View Full Version : Hawk top speed
I got my plate and decided to take it onto a secondary road. couldn't get it faster than like 45 going down a hill and it wouldn't do more than 35 going up a hill. I am not light(260 lbs) but I did expect more. I have a 17t up front and a NGK plug. Still on the stock carburetor and haven't adjusted it at all. Mikuni is on the way so hopefully that will help.
What should I expect with a ~260 lbs rider.
Mudflap
05-24-2016, 02:48 PM
Something is wrong there. Both my CG200 bikes will do a bit more than 60 mph (GPS verified) on level ground. I weigh in at 230 to 250 depending on what I had for lunch.
Eldric1
05-24-2016, 02:59 PM
Mine went 60 no problem on the way to work this morning. It is completely stock. I did put the NGK in so we'll see how much better it does this afternoon.
Sport Rider
05-24-2016, 03:15 PM
I am about 230. I have 17/45 sprockets. 115/30 jetting in a mikuni carb. I can hit mid-60s downhill and slows to 45 uphill depending on the grade. on flat, I'm generally able to make it up to 60 but seems to hold about 58-59 consistently. any slight grade and i'm down to 55. it's kinda like drafting in restrictor plate racing. lose momentum and you're shot.
if you are trying to run top speeds, you've got the wrong bike (in my opinion). this bike loves 25 to 45 mph back roads that are gravel, dirt, etc. or trails, of course. changing sprockets accordingly. I plan to go back to 50 rear sprocket and stay there. after some back road riding, it seems to be the most useful for both slow and fast.
I am perfectly fine with 55. There is a road to work that is 50mph that I wanted to take it on. If not I can find another way but I expected ~60.
......it's kinda like drafting in restrictor plate racing. lose momentum and you're shot.
Nice NASCAR reference! Good to see there's another fan here.
w0ss, something definitely not right there. I'm not sure how a stock Hawk runs but others are saying better than that. Is your clutch slipping? Do you have any play in the cable?
So in my searching on this forum I came across something about adjusting the cables....
I didn't adjust any of the cables when I got the bike. I guess I should do that maybe the throttle cable is just loose, Fingers crossed.
FastDoc
05-24-2016, 05:24 PM
I don't recall but is this a basic 200cc OHV Hondoid?
Is that the stock gearing?
well it isn't the throttle cable. I actually took the carb off and looked at it but I didn't notice anything amiss. I did notice one of the tamper proof screws was still attached. it snapped when I tried to unscrew it.
It feels like it bogs down after half throttle on the road. Does that help?
Also pro tip If you plug the bottom line out of the carb to the petcock your carb will spring a leak...
FastDoc
05-24-2016, 06:49 PM
You may have a fuel float issue.
Is the drain line dripping?
not that I can notice. Do you mean at idle or when running down the road?
SeerAtlas
05-24-2016, 10:09 PM
well it isn't the throttle cable. I actually took the carb off and looked at it but I didn't notice anything amiss. I did notice one of the tamper proof screws was still attached. it snapped when I tried to unscrew it.
It feels like it bogs down after half throttle on the road. Does that help?
Also pro tip If you plug the bottom line out of the carb to the petcock your carb will spring a leak...
Run it a bit at bogging speed then kill the motor,clutch,neutral, then coast to stop. wait till cools down a bit, pull that spark plug and tell/show us what it looks like. sounds like a tuning issue to me....
Jrgunn5150
05-25-2016, 12:12 AM
I am perfectly fine with 55. There is a road to work that is 50mph that I wanted to take it on. If not I can find another way but I expected ~60.
I would really like to know this also.
I would like to buy a couple, but if we can't ride them down the two lane highway to get to parks, trails, etc without getting run over, it's pointless.
Johnp
05-25-2016, 03:25 AM
couldn't get it faster than like 45 going down a hill and it wouldn't do more than 35 going up a hill. I am not light(260 lbs) but I did expect more.
Might sound silly, but are both of your wheels spinning freely without the BRAKES dragging? If your brake fluid reservoirs are over-filled like mine were, this could be slowing you down and putting a lot of punishment on the brakes as well...
I don't recall but is this a basic 200cc OHV Hondoid?
Is that the stock gearing?
It is a hawk 250 with a 17t front sprocket.
Ron B
05-25-2016, 07:41 AM
did you change the rear also? Does it sound like it bogging or are thr RPM up there?
only did the front sprocket. It is weird in low gears it seems that the revs go up but at a certain RPM power just dies. But after like 3rd it really just bogs down. I only have like 20 miles on the bike
newrider93
05-25-2016, 08:54 AM
You should be able to do at least 60mph. I'm 6ft 250lbs and I can do 60mph on the flat. Did you replace the spark plug? Have you replaced the piece of crap stock carb, or at least rejetted it?
You should be able to do at least 60mph. I'm 6ft 250lbs and I can do 60mph on the flat. Did you replace the spark plug? Have you replaced the piece of crap stock carb, or at least rejetted it?
I replaced the plug and have a mikuni carb on order. I haven't rejetted the stock carb.
zingshoen
05-25-2016, 09:22 AM
could be that the choke is faulty and doesn t open? or excessively tight valves, not uncommon on honda clones, did you check them?
Sport Rider
05-25-2016, 09:23 AM
Nice NASCAR reference! Good to see there's another fan here.
w0ss, something definitely not right there. I'm not sure how a stock Hawk runs but others are saying better than that. Is your clutch slipping? Do you have any play in the cable?
I live in Mooresville North Carolina. How can I NOT be?! :D
Sport Rider
05-25-2016, 09:29 AM
well it isn't the throttle cable. I actually took the carb off and looked at it but I didn't notice anything amiss. I did notice one of the tamper proof screws was still attached. it snapped when I tried to unscrew it.
It feels like it bogs down after half throttle on the road. Does that help?
Also pro tip If you plug the bottom line out of the carb to the petcock your carb will spring a leak...
exactly the same as mine was doing. it's the jetting. way too lean on the main jet. the new carb/jets will fix it up. don't sweat it. Most of us start off with a 30/115 combination with the pilot jet at 1.5 turns out. I went to a 117.5 with no improvement in performance. I'm running just a bit rich though. I am going to try to go down one step from the 30 and back to the 115 and see how it does. However, the 30/115 should work well enough for you.
wilserchinarider
05-25-2016, 05:10 PM
The bike will run much better with the proper carb / jetting. Mine was a slow dog prior to installing the mikuni carb. Check your valve clearances as well, mine were very tight and the bike starts and runs better with the valves adjusted...
I did do the valve adjustment. it's funny I bought from a CA seller assuming it would come quicker. Looks like it is going to be next Friday and it shipped on Monday. How is it that I get stuff from China in a week but CA is 2 weeks. I hate smartpost.
Coleguy
05-26-2016, 10:20 AM
I did do the valve adjustment. it's funny I bought from a CA seller assuming it would come quicker. Looks like it is going to be next Friday and it shipped on Monday. How is it that I get stuff from China in a week but CA is 2 weeks. I hate smartpost.
I'm willing to bet that its your choke lever!! It could be all the way closed, ioen or at hale point. Thus happened to me yesterday..I was riding half choke and I was all good u til I tried to go high speeds my bike would bog. Just mess with your choke lever. Hope this helped!
When I took off the carb I looked at the choke. The valve in the carb moves with the Choke level. It didn't look like it did anything but restrict air but I assume that is the point of the choke.
I took pictures of the plug and going to try to get get them online somehow. I am at work so need to figure out a way.
I did notice that sometimes it seems to sputter at higher RPM's as well. I am debating slotting the tamper proof screws on the original carb and playing around with the setup on it. But not sure I want to bother.
http://s33.postimg.org/cbpi518vj/P_20160526_094452.jpg
http://s33.postimg.org/ak3vw48j3/P_20160526_094457.jpg
dpl096
05-26-2016, 01:02 PM
When I took off the carb I looked at the choke. The valve in the carb moves with the Choke level. It didn't look like it did anything but restrict air but I assume that is the point of the choke.
I took pictures of the plug and going to try to get get them online somehow. I am at work so need to figure out a way.
I did notice that sometimes it seems to sputter at higher RPM's as well. I am debating slotting the tamper proof screws on the original carb and playing around with the setup on it. But not sure I want to bother.
Rather than swapping out MotoCheez cracked his open and has had fantastic results. - Really what do you have to loose?
FastDoc
05-26-2016, 03:26 PM
Plug looks super lean to me.
The screw on the carb body only affects idle mixture.
without new jets any way I can make the mix richer with the stock carb?
FastDoc
05-26-2016, 04:28 PM
Stock jets can be drilled but results are variable.
Any bike shop can hook you up. Which ones to get I don't know. Consider PM'ing Weldandgrind. I think no one knows more about this than him.
Look up www.dansmc.com.
pcspecialist
05-26-2016, 04:41 PM
I am debating slotting the tamper proof screws on the original carb and playing around with the setup on it. But not sure I want to bother.
You don't even need to slot them, you can take a center punch or even large screw or lag bolt and first make an indentation or two and then tap them out.
pcspecialist
05-26-2016, 04:44 PM
Just found a video explaining the way I get them out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DPcR-dvT50
Just found a video explaining the way I get them out:
Thank you that is going to be much easier than monkeying with my dremel :)
Well my Jets for the mikuni came. I will see if they will fit on the stock carb.
The jets fit. I swapped the 98 it came with for a 115. Still seems like no power. Also now sometimes when I am riding at higher RPM it is like it just cuts out completely for a fraction of a second then comes back. I thought I read that the 115 was a good jet for the original carb.
Azhule
05-26-2016, 08:27 PM
What altitude are you riding at w0ss?
I am in RI at about 350 ft.
pcspecialist
05-26-2016, 11:39 PM
The jets fit. I swapped the 98 it came with for a 115. Still seems like no power. Also now sometimes when I am riding at higher RPM it is like it just cuts out completely for a fraction of a second then comes back. I thought I read that the 115 was a good jet for the original carb.
Did you shim up the needle?
115 may be a bit too big for the stock carb, 110 is what most use though I have a 115 in mine now and don't notice any difference between it and the 110 so I will be going back to the 110.
I didn't do anything on the needle. How do you get it out? It looks like it's held in place.
pcspecialist
05-27-2016, 12:14 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34yYWSolKc0
Cleaned the jets and everything else I could think of in the carb. I checked fuel flows freely at the petcock.
I also was careful when taking off the carb and the fuel level in the bowl looks to be almost at the top of the bowl,I assume this is correct?
I am going to shim the needle tommorow and see if that helps. It is hard to say it seems to be a bit better after I cleaned it all out but still seems like a dog going up a hill.
I pulled the plug and it still is looking real lean. I have a 115 jet on the stock carb. Could it be something else? I have bigger jets I could toss on there.
Sport Rider
05-29-2016, 11:04 PM
It is a dog going up hill at 50+. No way around that. You should have a 115 main and needle on 2nd clip to start. 30 pilot jet and pilot screw at 1.5 turns from closed.
Sorry if you've already worked past this part. I'm on my phone and hard to read all the posts.
yeah I am beginning to think it is just what it is. But we will see after the intake and exhaust and mikuni carb if it is better. It does seem better the more I drive it so maybe it's just because I am breaking it in still. Most of my riding is at 30-40 mph when I am on the road..
pcspecialist
05-30-2016, 04:56 AM
I pulled the plug and it still is looking real lean. I have a 115 jet on the stock carb. Could it be something else? I have bigger jets I could toss on there.
You pulled it after running it wide open throttle? 115 with the stock carb is too rich and the color of your plug should have shown this.
yes, I cut the engine and coasted to a stop.
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