now I did check/adjust the valves prior to riding today and set them to .005" but that shouldn't be causing the problem I'm having unless I'm totally missing something. I just want to make sure I include any changes so someone can help me trouble shoot this problem. BTW I'm going to let the bike totally cool and recheck the valves tomorrow just to make sure. Also it has the stock carb rejetted to 110 but I haven't touched the carb since July or August 2016.

Any ideas anyone?

david3921 · 02-19-2017, 03:48 PM

Re-checking the valves is the best place to start. As you state, it ran good before and it was the only change made. Without checking, aren't they supposed to be set at .005/.008 intake/exhaust? Also, maybe the valves were set on the wrong stoke. I've done that before.

LunaTech · 02-19-2017, 04:09 PM

That's where I am going to start tomorrow and go from there. I found an old thread from Sport Rider that sounds like his was doing something similar so I'm hoping he'll respond on what fixed his problem.

Republic · 02-19-2017, 10:20 PM

I set valves on the wrong stroke and all I had was a terrible racket due to the incredibly loose valve lash. I wonder if the tank is dirty and getting trash in the fuel line or the petcock?

LunaTech · 02-20-2017, 06:49 AM

I'm 98% sure I was on the correct stroke when I check/set the valves yesterday but I'm going to double check today. It does sound like a fuel problem but makes no sense because once I get it started I turn the choke off and petcock back to on and it runs fine. Might be the CDI going bad. I do have the advantage of having 2 Hawks so I can rob parts off one to test on the other to check and see. I also just put digital gauge clusters on both so I'm going to make sure I didn't accidentally bump/crimp/pinch something putting everything back together (but it ran fine for several days after install so I don't think that's it).

LunaTech · 02-20-2017, 07:00 PM

Well I feel really dumb. I've been riding something with 2 wheels for 42 years and just got stumped by LOW FUEL!!! I just learned to not trust the fuel gauge and how the Hawk acts when it's time to go on reserve. Weird how it would run WOT but die when I pulled the clutch in. Finally got low enough I had to keep it on reserve to get home. Filled the tank and POOF the problem is gone. I did reset my valves to .003, put on much better fuel line, put in the 115 jet (had 110 in) and checked the CDI. I did find a loose wire in the connector (pulled out with a VERY slight tug). Thought "hey lets see what happens when I try to start it and see if this is my problem". It did start and I thought well this ain't my problem. Turned off the key and it kept running (lights and new cluster turned off though). Hit the kill switch, still running. Put the wire back in the harness, engine stops. Thought "Ok that gives me the exact opposite problem". Fun day going over the Hawk though and now I know how she acts when low on fuel. I might get a sending unit for a TT250 as someone on here said they did and it works much better.

**JerryHawk250** · 02-21-2017, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LunaTech

Well I feel really dumb. I've been riding something with 2 wheels for 42 years and just got stumped by LOW FUEL!!! I just learned to not trust the fuel gauge and how the Hawk acts when it's time to go on reserve. Weird how it would run WOT but die when I pulled the clutch in. Finally got low enough I had to keep it on reserve to get home. Filled the tank and POOF the problem is gone. I did reset my valves to .003, put on much better fuel line, put in the 115 jet (had 110 in) and checked the CDI. I did find a loose wire in the connector (pulled out with a VERY slight tug). Thought "hey lets see what happens when I try to start it and see if this is my problem". It did start and I thought well this ain't my problem. Turned off the key and it kept running (lights and new cluster turned off though). Hit the kill switch, still running. Put the wire back in the harness, engine stops. Thought "Ok that gives me the exact opposite problem". Fun day going over the Hawk though and now I know how she acts when low on fuel. I might get a sending unit for a TT250 as someone on here said they did and it works much better.

I was going to ask you if you had a full tank but I figured he can't be that dumb.

Glad you got it figured out. I have a confession too. I took my tank off to replace the sending unit. Put it all back on. I started the bike and got half way down the street and died. I forgot to hook the fuel line back up.

Republic · 02-20-2017, 08:30 PM

Great to hear!

My fuel gauge is pretty well useless as well.

Sport Rider · 02-20-2017, 08:41 PM

this one is gonna hang around for a while!!!

LunaTech · 02-20-2017, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

this one is gonna hang around for a while!!!

That's what I'm afraid of....

pistolclass · 02-20-2017, 09:16 PM

Confession time. My son and are were riding to his bus stop and the bike just died...... I was cranking and cranking it over. Finally my 5 year old son said " Daddy did you turn that lever?" Ahhh haaaaa moment pointed out by a 5 year old, I forgot to turn the fuel on.

Wait until you think it's broken again to find out you didn't check the kill switch. That has either happened to everyone, or they are liars.

Azhule · 02-20-2017, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pistolclass

Wait until you think it's broken again to find out you didn't check the kill switch. That has either happened to everyone, or they are liars.

But... the Mrs. China bike doesn't have a kill switch... never had one installed from the factory... it's still the main reason my feet get so wet while I'm out dual sport riding, the fear of dropping the bike and not being able to shut the engine down while water crossing

A new version of the right side handlebar switches is still on my "to do/get list"

So far... on every other bike I have ridden, I will have to admit, having that dreaded Kill Switch by my thumb being the one and only reason my ride didn't start on time or as planned

LunaTech · 02-20-2017, 08:53 PM

I've just never had a bike act like this when the fuel was low. Every other bike either just bogged down or just plain quit. I finally got the fuel level low enough the only way it would run was on reserve. That's how I finally figured out what was going on.

02-19-2017, 03:13 PM	#1
LunaTech Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Jonesville, NC Posts: 136	Hawk just dies. Need some input.Udate Problem fixed Ok I've got a weird problem. Hawk was running great a couple days ago. I get it out today and go the 5 miles to the end of my road. Pull in the clutch and the engine dies. Have to full choke the carb. and flip to reserve to get to finally start again. Put choke to off and petcock to normal position and kill the engine and restart several times and all is good. Decide to go home anyway and see what happens there. Hawk seems to have less power on the way home and I get home, pull in the clutch and the engine dies. Have to go through the same steps to get it started again. So I decide to put it up and try to figure it out. Now I did check/adjust the valves prior to riding today and set them to .005" but that shouldn't be causing the problem I'm having unless I'm totally missing something. I just want to make sure I include any changes so someone can help me trouble shoot this problem. BTW I'm going to let the bike totally cool and recheck the valves tomorrow just to make sure. Also it has the stock carb rejetted to 110 but I haven't touched the carb since July or August 2016. Any ideas anyone? Last edited by LunaTech; 02-20-2017 at 07:01 PM.
	0

02-19-2017, 03:48 PM	#2
david3921 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,043	Re-checking the valves is the best place to start. As you state, it ran good before and it was the only change made. Without checking, aren't they supposed to be set at .005/.008 intake/exhaust? Also, maybe the valves were set on the wrong stoke. I've done that before. __________________ 2012 Kawasaki Versys 1984 Honda Magna V65 2016 Rhino 250 2016 Tao Tao 125D
	0

02-19-2017, 04:09 PM	#3
LunaTech Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Jonesville, NC Posts: 136	That's where I am going to start tomorrow and go from there. I found an old thread from Sport Rider that sounds like his was doing something similar so I'm hoping he'll respond on what fixed his problem.
	0

02-19-2017, 10:20 PM	#4
Republic Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 118	I set valves on the wrong stroke and all I had was a terrible racket due to the incredibly loose valve lash. I wonder if the tank is dirty and getting trash in the fuel line or the petcock?
	0

02-20-2017, 06:49 AM	#5
LunaTech Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Jonesville, NC Posts: 136	I'm 98% sure I was on the correct stroke when I check/set the valves yesterday but I'm going to double check today. It does sound like a fuel problem but makes no sense because once I get it started I turn the choke off and petcock back to on and it runs fine. Might be the CDI going bad. I do have the advantage of having 2 Hawks so I can rob parts off one to test on the other to check and see. I also just put digital gauge clusters on both so I'm going to make sure I didn't accidentally bump/crimp/pinch something putting everything back together (but it ran fine for several days after install so I don't think that's it).
	0

02-20-2017, 07:00 PM	#6
LunaTech Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Jonesville, NC Posts: 136	Well I feel really dumb. I've been riding something with 2 wheels for 42 years and just got stumped by LOW FUEL!!! I just learned to not trust the fuel gauge and how the Hawk acts when it's time to go on reserve. Weird how it would run WOT but die when I pulled the clutch in. Finally got low enough I had to keep it on reserve to get home. Filled the tank and POOF the problem is gone. I did reset my valves to .003, put on much better fuel line, put in the 115 jet (had 110 in) and checked the CDI. I did find a loose wire in the connector (pulled out with a VERY slight tug). Thought "hey lets see what happens when I try to start it and see if this is my problem". It did start and I thought well this ain't my problem. Turned off the key and it kept running (lights and new cluster turned off though). Hit the kill switch, still running. Put the wire back in the harness, engine stops. Thought "Ok that gives me the exact opposite problem". Fun day going over the Hawk though and now I know how she acts when low on fuel. I might get a sending unit for a TT250 as someone on here said they did and it works much better.
	0

02-20-2017, 08:30 PM	#8
Republic Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 118	Great to hear! My fuel gauge is pretty well useless as well.
	0

02-20-2017, 08:41 PM	#9
Sport Rider Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Mooresville NC Posts: 2,116	this one is gonna hang around for a while!!!
	1

02-20-2017, 09:16 PM	#11
pistolclass Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: connecticut Posts: 980	Confession time. My son and are were riding to his bus stop and the bike just died...... I was cranking and cranking it over. Finally my 5 year old son said " Daddy did you turn that lever?" Ahhh haaaaa moment pointed out by a 5 year old, I forgot to turn the fuel on. Wait until you think it's broken again to find out you didn't check the kill switch. That has either happened to everyone, or they are liars.
	3

02-20-2017, 08:53 PM	#13
LunaTech Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Jonesville, NC Posts: 136	I've just never had a bike act like this when the fuel was low. Every other bike either just bogged down or just plain quit. I finally got the fuel level low enough the only way it would run was on reserve. That's how I finally figured out what was going on.
	0