Picking up a hawk 250 tomorrow, good or bad choice?

DallasTxTrouble · 12-29-2016, 07:49 PM

Hey everyone I'm new to this site and new to Chinese bikes. Quick background, I'm 23 have owned more bikes than cars and normally ride an R6 or gsxr. Like anyone I want a street legal dirtbike so I can do whatever but don't have 4grand to throw at another toy. I've been looking into these hawks for a while and decided that I'm going to pull the trigger and hope for the best. I've mainly seen nothing but good reviews on these bikes but wanted some more opinions from people that own them.

My intentions for the bike are mainly going to be street riding but I'll also be trail riding with my brother every now and then. I'm going to "break it in" stock and then start adding performance stuff around 300 miles. I know the oil in it is terrible so I'm picking it up in a truck and changing the oil immediately.

My only concern really is the reliability of this bike. I'm in Texas so it's always pretty hot and the weather is unpredictable. I know the engine is suppose to be pretty solid but I've read the electrical system sucks.

I'd love to hear anyone's opinion and their personal experience with the hawk so I can decide if I should get one or just keep my monies.

Mag00 · 12-29-2016, 08:14 PM

Welcome, I'm not a Hawk owner, but do have a China bike. Regular maintenance and all should be good.

There are alot of Hawk owners here, so the should be checking in shortly. Make sure to take lots of pictures.

DallasTxTrouble · 12-29-2016, 08:16 PM

Yeah for sure I'm getting a red one so I'll post some pictures when I get it home

Ariel Red Hunter · 12-29-2016, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DallasTxTrouble

Hey everyone I'm new to this site and new to Chinese bikes. Quick background, I'm 23 have owned more bikes than cars and normally ride an R6 or gsxr. Like anyone I want a street legal dirtbike so I can do whatever but don't have 4grand to throw at another toy. I've been looking into these hawks for a while and decided that I'm going to pull the trigger and hope for the best. I've mainly seen nothing but good reviews on these bikes but wanted some more opinions from people that own them.

My intentions for the bike are mainly going to be street riding but I'll also be trail riding with my brother every now and then. I'm going to "break it in" stock and then start adding performance stuff around 300 miles. I know the oil in it is terrible so I'm picking it up in a truck and changing the oil immediately.

My only concern really is the reliability of this bike. I'm in Texas so it's always pretty hot and the weather is unpredictable. I know the engine is suppose to be pretty solid but I've read the electrical system sucks.

I'd love to hear anyone's opinion and their personal experience with the hawk so I can decide if I should get one or just keep my monies.

I have heard of CDI problems a while back, I'm guessing they got a bad batch of them. If you mean that the alternator isn't powerful enough to light the city of Arlington, or even the ball park there, well you are right. It is only a 7.5 amp alternator. 90 watts. It will create enough juice to run all of the electrical systems on the bike plus produce enough juice to keep the battery charged. I'm guessing that bad batches of parts happen from time to time, never to be heard about again. One container load came in with bad swing arm bushings. I haven't heard about any more problems in the last six months, or so. If you are not handy with wrenches, it is a bad choice. There are hundreds of posts on Hawks. And a lot about fixing problems. As you said, there have been virtually no complaints about the engine, except that the valves are too tight, and the carburetor is too lean. Also, there have been neutral hunting problems, which in every case I know of, go away at around the 500 mile mark. I have a column on this site called Hawk Talk and almost all of the problems people have had with this bike have been written about. You will learn a lot about Hawks just by going back through the pages. Sincerely, ARH -----PS-in my opinion, the Hawk is the best Bang for the Buck!

Wild Dog · 12-29-2016, 10:16 PM

Chinese wiring is poor, that´s the norm with chinese products.
Most of the chinese bikes use "sae 15w40qe" which is not a 15w40.... I don't know if in the US, they change the factory oil for an actual oil.... Here they keep the chinese oil, which is like water..

OUTERLIMITS · 12-29-2016, 10:59 PM

I don't have a hawk, but planning for a pair of them sometime in the next year. I had a Chinese 110 quad in the family for 4-5 years and I thought it was kind of a cool little bike. It never broke anything and was just stupid simple to maintain. I think as long as your expectations are for a dualsport of 70-80's vintage, you should be fine. If I didn't enjoy tinkering and tweaking bikes so much, I probably would not enjoy the hawk.

humanbeing · 12-29-2016, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wild Dog

...use "sae 15w40qe" which is not a 15w40...

http://www.chinariders.net/showthrea...8032#post88032
It's also 15w40 but in SE grade Q: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B1%BD%E6%B2%B9 汽 pinyin: Qì (Wade–Giles: Ch'i)

culcune · 12-29-2016, 11:43 PM

RPS, the company that imports and distributes the Hawks, is in Dallas, and Adam Renkleff, the sales manager for RPS is a member here, and with all the members who have Hawks, you should be fine. I am guessing you are getting it assembled from a dealer? If not, watch Motocheez on youtube--he has a ton of videos featuring the Hawk. He is also a member here, but I have not seen him post for a long time. You will be in good hands...

hertz9753 · 12-30-2016, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DallasTxTrouble

Yeah for sure I'm getting a red one so I'll post some pictures when I get it home

I have a red Hawk.

BlackBike · 12-30-2016, 01:10 AM

Hawks seem to soar through the Texas plating process too.

DallasTxTrouble · 12-30-2016, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by culcune

RPS, the company that imports and distributes the Hawks, is in Dallas, and Adam Renkleff, the sales manager for RPS is a member here, and with all the members who have Hawks, you should be fine. I am guessing you are getting it assembled from a dealer? If not, watch Motocheez on youtube--he has a ton of videos featuring the Hawk. He is also a member here, but I have not seen him post for a long time. You will be in good hands...

I'm getting it from a dealer yes and they are going to do the registration stuff for me. They have multiple bikes already assembled and I test rode one they had in the back for a couple laps. The dealer is dfw scooters in Grand Prairie if anyone has experience with them. I'm just going to have them drain whatever oil they have in it while we do the paperwork and pick some up on the way home.

DallasTxTrouble · 12-30-2016, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hertz9753

I have a red Hawk.

I think red or blue look the best. I'm going to get some red spoke covers too so I think that will make it look pretty cool. Do you have the stock tires on it still?

DallasTxTrouble · 12-30-2016, 02:58 AM

Well tomorrow is the day. I'll go pick it up around 11am should have some pictures uploaded once I get home

hertz9753 · 12-30-2016, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DallasTxTrouble

I think red or blue look the best. I'm going to get some red spoke covers too so I think that will make it look pretty cool. Do you have the stock tires on it still?

I like to go off road so I still have the stock tires.

It's not me but don't get the get the plastic bling for the spokes.

Wild Dog · 12-30-2016, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by humanbeing

It's also 15w40 but in SE grade Q:

So the QE = SE?

Still doesn't seems to have the viscosity of a 15w40

12-29-2016, 07:49 PM	#1
DallasTxTrouble Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 7	Picking up a hawk 250 tomorrow, good or bad choice? Hey everyone I'm new to this site and new to Chinese bikes. Quick background, I'm 23 have owned more bikes than cars and normally ride an R6 or gsxr. Like anyone I want a street legal dirtbike so I can do whatever but don't have 4grand to throw at another toy. I've been looking into these hawks for a while and decided that I'm going to pull the trigger and hope for the best. I've mainly seen nothing but good reviews on these bikes but wanted some more opinions from people that own them. My intentions for the bike are mainly going to be street riding but I'll also be trail riding with my brother every now and then. I'm going to "break it in" stock and then start adding performance stuff around 300 miles. I know the oil in it is terrible so I'm picking it up in a truck and changing the oil immediately. My only concern really is the reliability of this bike. I'm in Texas so it's always pretty hot and the weather is unpredictable. I know the engine is suppose to be pretty solid but I've read the electrical system sucks. I'd love to hear anyone's opinion and their personal experience with the hawk so I can decide if I should get one or just keep my monies. __________________ The Great White China My other ride is a Crown Vic F***, you I'm from Texas Should I get a Hawk?
	0

12-29-2016, 08:14 PM	#2
Mag00 Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 192	Welcome, I'm not a Hawk owner, but do have a China bike. Regular maintenance and all should be good. There are alot of Hawk owners here, so the should be checking in shortly. Make sure to take lots of pictures. __________________ Bashan 250 Storm Husqvarna TR650 Honda Metropolitan Be a Piggy!
	0

12-29-2016, 08:16 PM	#3
DallasTxTrouble Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 7	Yeah for sure I'm getting a red one so I'll post some pictures when I get it home __________________ The Great White China My other ride is a Crown Vic F***, you I'm from Texas Should I get a Hawk?
	0

12-29-2016, 11:43 PM	#8
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	RPS, the company that imports and distributes the Hawks, is in Dallas, and Adam Renkleff, the sales manager for RPS is a member here, and with all the members who have Hawks, you should be fine. I am guessing you are getting it assembled from a dealer? If not, watch Motocheez on youtube--he has a ton of videos featuring the Hawk. He is also a member here, but I have not seen him post for a long time. You will be in good hands... __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
	0

12-30-2016, 01:10 AM	#10
BlackBike Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: George West, Texas Posts: 4,097	Hawks seem to soar through the Texas plating process too. __________________ ***************************************** 2015 Bashan"Blaze" BS250GY-31 (DB-07K-250) GONE 2017 Suzuki V Strom 650 XT "We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." ~Benjamin Franklin~
	0

12-29-2016, 10:16 PM	#5
Wild Dog Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Argentina Posts: 756	Chinese wiring is poor, that´s the norm with chinese products. Most of the chinese bikes use "sae 15w40qe" which is not a 15w40.... I don't know if in the US, they change the factory oil for an actual oil.... Here they keep the chinese oil, which is like water..
	0

12-29-2016, 10:59 PM	#6
OUTERLIMITS Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 75	I don't have a hawk, but planning for a pair of them sometime in the next year. I had a Chinese 110 quad in the family for 4-5 years and I thought it was kind of a cool little bike. It never broke anything and was just stupid simple to maintain. I think as long as your expectations are for a dualsport of 70-80's vintage, you should be fine. If I didn't enjoy tinkering and tweaking bikes so much, I probably would not enjoy the hawk.
	0

12-30-2016, 02:58 AM	#13
DallasTxTrouble Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 7	Well tomorrow is the day. I'll go pick it up around 11am should have some pictures uploaded once I get home __________________ The Great White China My other ride is a Crown Vic F***, you I'm from Texas Should I get a Hawk?
	0