Hawk 250 vs CSC tt250?

[SeerAtlas]

Wanted to ask. Is anyone SURE the coming TT250 is really going to be worth the sizable premium over the rps Hawk? Went to look at a hawk the other day and brother bought one. Helluva bike and not just for the money! He paid 1300, period.
As I understand it, CSC is charging 1900 plus a 35.00 doc fee and a 250.00 shipping fee. From looking at the bike vs csc's description, the diff appears to be, 1. Front forks; 2 white color and graphics; some kind of pre assembly and inspection, and the 300 watt stator?
Now I don't know how strong the hawk stator is, but the lights are bright. The front forks are very supple and fine for me at 250. The seat is Very comfortable but looks to b the same.the quality of the welds (at least on his bike) Is impressive and the handling is amazingly good on the trail! The knobby tires are very aggressive on the hawk and handle the hard gravel roads around here just fine. Soooo, is there a compelling reason to wait for the CSC? ( oh, gearing and tires will probably b different too.)motor appears to b the same.
And another thing, my bro's hawk starts instantly(assuming u set the choke for the temp), shifts beautifully, looks great(he got the blue one) runs w/o any carb problems, is very strong down low, and has a Great low rumble to the exhaust! Seems a quality bike all over. Not a motocrosser but great trail bike. A change of gearing necessary if you want to run around at 70 mph. Lot of machine for the money.
I assume CSC will b quality as well. Sooooo,,,,,,,,
?

[SpudRider]

Two major selling points for the CSC TT250 are 50-state approval, and a legitimate warranty backed by CSC's excellent customer service. You won't have any problems getting a license plate for the CSC TT250, and if something goes wrong, CSC will promptly make things right.

As for build quality, I haven't seen either bike. However, the CSC TT250 will be built by Zongshen, and it will exhibit good quality control in its construction. Also, the bike will have a Zongshen engine, which will be built to meet excellent standards.

The CSC TT250 will be assembled, and tested before delivery. It will have a 300-watt stator with 2 auxiliary power connectors in the wiring harness. It will also be geared properly with a 17T front sprocket, et cetera.

Obviously, the CSC TT250 will sell well in California, since it will meet CARB, as well as EPA emissions standards. It will also have a legitimate warranty, backed by excellent customer service from CSC, and a complete inventory of spare parts. Only the prospective buyer can judge if these advantages are worth the extra cost.

[SeerAtlas]

ok, more time spent w hawk. Spud, i left the PEOPLES REPUBLIC of california years ago, so carb cert does nothing for me. The more time with the Hawk, the more impressed i am. sprockets are a few dollars so no biggie. The bike feels sooo light,balanced and agile in the dirt i am amazed. makes me wonder how the heavier inverted forks of the csc could add anything.still dunno bout the need for the 300watt stator tho i found where they can be ordered online for less than 50.00 US. I suppose the warranty might be useful, but you can buy a brand new zong 230 motor for around 300.oo and bolt it right in and to tell the truth, having flushed the hawk engine after initial warmup (so the oil would flow out easily) and finding nearly no machining debris in the sump, i seriously doubt this motor is going to fail anytime soon. hell it may even be a zong motor for all i know. anyway, i agree in the end you pays your money and takes your chances.I will say one thing. This Hawk is a damn fine moto and CSC is going to have to really go the extra mile to beat its bang for buck value. at least to me.

[SpudRider]

It sounds like your made the correct purchase for your needs. I'm glad you are enjoying your Hawk.

[Adjuster]

I recommend you get both. Problem solved! lol


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[TXDSRIDER]

Originally Posted by SeerAtlas

ok, more time spent w hawk. Spud, i left the PEOPLES REPUBLIC of california years ago, so carb cert does nothing for me. The more time with the Hawk, the more impressed i am. sprockets are a few dollars so no biggie. The bike feels sooo light,balanced and agile in the dirt i am amazed. makes me wonder how the heavier inverted forks of the csc could add anything.still dunno bout the need for the 300watt stator tho i found where they can be ordered online for less than 50.00 US. I suppose the warranty might be useful, but you can buy a brand new zong 230 motor for around 300.oo and bolt it right in and to tell the truth, having flushed the hawk engine after initial warmup (so the oil would flow out easily) and finding nearly no machining debris in the sump, i seriously doubt this motor is going to fail anytime soon. hell it may even be a zong motor for all i know. anyway, i agree in the end you pays your money and takes your chances.I will say one thing. This Hawk is a damn fine moto and CSC is going to have to really go the extra mile to beat its bang for buck value. at least to me.

I own a Hawk and it's fine for me and I agree with what you are saying. On the other hand you asked a question you don't seem to want an answer for you seem to be fine with just getting a hawk. I'm not trying to be rude. The hawk and the tt are basically the same bike except csc has already fixed the kinks and is charging you for it. Honestly I would like the usd forks and 300w stator on my hawk also. The motor is basically the same too except there is less chance of getting a lemon from zongshen. It basically comes down to warranty, if you are ok fixing anything that goes wrong get the hawk and save some money. I like my hawk and have a friend that wants one too now but because I know his mechanical ability is not the greatest I'm steering him towards the csc tt.

[SeerAtlas]

Ok guys, i hear you.i think maybe my bro just got a really really good example of the hawk. dont have to read very far about some "dealers" known to the various BBB's... to know he may have also really lucked out with this particular dealer. In that respect, CSC seems to be on the top of the china bikes heap. and...... it does appear that the tt 250 will have a different motor than the hawk, at least judging from the pics.like spud, my bro even has a 2006 zong 200 sierra that has Never, even sputtered in all these years!!!! yet by comparison with his hawk, the zong is almost painful to ride lol. what to do.....the csc is just sooo much more money...and , my bro can wrench rangerovers, so a little mc wrenching work is nothing lol. sigh, what to do :}

[sevndaythry]

Does the TT come with a counterbalanced engine? If it does it might save you the hassle of having to source hardware that has vibrated it's way out.

[Jayman77]

Tt 250 comes with a counterbalanced motor I have one on order I can not wait to review it.

But it will be a bias review because I will be comparing a tt250 against a bike I don't have😔

[SeerAtlas]

Yes, if u look closely at the photos of the tt250 you'll see an extended front to the crankcase which is finned. I presume this bump is where the counterbalancer is located. If I was going to b road riding at speed for any distance that might b really really valuable, but I am looking for a back roads to the trail kind of bike so not a critical factor for me. One thing that is is the weight. 309 on the TT (don't know if that is wet or dry) and somewhere around 270 to 280 (depending on which site u believe) for the hawk. I can tell u that the hawk feels soooo light to me, but that maybe a function of my 800lb triumph or nearly 450 lb klr650 talking😊!!
I think maybe given the knobbies, agility, engine performance down low, sweet exhaust note, not to mention the almost 1k less price, I will *prob* go with the hawk. Yeah, I may regret it eventually, but if I can score one like my bro's, I will b content.☺

[2LZ]

You bring up valid concerns and if I wasn't living where I do, and have to deal with CARB, these would be concerns I'd definitely weigh out.

You have options where you live that we do not here in CA. Bottom line is, most Hondoids share TONS of the same parts. My 08 X-moto has many of the exact same parts that CSC is pedalling on their TT. (swingarm, calipers, USD forks, etc..etc...) Odds are, as Spud points out, the biggest upsides of dealing with CSC is the service and CARB approval. Obviously, one of these upsides doesn't effect you in your decision.

IF (a big IF) I had your buying options here in CA and I wanted:

1- Counter balanced Hondoid engine
2- USD forks
3- Smokin' deal price
4- Not too concerned about local service

...the answer to your question is obvious. I'd jump on a Bashan Storm. It comes with all that.

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=15621

Just my .02.

[kohburn]

the csc also backing adds a lot of peace of mind value when traveling far from home.

[2LZ]

More thoughts to ponder....and this is only opinion.
The CSC TT has already separated itself from the pack by price and CSC service. That's a given unless you have a GOOD local servicing dealer.
I think it would be awesome to sit on both the Hawk and Storm and do a side by side comparison. The only drawback to the Storm I see may be the smaller rims size. Tires are a toss-up. That depends on your need. My biggest interest would be to feel the difference between the counter balanced and non-counter balanced Hondoid motors. Both of my non-balanced units vibrate like the dickens. To me, if there's a huge vibration difference between them, that would sway me toward the Storm or CSC more than anything else.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by kohburn

the csc also backing adds a lot of peace of mind value when traveling far from home.

That is an excellent point. If you go on an extended, dual sport ride, it's nice to have CSC watching your back. Should you have any mechanical problems, you can call CSC and talk to Gerry in the service department. If you need any parts, CSC will ship them out to you, pronto.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

...The only drawback to the Storm I see may be the smaller rims size. Tires are a toss-up. That depends on your need...

What are the wheel sizes for the Bashan Storm? I greatly prefer the conventional, 18-inch rear wheel, and 21-inch front wheel for a dual sport motorcycle.