Holy Moley!

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by shanesaw

I haven't rode bikes a long time or a whole lot in general. I don't really know what good forks are supposed to feel like...So maybe that's why I haven't noticed the sketchyness at fast speeds...seems just like riding fast to me...
I can relate with the tingling in the backside though Dan! Haha. That bike sure does vibrate at high speeds.

The only thing that sketches me out is the picture that appears in my head of the bike rattling/falling appart high speeds. I can't help but always think about that when I'm riding at high speeds...

There is no real "feel" to it other than to say, you should always feel in control of the bike. The Hawks have a very firm rear shock relative to the front. This tends to make for very slow to react and imprecise handling. Firming up the front end dampening helps a ton with inspiring confidence in maneuvering. Not just at high speed, but any speed.

Setting the right rider sag will ensure that you have the proper amount of compression travel left to handle bigger bumps. Combine the two aspects together and you will be amazed at how different your bike feels.

Try changing out the fork oil, and you will start to understand a little bit better.

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

I found that when I run the 17/40 sprockets I don't have the vibration and the bike just feels safer at higher speeds. With the 15/40's I feel lots of vibration at higher speeds and 16/40 not as bad. I think the high rpm's just makes your brain think you are going faster that you are. If been running 17/40 lately as I have been doing more street riding.

Yeah, getting those RPMs down makes a big difference in how the bike feels at highway speeds. With my gearing and tire setup, I sit right in the peak torque range of the engine in 5th gear at 60-65mph, 6000-6500rpm. This gives me the most pulling power in said gear, the engine operating in it's peak VE range and highest intake velocity, also making for really good fuel economy even at those speeds. It also keeps it just below what I call the "buzzy" zone, which is past 7000rpm.

Most of the vibrations I was feeling in the seat was from the tires. They may be 80/20 tires, but they are still big blocky treads. They begin to let you know it past 60mph.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by Sochin

Dan, you'll have this thing up to 90 once the head is on.............

That's what I'm waiting for..........

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by Megadan

I would have to gear down more than I already have to hit 90. 85 may be possible, but I have the disadvantage of being NFL linebacker sized - hence the name megadan. Aerodynamically speaking, I am not the ideal peraon to go chasing speed records

Plus 90mph on a Hawk would be borderline terrifying lol

As I've said before, to everyone's boredom, I bought a new AJS 250 CSR in the late 1960's. I weighed about 225 in those happy days. 4 speed transmission, wide torque range, short-stroke engine = 84 mph, as told to me by a CHP officer. In fact he told me he stopped me to see what the bike was, as he'd never seen an English 250 go anywhere near that fast before...ARH

[BlackBike]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

As I've said before, to everyone's boredom, I bought a new AJS 250 CSR in the late 1960's. I weighed about 225 in those happy days. 4 speed transmission, wide torque range, short-stroke engine = 84 mph, as told to me by a CHP officer. In fact he told me he stopped me to see what the bike was, as he'd never seen an English 250 go anywhere near that fast before...ARH

Did he clock you with the laser, radar, or gps?

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by BlackBike

Did he clock you with the laser, radar, or gps?

Sun dial and a yard stick.

[wamey]

I'd like to submit a suggestion for your next big project Dan

[timcosby]

probably get another 10-15 mph with those fairings

[Cravin01]

Sun dial and a yard stick.

LOL... I have recently experienced being hit with the wind from cars driving on the opposite side of a two lane road.

Although it didn't move me, I was surprised at at the amount of push it put on the bike due to light feel on the road at 50ish... I don't think I'm ready for 80!

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by BlackBike

Did he clock you with the laser, radar, or gps?

Two pneumatic tubes 80 rods apart, operating a bell...ARH

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by Cravin01

LOL... I have recently experienced being hit with the wind from cars driving on the opposite side of a two lane road.

Although it didn't move me, I was surprised at at the amount of push it put on the bike due to light feel on the road at 50ish... I don't think I'm ready for 80!

Wait until a semi is coming the other way. They push a wall of wind. But they are even worse when they are passing you on a 4 lane. You are in their wind shadow much longer, with buffeting as they go on by. The way I dealt with this is to be on the right side of my lane, then head towards the left side of my lane, then back more to the right. Kind of a shallow "S", if you will. Obviously, don't over do it...ARH

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

Two pneumatic tubes 80 rods apart, operating a bell...ARH

Do you guys think I'm kidding abot this? That's one of the ways they got ya' in ye olden times....ARH

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

Do you guys think I'm kidding abot this? That's one of the ways they got ya' in ye olden times....ARH

Bad boys, Bad boys, what you gonna do....

[Lord of Noodles]

Originally Posted by wamey

I'd like to submit a suggestion for your next big project Dan

Seriously i would be interested to see what you could milk out of the hawk if you were a slim build changed the sprockets for max top speed and fabricated a plexiglass shell basically on in to negate most of the wind drag. I bet you could get these things flying. It's a lot of work but it would be a cool project to see someone do who actually has the time to care to do this lol.

[Megadan]

Well, I am built like a mach truck, so that throws that idea out the window. Plus, by the time you got it to the point it could maybe do 100mph, it wouldn't be a Hawk anymore.

It took a custom cam, piston, and head porting with really high compression for CCW to get their "Tha Heist" land speed bike to go over 90mph on the salt flats with 23whp.

[Lord of Noodles]

Maybe we could just cut you in two horizontally and outfit the shifter with a lever so you could shift using your hands..I mean losing your waist down would probably help, i’m sure youre willing to take a sacrifice for science lol.