Hawk Talk

[Ariel Red Hunter]

To the mechanical side. I like soft springs and firm shocks. I've had bikes with hard springs and mushy shocks, (H-D 74), and never again. So one of the first things to do is drain out the fork oil, pump the forks to get the rest of the factory oil out, and add 6 1/2 oz. of Dexron ATF, or the boutique brand of fork oil that tickles your fancy. In my case, when I change the tires to Pirelli MT Trial tires, fore and aft, new high quality HD tubes go in with them. I would also add a rim lock on the rear. That way I can run lower pressure off road. Lower pressure = more traction. Also, they throw mud out of the treads better that way. Then I would buy some DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid, and bleed the brakes until water clear fluid comes out of the bleeder plugs. And I would change the oil before I started it up the first time. I'd run it maybe an hour, then change it again. That's to get the last drops of the factory oil out of it. I would also clean and re-grease the steering head bearings, using a good brand of marine grease. I would have greased up both axles, and the swing arm pivot bolt when I assembled the bike. Same kind of grease. Open up the air box for as much airflow as you can get and I would change out the carburetor to a Mikuni, the one with a starting system, not the cheap ones with a butterfly choke. Why a Mikuni? Easy to get jets, and throttle slides with different cut-aways. Buy genuine Mikuni jets, they are made to closer tolerances than the cheap ones. There is a very good exhaust system available on e-bay or Amazon for $128.00 or so, so I'd put that on. And I wouldn't forget to buy the copper exhaust gasket. Of course I would put a UniBear 428 HD chain on it right away, after my clean and treat routine. What did I forget? I'm sure someone on here will remind me....ARH

[Ariel Red Hunter]

One of the things I can't stand on modern motor cycles is all of the "safety" devices. You can't start it when the side stand is down? Why? I could understand this if the neutral safty switch was wired so that you can't start the bike in gear with the side stand down. And I definatly want to be able to re-start with the electric starter if the engine dies for some reason, especially when I'm off road. Why would I want to carry the weight of the starter as well as the heavier battery to run it, if I couldn't restart in gear? I would not disconnect the turn signal warning device, but I'd sure muffle it. I guess I'd have to tolerate the ignition on off switches on the right handle bar. But I really prefer a magneto grounding push button to those buttons (red bars on the Hawk). So much better when coming down a long slippery hill with the ignition grounded out, and the throttle open a little bit. Kinda' like a Jake brake, don't you know. Not as good as an exhaust valve lifter, but ya gotta run what ya brung, right? I suspect that the capacity of the rectifier is matched to the alternator load. If that is true, I would lay off an LED headlight installation until I upgraded the rectifier. I don't know what MOSFAT is, but people seem impressed with it, and some rectifier/regulators have them in their circuitry. I also don't know what a microfarad is, but wait a half a tick - Mike R O'Farad - isn't that an Irish name?...ARH

[Ariel Red Hunter]

I don't know much about electronics, but I do know something about simple DC electrics. Everybody who grew up when I did with English bikes got plenty of opportunities to learn about electrics, courtesy of J. Lucas, Ltd. Also known as "The Prince of Darkness", because the lighting sets were so un-reliable. Not so the ignition. Ignition was supplied by a magneto, and they were superb and trouble free. Or a MagDyno, which had a generator mounted on, and driven by the magneto. That was all 6 volt. When the alternators started coming out, there was a general switch to 12 volt. But at least they used pretty heavy wire in their systems. Now we come to today and China Bikes. There appears to be a contest going on to see who can put the lightest guage wires on their bikes. Yes, even the battery cables. This makes for iffy starter performance if the battery is not in tip top shape. Also can cause premature starter motor failure from a shortage of amps at the starter motor. Likewise the ground strap (or wire) If it was mine, I would replace the ground wire and the hot wire to the starter relay, and from the relay to the starter motor. Low voltage causes all kinds of problems, and that is exactly what you get when you try to push too many amps of power through a wire too smal to carry the current...ARH

[Vk321530]

Hello I'm new to the hawk community. Still waiting in the mail for it actually. I have purchased pretty much all the parts except for the digital cluster as he doesn't take cc on PayPal and don't wanna spend another $95. So pretty much reason I'm posting here... hopefully it's allowed but the only Facebook page I can find doesn't let you post to it and seems to only be a store. I took the initiative to create a page to have conversations and share pics of our hawks on a regular basis. Who knows maybe even meet up if close enough. If you are interested look up "hawk250 Riders" that's the page and I hope it takes off. Thanks and also sorry if not allowed.

[pcspecialist]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/596668933824039/

[jimwildman]

Ah faceless book, that was a great Idea..


Cause everyone has a faceless book account. Except for me.

Ill never have a facebook account. they are the enemy.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

I think that may of us have too high of expectations for a inexpensive Chinese bike. True, labor is cheap over there. But training is not. So, to be upset that the bike is not as well put together as a Japanese bike costing 5 times as much, is a trifle un-reaistic, don't you think? I can fix what is wrong with a Hawk, so why can't you? Especially with the resources available here on this forum on chinariders. Before ordering the bike, or immediatly after, troll through the columns on here to see what problems people have had, and the solutions. They are all here. Hard starting due to valve clearances? The answer is in this forum. Likewise, loose spokes, battery troubles, bad grounds, swing arm pivot bearings, oil you should use, and how soon, front forks, inner tubes and brakes. Do a little research, the answers are all on here. And I'm going to add one: set the valve clearances before you start the engine the first time. Saves valves....ARH

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Change oil before first start up? To prevent cam galling. The oil that comes with these engines is primarily a rust preventative oil, not really a lubricating oil.
Why change to a better chain soon after bike assembly? To prevent premature sprocket wear. And to avoid a chain that lengthens (wears) so fast you have to adjust the chain way too often.
Why install a rim lock in the rear wheel? So that you can run much lower tire pressure, which improves traction, off road. And gives you an opportunity to see how truly awful the tubes are, that come with the bike.
Why run cables of flexible multi strand wire from the front down tube to the outer edge of the rear brake pedal, and the shift lever? To keep brush and small trees from bending the levers...ARH

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

I think that may of us have too high of expectations for a inexpensive Chinese bike.

I think this is an issue with people first looking to buy one of these bikes, or who bought one without going into it with a realistic expectation. I am a huge advocate for the reality of owning one of these bikes, and having realistic expectations going into it. Even if you buy one and do every possible upgrade/fix to make them a good reliable bike, they will still cost much less than a newer equivalent motorcycle.

For most prospective owners, what I try to figure out is if they are willing to put in the time and effort required. If not, I then direct them toward saving their money and getting a newer Japanese brand bike. I adore my Hawk for what it is, but I am realistic about my expectations from it.

To me, the Hawk is more of a road bike that is capable of some rough dirt roads. Some people come into these bikes with visions of doing jumps and higher speed whoops. That vision is one that I try to get out of their heads.

[jfeliciano15]

Well said Megadan, I completely agree.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

So, what is it? As it comes from the factory it is a compromise dual-sport. In this case, it is not fast enough to be a real roadster, nor is it really an off-road motor cycle. BUT you can make either one out of it. Not as good as a TU 250 on the road, or as high end as a Japanese or Euro Enduro, but good enough for 90% of the riders out there in the 250 class. Off road it is good enough to get you there, but not good enough to be the leader of the pack. For me, I'd only need to ride on the road up to 20 miles to reach the trails that I want to ride. I think the handlebars are too narrow for good control off road. And the foot pegs are too much forward to make standing comfortable for more than a few minutes at a stretch. And those rubber covers on the foot pegs are an abomination, off road. If you have to wind the hell out of the engine and then dump the clutch to get the bike to come up in order to get over a log, move the foot pegs back. Shift lever is too short for American feet. Carburation is way too lean for good throttle response. Exhaust system is too restrictive, and too heavy. At a minimum, you will want a carburetor that you can get both main and pilot jets for. Wheels need at least two rim locks in the rear, one in the front. Better tubes in the tires. My preferance in tires are Pirelli MT 43 trials type tires, run at low pressures off road. You will have to pump them up for the highway, OR fill them with CO2, which gives low pressure at low speeds, but higher pressure when they heat up on the road. I'd remove the hump in the seat. Much easier to shift your weight that-a-way. The beauty of this bike is that it is affordable. You don't have to finance it. Then you make changes as money becomes available. That way you are never in over your head in this sport. Learn to ride it. What nobody tells you is it is much more the rider than it is the machine...ARH

[pete]

they are what they are..... a fun entry level dual sport...
I'm sort of like you ARH will never own one as know one here
imports chinese bikes other than scooters now...
they just can't sell them...
was hoping someone would start importing again
but that dosn't look lightly in the near future..


.

[Fodarr]

What size copper gasket is needed for the aftermarket exhaust?

[pistolclass]

So I spent some time in the saddle today thinking about what the hawk is and what the hawk isn't. My ride took me on some dirt road then some super twistys with dramatic elevation changes.

My hawk tops out at 62mph with stock gearing. It pulled me up the hills effectively. I was never worried about getting too heavy on the throttle and lifting the front or squirting the rear.

My hawk to me is akin to a suzuki samurai. It isn't up to the standards of other vehicles but it will get you there.

If you approach the hawk as a super capable scooter you will not be disappointed. It is best kept off the super highways in America. It is great nearly everywhere else. I love the bike in the city. I love the bike on rural roads. I love the bike for that quick errand that I don't need my truck for. Finally I love the trails. For trails I mean not knarly super technical path but established trails.

All in I have $1,500 into this machine, which is a little less than what my lawn mower cost, but has provided me with way more fun. I could not have asked for a better machine for $1,500.

[Sochin]

pistolclass, that is a great assessment of the what the Hawk 250 is. Still an awesome value for the money.