Originally Posted by Johnp
Well, I guess you can call me "John P, crusher of dreams", but there is no way to take one of these cheap Hawks and mod it into a reliable highway machine. PERIOD.
Let me explain. And keep in mind that I've done a s*!%load of stuff to mine, and have more parts and mods that I'll be sharing documentation for in the not too distant future. But all the mods in the world won't turn this bike into a Honda or a KTM.
The engine makes about 14 horsepower. In order to get another 10 (like 66% more!) You would need to bore out the motor and do all kinds of stuff. You aren't just going to bolt on 5 horses with a new carb and pipe. People here have done those mods, and no one has reported a 33% power increase.
These bikes run really, really rough. They do not have counterbalanced engines, so the harder you rev them, the more they shake. When cruising along at 40MPH my bike buzzes like it's going to fall apart. Others here have gone on sustained fishing expeditions to get rid of all the buzzing, without complete success.
These bikes also have very weak brakes, which doesn't matter when you aren't going to fast. But they won't stop these things from 75 in an emergency.
The suspensions are super cheap, and super old school.
The seats are uncomfortable for "sustained" rides.
I could go on, but I'll sum up by saying - I LOVE my Hawk! No one is a bigger fan than me. And I can afford literally any vehicle on the planet, so that's saying a lot. But let's not pretend we can turn it into a refined, powerful and reliable bike. It just can't be done. Even if you spent $4,000, you won't have the equivalent of a new $4,000 Honda.
So my advice is, if $2,500 is your budget, find a nice used KTM, Honda or Yamaha. It'll give you what you want with no work, and you'll have higher end, more reliable components all around.
Again, sorry to burst anyone's bubble.
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10-03-2016, 07:16 PM
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