Project: Hawk Stage II - Head Work and Nibbi

[Megadan]

A dyno would be the best way by far, but for many the access to one is either limited, or otherwise impossible. Only one in my city, and you have to book it 8-10 weeks in advance, and even then there is no guarantee of getting the day you scheduled because they don't run the dyno if the temps go above 90F outside, or below 50F.

What is kind of funny is the influx of bigger carb installs and ported heads as of late. My first year or so on this forum, the biggest and baddest mods people ever talked about was exhausts or decats, VM26 car clones, airbox mods or pod filters.

Then one day I post a thread about head porting after buying a head, then a couple other guys, ie Jerry, Silva, and at least one other I can't remember all decided it was a good idea too, and thus in a short span all of us had ported heads. Not one dyno.
No quantified results with a dyno or otherwise, just people taking our word for it, and the proof was in the pudding.

Then for a while, nobody else really dove in right away. Not sure if they were too afraid or what, but it stayed pretty mute.

Then Jerry installed his PWK carb, and not long after I installed me PE30. I made a couple of videos and posts here exclaiming "Holy Moly!" at the increase in power and torque across the entire rpm range. Up to that point I was running the PZ30B, and with the ported head it felt decently stronger than before, but the result felt about the same as installing the exhaust on the bike. A good increase, but nothing too outrageous on its own. Once I gave the head the air to actually breathe, it was a completely different story. Jerry posting similar results with his PWK carb.

Within a few months of us posting our results, a few more popped up here and there and they back up our own words, and thus a chain reaction. Now it almost seems like everybody with a chinabike and a youtube account has to follow suit or be left in the dust. Especially after Redbeard's Garage posted his video of the ported head install on the Motomax, although he is still running a weaksauce carb.

Would I like to know what I got for all of my time and money? Sure, I guess, but to tell the truth I don't really need it. I know how the bike felt with every change, and I know that compared to my last Hawk, the current one is much more powerful. Top speed is a little better, maybe 5mph faster more consistently with the same gearing. The real difference is the acceleration and tractor factor pulling up hills. Something I got to witness first hand with a stock TT250 slowing down up a fairly steep hill that I had to let off just so I wouldn't hit the guy because I was still pulling, with basically 5 less teeth out back than him, a heavier chain, and about 80lbs more weight.

If anything I often have to temper peoples enthusiasm with the gains in question and the idea that they formed in their head of what it is like vs. reality. Especially with the younger guys. They seem to think big carb and head porting will turn an anemic air cooled 229cc OHV engine into a 90mph capable dual sport. We all know that isn't the case, which is why I tend to underplay it a bit, and try to shift the focus away from top speed and more toward pulling power. Going faster than 70 on one of these bikes isn't for the faint of heart, which is why I have mine geared the way I do.