Hawk has arrived, getting anxious

egglocsta · 04-12-2018, 03:04 PM

Well I am a newbie here but I am so glad I found this place! Against my better judgement I went with a Hawk from Motobuys.com, I was a little hesitant after some of the reviews. It came in 4 days, no damage at all

, it has been a week and a half now so I am praying the MSO makes its way to me without any hassle because so far the experience has been excellent.

Assembly went fairly smooth, it was actually more put together than I thought it would have been. I did however immediately drop the back tire to check the stock sprocket and as stated here, there was a ton of play (a ton may be an exaggeration but enough to make me uncomfortable). I ordered the suggested JT sprocket from Amazon, installed it and now there is ZERO play! I'm still in the process of applying locktite to everything.

Here's the kicker though, I haven't fired it up yet. I refuse to until my NGK plug gets delivered, which I just got notification has happened!!! Fingers crossed the start up goes smooth! Here is a pre-assembly and post assembly picture.
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**JerryHawk250** · 04-12-2018, 03:29 PM

Welcome aboard.

Bike looks great

I take it you read all the suggestion before you start it up. One other suggestion. Don't start it up in your garage. People will think your house is on fire from all the smoke. lol

egglocsta · 04-12-2018, 03:42 PM

Haha! Thanks for the advice! Yes I definitely did my research and checked out all the suggestions on chinariders before I even attempt to fire it up. Now if the weather here in Wisconsin would make up its mind I might be able to take it for a quick spin. Nothing like 50 degrees one day and the possibility of up to 10" of snow the next!

Megadan · 04-12-2018, 04:18 PM

Welcome. That is the color I originally wanted. Make aure to check that back sproclet after a couple hubdred miles. If it gets loose again, put some thin wave washers on the back side of the sprocket and that should take up any slack beyween the sprocket and snap ring

egglocsta · 04-12-2018, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megadan

Welcome. That is the color I originally wanted. Make aure to check that back sproclet after a couple hubdred miles. If it gets loose again, put some thin wave washers on the back side of the sprocket and that should take up any slack beyween the sprocket and snap ring

Thank you for the tip! I had a bear of a time getting the snap ring back on after installing the new sprocket but man do I feel much better about taking it out on the road now. I'd hate to say it but that factory sprocket was almost laughable, so happy I made the switch to JT.

Megadan · 04-12-2018, 04:34 PM

Yeah, that snap ring can be stubborn. A good pair of snap ring pliers helps. My suggestion comes from experience. I found the stock sprocket loose, installed a JT just like you did, thought it was tight, found it loose again shortly after. Thats when I tried the wave washers. The movement was largely due to a gap between the snap ring and sprocket, and partly due to the Hawk studs being too small for the bushings. With honda studs and the washers as shims, my sprocket has been rock aolid ever since.

**JerryHawk250** · 04-12-2018, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megadan

Welcome. That is the color I originally wanted. Make aure to check that back sproclet after a couple hubdred miles. If it gets loose again, put some thin wave washers on the back side of the sprocket and that should take up any slack beyween the sprocket and snap ring

Dan, Have you been typing with your baseball glove on again? lol

egglocsta · 04-12-2018, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megadan

Yeah, that snap ring can be stubborn. A good pair of snap ring pliers helps. My suggestion comes from experience. I found the stock sprocket loose, installed a JT just like you did, thought it was tight, found it loose again shortly after. Thats when I tried the wave washers. The movement was largely due to a gap between the snap ring and sprocket, and partly due to the Hawk studs being too small for the bushings. With honda studs and the washers as shims, my sprocket has been rock aolid ever since.

Interesting, I may as well do it all right the first time. Thanks!

Megadan · 04-12-2018, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

Dan, Have you been typing with your baseball glove on again? lol

Big hands, little phone

Cravin01 · 04-12-2018, 06:30 PM

Welcome! I see you got the "Hawk" off the seat, Does that count as your first mod?

egglocsta · 04-12-2018, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cravin01

Welcome! I see you got the "Hawk" off the seat, Does that count as your first mod?

I think so

not a fan of writing on the seat

Weldangrind · 04-13-2018, 11:26 AM

I can appreciate that. The first thing I did to my old KLR250 was remove Kawasaki from the seat, primarily because it was bright '90's pink.

Cravin01 · 04-13-2018, 11:47 AM

I forgot about Those horrid colors they used.

was this it ?

They were doing that same thing on there jet ski"s

**JerryHawk250** · 04-13-2018, 11:57 AM

That's about the only thing I haven't removed yet. Will it go faster? lol I guess I need to remove the Hawk from the seat.

Weldangrind · 04-13-2018, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cravin01

I forgot about Those horrid colors they used.

was this it ?

They were doing that same thing on there jet ski"s

Yep. Just awful. I like the blue seat with no script and white bodywork, although you'd swear it was a Yamaha.

04-12-2018, 03:04 PM	#1
egglocsta Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 14	Hawk has arrived, getting anxious Well I am a newbie here but I am so glad I found this place! Against my better judgement I went with a Hawk from Motobuys.com, I was a little hesitant after some of the reviews. It came in 4 days, no damage at all , it has been a week and a half now so I am praying the MSO makes its way to me without any hassle because so far the experience has been excellent. Assembly went fairly smooth, it was actually more put together than I thought it would have been. I did however immediately drop the back tire to check the stock sprocket and as stated here, there was a ton of play (a ton may be an exaggeration but enough to make me uncomfortable). I ordered the suggested JT sprocket from Amazon, installed it and now there is ZERO play! I'm still in the process of applying locktite to everything. Here's the kicker though, I haven't fired it up yet. I refuse to until my NGK plug gets delivered, which I just got notification has happened!!! Fingers crossed the start up goes smooth! Here is a pre-assembly and post assembly picture.
	5

04-12-2018, 03:29 PM	#2
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,561	Welcome aboard. Bike looks great I take it you read all the suggestion before you start it up. One other suggestion. Don't start it up in your garage. People will think your house is on fire from all the smoke. lol __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
	1

04-12-2018, 04:18 PM	#4
Megadan Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 8,016	Welcome. That is the color I originally wanted. Make aure to check that back sproclet after a couple hubdred miles. If it gets loose again, put some thin wave washers on the back side of the sprocket and that should take up any slack beyween the sprocket and snap ring __________________ Hawk Information and Resource guide: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20331 2018 Hawk 250 - Full Mod list here. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....62&postcount=1 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 https://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=34124
	0

04-12-2018, 04:34 PM	#6
Megadan Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 8,016	Yeah, that snap ring can be stubborn. A good pair of snap ring pliers helps. My suggestion comes from experience. I found the stock sprocket loose, installed a JT just like you did, thought it was tight, found it loose again shortly after. Thats when I tried the wave washers. The movement was largely due to a gap between the snap ring and sprocket, and partly due to the Hawk studs being too small for the bushings. With honda studs and the washers as shims, my sprocket has been rock aolid ever since. __________________ Hawk Information and Resource guide: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20331 2018 Hawk 250 - Full Mod list here. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....62&postcount=1 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 https://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=34124
	0

04-13-2018, 11:26 AM	#12
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	I can appreciate that. The first thing I did to my old KLR250 was remove Kawasaki from the seat, primarily because it was bright '90's pink. __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
	1

04-12-2018, 03:42 PM	#3
egglocsta Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 14	Haha! Thanks for the advice! Yes I definitely did my research and checked out all the suggestions on chinariders before I even attempt to fire it up. Now if the weather here in Wisconsin would make up its mind I might be able to take it for a quick spin. Nothing like 50 degrees one day and the possibility of up to 10" of snow the next!
	1

04-12-2018, 06:30 PM	#10
Cravin01 Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Forney Texas Posts: 498	Welcome! I see you got the "Hawk" off the seat, Does that count as your first mod?
	0

04-13-2018, 11:47 AM	#13
Cravin01 Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Forney Texas Posts: 498	I forgot about Those horrid colors they used. was this it ? They were doing that same thing on there jet ski"s
	0

04-13-2018, 11:57 AM	#14
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,561	That's about the only thing I haven't removed yet. Will it go faster? lol I guess I need to remove the Hawk from the seat. __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel Last edited by JerryHawk250; 04-20-2018 at 10:08 AM.
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