Hawk 250 HP and Highway use

[Jmcgee]

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.

Actually...... a 500 buck motor swap and I'll get 100+mph out of it

['16 TT250]

How to get 75 MPH out of a new Hawk: spend the money on a used Jap bike instead.

[chuck]

I'm going to get my hawk to go 75mph safely,it feels stable and the brakes aren't that bad when going 68mph with 3/4 throttle.I rely on engine braking a lot.We are not the same old same old,we are CHINARIDERS.

[BARLOW]

Originally Posted by chuck

I'm going to get my hawk to go 75mph safely,it feels stable and the brakes aren't that bad when going 68mph with 3/4 throttle.I rely on engine braking a lot.We are not the same old same old,we are CHINARIDERS.

i would run 80mph on my storm without any worry, it just will not do it ... lol

[Republic]

My Hawk starts to float around at about 60mph. It is a slow wobble. That combined with the knobbies make for a butt clenching experience. It is a random sort of thing, and I can't really reproduce it. One of Motocheeze's videos showed the wobble when his son (I think) was riding it.

Do any of your bike's do this?

[chuck]

Originally Posted by Republic

My Hawk starts to float around at about 60mph. It is a slow wobble. That combined with the knobbies make for a butt clenching experience. It is a random sort of thing, and I can't really reproduce it. One of Motocheeze's videos showed the wobble when his son (I think) was riding it.

Do any of your bike's do this?

I have 80-20 Shinko705 tires on mine.The tires that the Hawk comes with are dangerous on pavement at or over 60mph.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by Republic

My Hawk starts to float around at about 60mph. It is a slow wobble. That combined with the knobbies make for a butt clenching experience. It is a random sort of thing, and I can't really reproduce it. One of Motocheeze's videos showed the wobble when his son (I think) was riding it.

Do any of your bike's do this?

I've never owned a bike equipped with knobbies front and rear, that didn't do this. It seemed more like a squirm than a wobble to me. The more radical the knobby, the worse the squirming, as I recall. Some bikes are more prone to do this than others. Fork rake and trail contributes to this. A shorter rear shock will make it better, as it increases both rake and trail. But then you have a slower handling motorcycle. Not so good for off road, most places. And the shorter shock only helps on the front, the rear will still squirm.

[fredweb]

Originally Posted by '16 TT250

How to get 75 MPH out of a new Hawk: spend the money on a used Jap bike instead.

I have a hawk that will do 75mph indicated with stock gearing. I promise you its possible. You just have to get the jetting just right and these things seem to be a little finicky about where that sweet spot is.

[bogieboy]

Originally Posted by fredweb

I have a hawk that will do 75mph indicated with stock gearing. I promise you its possible. You just have to get the jetting just right and these things seem to be a little finicky about where that sweet spot is.

indicated and gps confirmed are two different stories...

[chinatoys]

Originally Posted by Republic

My Hawk starts to float around at about 60mph. It is a slow wobble. That combined with the knobbies make for a butt clenching experience. It is a random sort of thing, and I can't really reproduce it. One of Motocheeze's videos showed the wobble when his son (I think) was riding it.

Do any of your bike's do this?

Truing and balancing the wheels will make for a much better ride regardless of what tires are on it.

[Wolftrax]

I've set up my Hawk for long distance travel. I run 17/45 gearing, open intake and exhaust. After 3200 miles I've settled on 55mph at 6000 rpm's as the sweet spot for this bike. Will it go faster, yes, however you'll rattle the teeth out of your head.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by Wolftrax

I've set up my Hawk for long distance travel. I run 17/45 gearing, open intake and exhaust. After 3200 miles I've settled on 55mph at 6000 rpm's as the sweet spot for this bike. Will it go faster, yes, however you'll rattle the teeth out of your head.

Since I changed the sprockets to 17-39t the engine vibration is gone,now it's such a smooth engine for a single .The sweet spot on mine is 60mph @ 6000 rpm.

[Wolftrax]

Originally Posted by chuck

Since I changed the sprockets to 17-39t the engine vibration is gone,now it's such a smooth engine for a single .The sweet spot on mine is 60mph @ 6000 rpm.

I thought of doing the same, though with the load I'm carrying I doubt the clutch would last very long.

[chinatoys]

Originally Posted by Wolftrax

I thought of doing the same, though with the load I'm carrying I doubt the clutch would last very long.

I'm running a 16-40T combo that I'm liking at the moment. I upgraded my clutch to KG friction plates and heavy springs. I don't really know if its worth buying KG, EBC, or Barnett plates when you can buy a whole chinese clutch assembly for around $30.

[wheelbender6]

Has anybody installed an aftermarket CDI on the Hawk 250? Scooter riders will sometimes do that to eliminate the factory rev limiter or the better ones offer an adjustable rev limiter. More RPM=More MPH.