bigdano711's 2023 Hawk 250

[bigdano711]

Ok, JerryHawk250 Almighty, I hear you and in the spirit (hehe) of getting the thread back to China bike awesomeness:

[bigdano711]

How do I confirm the year of the bike? Is it in the VIN?

[JerryHawk250]

Yes you can check by vin #

[N7sithis]

Originally Posted by bigdano711

How do I confirm the year of the bike? Is it in the VIN?

What Jerry said, but I just read the title thingy that came with it lol

And when I insured the bike it said 2022

Though it says it's a "2022 Haeson 50"
Whatever that is.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

I have spoke.:

His Hawk has 72 of those. Let's hope he remembers to check them.

[bigdano711]

I have confirmed the 10th character is "P", year is 2023

[bigdano711]

Originally Posted by Megadan

His Hawk has 72 of those. Let's hope he remembers to check them.

I rapped on each spoke with a wrench and confirmed the note of C was achieved.

[bigdano711]

I checked my chain tension yesterday before my ride and it was good, inside the 20mm-30mm range. Today, after a couple rides, I checked the tension and it is tight. I thought if anything, the chain would loosen, not tighten. Is this common?

[TominMO]

Originally Posted by bigdano711

I checked my chain tension yesterday before my ride and it was good, inside the 20mm-30mm range. Today, after a couple rides, I checked the tension and it is tight. I thought if anything, the chain would loosen, not tighten. Is this common?

You must have checked it two different ways. The more level the swingarm is, the tighter the chain. Ideally you check it with you sitting on it, to reproduce actual riding conditions. If you can do that and get the result you want, then you can check it with the rear wheel off the ground, note what that measurement is, and can use it thereafter.

[Megadan]

Yeah, the chain tension specified for these bikes is a bit goofy. It's 15mm at the tightest spot of the chain in the middle of the chain run when the countershaft (sprocket), swing arm axle, and rear wheel axle are all perfectly aligned.

In my experience, this makes the chain slack with the rear wheel off the ground around 1 1/4-ish inches, or around 32mm, give or take, again at the tightest spot of the chain.

I did it the first way once, measured it again at full droop, and that is how Incheck my slack now. Around 1 1/4" of slack. Works like a charm. It might look a bit loose, but remember what Tommin said, the chain gets tighter as the suspension compresses.

[GypsyR]

I generally check my chain slack with the bike on the side stand. Then I flop over the seat from the other side, belly on the seat and look at the chain with my weight mostly on the bike. Moving the bike a bit so the side stand isn't interfering of course.

[bigdano711]

Thanks, guys. I checked it both times with no weight, while it was on the side stand. First check I got 20mm or more of movement, but less than 30mm. I thought the chain seemed loose, but what do I know? The second time I checked it, the chain definitely tightened up and I am getting 15mm of movement.


Considering Megadan's information and the range is 20mm to 30mm, it seems like a good idea to shoot for 30mm to 32mm on side stand with no weight? I haven't added any preload spacers...would that get the sprocket, swing arm axle and rear axle more aligned?

[Bill Hilly]

Chances are your rear shock on your Hawk is not adjustable. On my older standard version Hawk it wasn't. I bought an XPRO (I assume DLX) adjustable one, and I am glad that I did. They are , or were at least selling on both ebay, and Amazon. I think I bought mine through eBay, because it was cheaper. It won't help with alignment though. The rear suspension on mine was so soft in the first stage of compression that just standing the bike up, like you're wanting to look at the oil sight glass compressed it. I have also noticed that sealed chains, especially when fairly new can stiffen up after sitting over night . I usually apply a few sharp jolts of upward force on the chain a few times , using my thumb, and forefinger, and then check the slack. On a sealed chain it may feel loose after a ride, and tight before one.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by bigdano711

Thanks, guys. I checked it both times with no weight, while it was on the side stand. First check I got 20mm or more of movement, but less than 30mm. I thought the chain seemed loose, but what do I know? The second time I checked it, the chain definitely tightened up and I am getting 15mm of movement.


Considering Megadan's information and the range is 20mm to 30mm, it seems like a good idea to shoot for 30mm to 32mm on side stand with no weight? I haven't added any preload spacers...would that get the sprocket, swing arm axle and rear axle more aligned?

That rear wheel should basically be.off the ground. You also want to check multiple points along the chain until you find the section with the least movement. That is the section you want to set the slack to.

[Bill Hilly]

Originally Posted by Megadan

That rear wheel should basically be.off the ground. You also want to check multiple points along the chain until you find the section with the least movement. That is the section you want to set the slack to.

Yeah, it's surprising how much chain slack the weight of the bike eats up. On hard ground, and if you're physically able, you can also pull the bike over on it's side stand enough to get the rear wheel up, and check the tension with your right hand.