Hawk 250 Custom-ish

[richinar]

Got this Hawk in early April with 36 miles on the clock

Not a fan of the styling nor the other mechanical shortcomings. So I’ve made a number of mods.

Sprockets and Upgraded rear sprocket fastening (tapped the bushings in hub and bolted directly through sprocket to bushes)
Shinzo 244 4.60 rear, 3.00 front
225 ml of 15 weight fork oil
Hand built fork brace (modified 4x4 fence post anchor spike)
VM26 with 115 main jet and cone filter, removed air box
Custom aluminum battery box
Removed catalytic conveyer and wrapped pipe
NGK Irisim plug
Crank case breather filter cone
Remove and replace most body bolts

Remove all plastic and de-tab frame
Remove all paint and apply non-painted finishing to many surfaces
Drop muffler mount 1.75” to smooth lines
Seat foam re-shaped, added to and covered in marine grade vinyl
Handbult rear fender (0.080 aluminum)
Replaced all lighting (LED headlight and driving light, total draw 2.5amps)
instrument cluster with tach
Modified wiring loom and relocate to under seat
Replaced hand controls, grips and mirrors
Relocated rear brake reservoir (plan to move up between rear door peg mounts, build and install a guard)
Ram mount on bars
Remove header heat shield and repurpose as chain guard
Trim front sprocket cover

I’ll update the photos later from the computer. This here phone won’t keep my images upright.

[JerryHawk250]

Looking forward t seeing more pictures. :tup: FYI. Picture need to be in landscape mood to post right unless someone else has figured this out.:crazy: Portrait always comes out sideways.

[Megadan]

Heck yeah. You did what I have considered doing with mine for a little while now. I Always thought about removing the plastic and making it look more like an older 60's and 70's style dirt bike. I would still consider some kind of front fender though, such as an old SL350 front fender. http://articles.superhunky.com/images/articles/126/SL3502.jpg

[richinar]

here's some more pics
AND I added some to the original post

have a rear fairing planned as well

[Megadan]

Nice job with the battery box.

Plan on removing the tabs for the tank plastic mounts and smoothing the tank out?

[kirbo7106]

Now that’s what you call “All Out Modding”! Plus, you can sell all of your plastic parts!

[Adjuster]

Very cool! You went all kindsa crazy!



/

[wheelbender6]

Looks great. Reminds me of the Hodaka desert racers of the early 70s.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Looks great. Reminds me of the Hodaka desert racers of the early 70s.Yeah, I like the look. A lot like my 500 Triumph shrubbery smasher....ARH

[richinar]

Thanks for the kudos

Hard to put things aside and move on

Probably going to go with a tracker-inspired back end and seat.

Put the MSR shifter on but didn’t like the clamp’s clearance so have chopped it off, trimmed its length a little and welded onto the stock clamp.

The fender slides into the frame between the sheet metal bracketry and tubes to fit extremely snug.

I’ll probably rebuild the battery box with a slope towards the rear to house the electronics in a foam-lining and deter the vibration which is likely imparted by having the ECM and flasher zipped onto the frame. I took out the sheet steel cross-brace under the seat and put in a tube.

[Kdburtch]

Looks BA! excellent work! What did you use for the taillight?

[richinar]

all The lights were off the shelf from cycle gear, eBay, Amazon, etc

Forgot to get pic of the taillight area. Will do

[PhildoScaggins]

This is awesome! I agree on the styling of the hawk. I've been waiting for someone to do exactly this. Been thinking about doing it myself to have something nice and custom.

[richinar]

Nice job with the battery box.

Plan on removing the tabs for the tank plastic mounts and smoothing the tank out?

That’s beyond my patience and skill. I kinda like the ability to have highly polished and less polished it affords, with the resulting accumulation of polishing compound and metal dust in the deep cracks being a desirable outcome.

[HILL]

Excellent!

What we need though is a photo taken from the side of your bike which shows the whole bike, front to back. I think an image like that would really show off the 1960's dirtbike character, and might start a stampede of copycats - me at the forefront...

[SLaYMoE]

friggin amazing, I wanted to do this, seeing you do it makes me want to do it even more. WHERE did you get that headlight????

[richinar]

here's a shot from either side in the Ouachita Mtns. near Lake Sylvia west of Little Rock. Great Farm and County Roads in the National Park with plenty of no-facility camping wherever you like!

the bag on the tail is a late-60's leather binocular case, upgraded mounting hardware forthcoming.

[pistolclass]

you need to add this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tough-1-Canvas-Saddle-Bag/272989809929?epid=2255422906&hash=item3f8f75ed09:g:dG4AAOSwGwlaObon

[richinar]

you need to add this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tough-1-Canvas-Saddle-Bag/272989809929?epid=2255422906&hash=item3f8f75ed09:g:dG4AAOSwGwlaObon

This bike is a test bed for notions and ideas before I finish up the Virago project. Coincidentally I actually do already have a similar saddlebag as this for it.

A few months back I installed a bag on the left side only and ran around for a month or so, but didn’t really have a use for it in the long run.

[HILL]

I like!

Think about fabbing a whole new chainguard - the existing one is a Chinabike giveaway. Other than that, "On Any Sunday"!

[richinar]

Here’s a link to a pair of videos

https://youtu.be/FSbPLb2g4rI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYOKcAzAHJA

[jaxwithanx]

Megadan pointed me here today after I mentioned how I wish there was some Scrambler style Chinese motos.

Did a great job of minimalizing items, you wouldn't have been able to convince me that stock tank would ever be able to work with the look but here we are and it obviously can. I think you're right, the tabs will only add character after a while.

Some of the work is above my pay grade right now, specifically the metal fab done on the battery box and rear fender but the rest I think I could take stab at. Never really done any customization on a bike before but have always wanted to take a stab at detabbing and cleaning up a bike. Guess it makes since to start with something under $1.5k.

Thanks for the inspiration....hope you aren't opposed to silly questions down the road.

[Weldangrind]

I've got the same tail light on my TW. Love it.

[timcosby]

guess im the only one here that doesnt like the look but to each his own.

[jaxwithanx]

guess im the only one here that doesnt like the look but to each his own.

Killer post. lol. I think everyone is a little cafe'd out now but I think the scrambler style lends itself to a little more utility. Fact of the matter is cafe's are just hell to ride for leisure and crap to ride off road.

[Megadan]

Killer post. lol. I think everyone is a little cafe'd out now but I think the scrambler style lends itself to a little more utility. Fact of the matter is cafe's are just hell to ride for leisure and crap to ride off road.

Tracker builds lend themselves well to off-road bikes. They already have the off-road capability covered. It's just a matter of some cosmetics.

My only issue with tracker builds, is that they are the new Cafe bike. You name a bike, there is at least one "tracker" version of it.

Now, if you had the gumption, build a true short tracker build like this would be awesome. http://www.blitz-motorcycles.com/bikes/yamaha-tw-125-blue-tracker

The real key to that look is the 18" front wheel and same sized tires front and rear. Honestly, I am strongly considering possibly hacking up my Hawk a little for a build like that.

[jaxwithanx]

Tracker builds lend themselves well to off-road bikes. They already have the off-road capability covered. It's just a matter of some cosmetics.

My only issue with tracker builds, is that they are the new Cafe bike. You name a bike, there is at least one "tracker" version of it.

Now, if you had the gumption, build a true short tracker build like this would be awesome. http://www.blitz-motorcycles.com/bikes/yamaha-tw-125-blue-tracker

The real key to that look is the 18" front wheel and same sized tires front and rear. Honestly, I am strongly considering possibly hacking up my Hawk a little for a build like that.

Very cool look. I guess in mind, the distinction for me between scrambler and cafe primarily lies in the wheel sizes, exhaust routing/mounting height and actual bars vs. clip-ons. The clip-ons being the single biggest factor for destroying rideability.

[Weldangrind]

Very cool look. I guess in mind, the distinction for me between scrambler and cafe primarily lies in the wheel sizes, exhaust routing/mounting height and actual bars vs. clip-ons. The clip-ons being the single biggest factor for destroying rideability.

Agreed. I throw rear sets into that list.

[lefty]

richinar
Great job on your build! You may never know whome you may inspire, I thought I would show the bike that caused me to fall down the rabbit hole. First purchase a 2015 broken hawk 5/20/2016 w/swallowed valve and 765 kilos (Now has 4800+ miles 8000+ klos.). Second purchase an 06 883 Sportster 4/24/2017 14k miles (now 20k+ miles) For a One Armed guy I think its a pretty cool rabbit hole!
Best,
Lefty
P.S. Thank You Spud and Weldangrind

06 883 Sportster
2015 Hawk 250
1972 Honda CT70
Lost along the way;
1982 GS1100L
1983 Honda 185s 2ea.
1974 Puch 175mx
Right Arm

[Weldangrind]

Lefty, you're making me want to customize my TW. I love that look.

[lefty]

Weld,
You almost did that in 2016 WHAT is holding you back. I've been on ebay all day looking at old tanks. lol
Best Lefty
06 883 Sportster
2015 Hawk 250
1972 Honda CT70
Lost along the way;
1982 GS1100L
1983 Honda 185s 2ea.
1974 Puch 175mx
Right Arm

[Weldangrind]

Bought a trailer and have been camping a lot. I intend to get back to my bike projects this year.

[richinar]

After buying an ‘08 XR650L I have decided the paddock’s too full and the Hawk has quickly found a new home!!!

Thanks for all the help and support folks!!!

[Vtunimog]

Awesome looking bike. I want to it larger tires on front/rear. to get fork clearance would it mean a new triple tree ? Which in turn means some pretty substantial fork bracing ?

[Newt232]

Wow, that's inspiring. Is that the stock tank? It looks like it's made of some kind of metal. Beautiful job!