It has Arrived

[BBOWL10]

Just a few rub marks. Most of them will buff out. The silver muffler cover is pretty gnarled. They put it under the right foot peg for some reason. I may not need it if I get an aftermarket exhaust. I may get a new front fender since I purchased shipping insurance from Q9. It has a couple of gouges on it. Stay tuned for more.

[Sclark1013]

Have to say, I really like the green! Post pictures when assembled. Too bad about the shipping damage. I tried twice, and every time my Hawk orders came severely damaged. I gave up and ended up going with CSC and getting a TT250. I paid more, but no damage...

[RedCrowRides]

Woo Hoo ! Love that green , take your time and get it uncrated and assembled and try to get some help when it's time to mount the front tire, and don't spare the loc-tite!

[BBOWL10]

I have the Loctite, fork oil, motor oil, and brake fluid ready to go. I am going to take my time with it since it is a winter project. Yes the minor damage is an inconvenience but at least nobody drove a fork through the engine case!

[JerryHawk250]

Congrats! Let the fun began.

[BBOWL10]

The doctor is in

[chuck]

Ohh,poor Hawk.....

[roundhouse]

That is a neat work area. Show us what it looks like after though HAHA.

Congratulations on the purchase. I too like the green.

[41bigdawg]

Looks like fun...Green is the best color :)

[slowroller]

Green is nice

[Megadan]

Congrats on the new Hawk. I always like that Green whenever I see it. Any updates?

[BBOWL10]

Congrats on the new Hawk. I always like that Green whenever I see it. Any updates?

I haven’t really started on it yet. I am going to get a good start this weekend. The first steps will be getting the swingarm greased properly and putting some decent wheel bearings in the rear and maybe the front too. I have some SKF bearings (Italy) ready to install. I also have the Honda OEM Cush drive fasteners and a 45 tooth rear sprocket and 16 front to install. From there I will change out the fork oil. If I get that much done before Sunday evening I will consider it a success. My step daughter is getting married this weekend so I will he tied up with that also. Of course a lot of loctite where needed.

[Megadan]

I haven’t really started on it yet. I am going to get a good start this weekend. The first steps will be getting the swingarm greased properly and putting some decent wheel bearings in the rear and maybe the front too. I have some SKF bearings (Italy) ready to install. I also have the Honda OEM Cush drive fasteners and a 45 tooth rear sprocket and 16 front to install. From there I will change out the fork oil. If I get that much done before Sunday evening I will consider it a success. My step daughter is getting married this weekend so I will he tied up with that also. Of course a lot of loctite where needed.

Sounds like a good plan. Don't forget to grease up the shock pivot points (sleeves for the bolts) too. If you are taking the swing arm off, then it is only 1 more bolt, and well worth it.

[BBOWL10]

Will Do!

[JerryHawk250]

You can also pack the wheel bearings as well. There's not much grease from the factory. Those so called sealed bearings aren't really sealed. The plastic cover can be removed with the tip of a razor knife and reinstalled.
http://chinariders.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=13605&d=1530994962

[BBOWL10]

I’ll see once I tear into it. I already have the bearings. I may just do it since I will already have the back tire/wheel off. I ordered an AGM battery for it. Seeing that jug of sulphuric acid in the crate gave me the heebie jeebies. This is the 21st century.

[JerryHawk250]

I’ll see once I tear into it. I already have the bearings. I may just do it since I will already have the back tire/wheel off. I ordered an AGM battery for it. Seeing that jug of sulphuric acid in the crate gave me the heebie jeebies. This is the 21st century.
I'm not crazy about the battery either but my bike is just over 2 years old and still running the stock battery. I must of gotten a good one. My next battery will be a AGM battery.

[Megadan]

I am not a fan of open wet cell batteries either. The only nice thing about them is that they can sometimes be brought back to life if you flatten them out from letting them sit.

[BBOWL10]

Making progress. I got the fork oil changed out, new Honda OEM rear sprocket studs, new 45 tooth rear sprocket/ 16T front, all but one of the rear sprocket nuts were just barely tight. New Mikuni carb, installed the digital cluster, put loctite on everything I could see. I am going to grease the swingarm and rear damper before re-installing. I am waiting for my new chain to arrive and new tires. The knobbies are just too aggressive for my kind of riding. I have some dual purpose Shinkos on the way with heavy duty tubes. I also have some custom decals that I ordered from eBay to make the bike my own. Stay tuned.

[Megadan]

Don't forget to take the chance to grease those steering stem bearings. They are likely about 1 step better than bone dry if mine were anything to go by.

[BBOWL10]

Don't forget to take the chance to grease those steering stem bearings. They are likely about 1 step better than bone dry if mine were anything to go by.

Will do!

[RedCrowRides]

I second Megadans suggestion to check the steering head bearings- I don't own a Hawk but I do ride a Vader, which is a rebadged Baodiao/ Boom 125. My steering stem bearings were criminally undergreased and there was actually a spot where you could feel a "notch", due to the steering stem nut being crazy over torqued down. After I got it greased and set the steering "fall away " and changed the fork oil out for some good quality 15 weight ( both sides were underfilled, on top of whatever it is they call " fork oil " they put in there had the viscosity of dish water ,and a smell like rotten tuna. Some good 15 weight at 250ml per side made a HUGE difference to the good.

[BBOWL10]

I got most of it back together and put on some custom decals that I had someone make on eBay. I made up some random model number for the back decals just to spice things up. The Hawk decals turned out really good on the gas tank. There is also a smaller version of the Hawk decal above the headlight on the green plastic. I also hooked up the battery for a few minutes for an electrical check to make sure the digital cluster was wired up correctly and no blown fuses anywhere else. I am still waiting for my tires and chain to arrive. Once all the snow melts I’ll roll it out for the first start up.

[Megadan]

Looks really good. I like the tank decals. You are definitely going through the Hawk just like I did during assembly. Taking your time and attention to detail makes for a much better end product.

Which Shinkos did you go with? When you go to mount the new tires and tubes take the time to check the wheels for trueness and tighten up those spokes. This is probably one of the most overlooked parts of assembly, but worth taking the time to do.

[BBOWL10]

I went with the 244s. I would have gone with something a little more pricier if this was my primary motorcycle but I will be riding my Kawasaki Versys 650 more than this bike. I have a spoke wrench and I will true the wheels when the tires get mounted. I am going to have the tires and tubes mounted at a local independent mechanic and have them balanced. The labor won’t be too much since the wheels are not on the bike.

[Cravin01]

The bike is looking nice! I plan on getting the 244's for my Storm and I'm still sporting the factory battery but it has a lot to be desired.

[BBOWL10]

I haven’t gotten the Shinkos mounted yet but I couldn’t resist the urge to see if it would crank while on the lift. I put in a half gallon of non ethanol fuel, turned the petcock on, set the choke, waited about 30 seconds, hit the starter button, and the beast came to life. It was idling high but it started easily. I didn’t let it run long. I hope to do a couple laps around the neighborhood and feel out everything by next weekend. I am really glad I took my time to go through the bike and QC everything. Patience pays off! I am still waiting for a piece of aluminum to come in to mount the silencer permanently. I bought one of those eBay Honda exhausts but the silencer mount is over a half inch too far back. I’ll get that corrected over the next few days. This exhaust is not really a plug and play system. I have a 115 main jet and 25 pilot jet in the carb right now. I’ll see if that is enough during testing. I have a pod foam filter I installed also.

[BBOWL10]

Also installed a rear fender well since the airbox is gone.

[BBOWL10]

OK. I finally have everything put pack together. I had to fabricate a decent bracket for the silencer. Like I said earlier, the exhaust I bought on eBay took a lot of modification at the head pipe and the silencer bracket to make it work. I installed LEDs on the headlight and tail light. If it ever stops raining I will do a road test and tune the carb. It starts up and idles fine right now. We have a 14” surplus of precipitation here in NC. I just got the bike titled yesterday so I am road legal now.
I just realized the last photo that i downloaded has my granddaughters arm draped across the seat. It looks a little creepy!

[Megadan]

OK. I finally have everything put pack together. I had to fabricate a decent bracket for the silencer. Like I said earlier, the exhaust I bought on eBay took a lot of modification at the head pipe and the silencer bracket to make it work. I installed LEDs on the headlight and tail light. If it ever stops raining I will do a road test and tune the carb. It starts up and idles fine right now. We have a 14” surplus of precipitation here in NC. I just got the bike titled yesterday so I am road legal now.
I just realized the last photo that i downloaded has my granddaughters arm draped across the seat. It looks a little creepy!

Turned out nicely. Looking forward to your initial reports on how it rides. The break in period is probably the most boring and involved. Just don't be surprised if neutral is a pain to find for a few hundred miles or so.

[BBOWL10]

Turned out nicely. Looking forward to your initial reports on how it rides. The break in period is probably the most boring and involved. Just don't be surprised if neutral is a pain to find for a few hundred miles or so.

The only thing that concerns me initially is how far off the indicators are for the rear wheel alignment/chain adjusters. I think I read on here somewhere that they aren’t accurate and I adjusted them off of the middle thread block at the front of the swingarm shock bracket. One side is like 3/8” different than the other side. It just looks odd. I know these bikes aren’t made to aerospace tolerances but it seems that would be one area they would put a little more accuracy into. I am going to double check again before I take to the street. The adjustment bolts have about the same amount of threads showing on each side.

[OneLeggedRider]

I got mine a month ago and due to the cold weather I'm taking my time with it as well, haven't even started it or filled the battery. Apparently the spokes are definitely an issue with these. My back wheel is true and the spokes are tight, the front wheel is another story. It isn't even close to being true, it is almost a half inch out when you spin it and the spokes are definitely in need of tightening. I really like the green and decals. 🙂

[BBOWL10]

I got mine a month ago and due to the cold weather I'm taking my time with it as well, haven't even started it or filled the battery. Apparently the spokes are definitely an issue with these. My back wheel is true and the spokes are tight, the front wheel is another story. It isn't even close to being true, it is almost a half inch out when you spin it and the spokes are definitely in need of tightening. I really like the green and decals. 🙂

Thanks. I am sure you will adding some personal touches to your Hawk as well.

[BBOWL10]

I finally seem to have the carburetor dialed in on the Hawk and it is running great. Now it is just a matter of putting on the break in miles, keeping up with the valve and chain adjustments, and oil changes. I may bleed the front brake again. It seems a tad spongy. The transmission is so smooth it is unbelievable. It is actually better than my Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Suzuki Van Van 200 that I had before that. Next I will add a USB port and a volt meter. Maybe some hand guards too. The Shinko 244s are doing well and are probably smoother than the stock tires (I never rode the bike with the stock tires). So far this bike has been a good value. Even with the extra money I spent on fluids and upgrades.

[Megadan]

The only thing that concerns me initially is how far off the indicators are for the rear wheel alignment/chain adjusters. I think I read on here somewhere that they aren’t accurate and I adjusted them off of the middle thread block at the front of the swingarm shock bracket. One side is like 3/8” different than the other side. It just looks odd. I know these bikes aren’t made to aerospace tolerances but it seems that would be one area they would put a little more accuracy into. I am going to double check again before I take to the street. The adjustment bolts have about the same amount of threads showing on each side.

What you found here is pretty normal. The rear swing arm is probably the most disappointing aspect of the chassis on these bikes. The markings are never accurate, and the tubing is often distorted, dented, or crushed by tightening the rear axle too tight at the factory.

Once you figure out where your centered alignment is, mark it however you can so that you have your own reference point. I used an awl and a center punch on my last Hawk to mark the lead edges on each side and then used my machinists rule (fancy term for accurate ruler) and marked it in 1/4" increments in each direction with more center punch marks. Then sanded it back a little and hit it with a quick spray of black chassis paint. They were small, but the little dots gave me something accurate to go by.

I may bleed the front brake again. It seems a tad spongy. The transmission is so smooth it is unbelievable. It is actually better than my Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Suzuki Van Van 200 that I had before that. Next I will add a USB port and a volt meter. Maybe some hand guards too. The Shinko 244s are doing well and are probably smoother than the stock tires (I never rode the bike with the stock tires). So far this bike has been a good value. Even with the extra money I spent on fluids and upgrades.

The front brake can be a little tricky to get bled fully. Even then, the front brakes are not the most powerful feeling things in the world. After your next bleed attempt, zip tie the brake lever back about halfway and lean the bars so the master cylinder is as high as it will go and leave it there for a few hours. That can sometimes help get the air to travel up to the master cylinder and "burp" out.

It will also take a little bit for the pads to bed in properly, so they will feel like wood for maybe 50-100 miles of riding.

I honestly think these bikes could do with a slightly smaller master cylinder for better feel, but as a whole it isn't that bad.

I always found the transmission on my Hawks to be smooth between gears. I think the biggest complaint is that neutral can be a royal pain in the butt to find during break in. Compared to my VFR, the Hawks transmission is rather clunky though, so it's all relative.

[Megadan]

Apparently the spokes are definitely an issue with these. My back wheel is true and the spokes are tight, the front wheel is another story. It isn't even close to being true, it is almost a half inch out when you spin it and the spokes are definitely in need of tightening.

Same experience for me on two different Hawks and 3 front wheels. The rear wheel is almost always good to go, but the front wheel has been out of true both in lateral and vertical runout, and the spokes are inconsistently tight, and as a whole loose.

On the plus side, the spokes themselves have never bent or broke on me. I am fairly religious about checking my spokes on at least a weekly basis. If I really had one complaint about the spokes, it would be the spoke nuts themselves are made out of cheese like some of the other hardware on these bikes. Make sure you use the right size spoke wrench and be careful not to round them out.

[BBOWL10]

Took a 20 mile ride today and about froze to death. Some city and backroad travel. I can handle anything above 50 degrees. It was in the 40s today. I pulled the plug when I got back. Still some sooty carbon on it. I think the pilot jet is too big or I need to adjust the carb some more. The exhaust really has a strong fuel smell when the bike is idling. I have a 110 main and a 25 pilot. The insulator has a nice light cream color but the rest of the plug is powdery soot. I have those cheap WingsMoto jets in there right now but my genuine Mikuni jets arrived in the mail today. I may put those in and start over with the carb tuning. At least I know those are sized correctly.

[Megadan]

Took a 20 mile ride today and about froze to death. Some city and backroad travel. I can handle anything above 50 degrees. It was in the 40s today. I pulled the plug when I got back. Still some sooty carbon on it. I think the pilot jet is too big or I need to adjust the carb some more. The exhaust really has a strong fuel smell when the bike is idling. I have a 110 main and a 25 pilot. The insulator has a nice light cream color but the rest of the plug is powdery soot. I have those cheap WingsMoto jets in there right now but my genuine Mikuni jets arrived in the mail today. I may put those in and start over with the carb tuning. At least I know those are sized correctly.

When you change to the mikuni jets, check the float height as well. If it is not set to the right level it can cause fuel starvation or force extra fuel through causing sporadic rich events under high vacuum load.

I wish it was in the 40's for me to ride in. Without heated grips or gloves, and proper over pants and jacket, my cut off is around 40 degrees as well. I have ridden in colder temps though, and it really isn't that bad when you have the right gear for the job.

[NzBrakelathes]

2 things that will greatly improve brake are:
1 caliper with 2 pistons and sinterd brake pads
2 braided line - what regs are there in the USA for brake lines?

[BBOWL10]

When you change to the mikuni jets, check the float height as well. If it is not set to the right level it can cause fuel starvation or force extra fuel through causing sporadic rich events under high vacuum load.

I wish it was in the 40's for me to ride in. Without heated grips or gloves, and proper over pants and jacket, my cut off is around 40 degrees as well. I have ridden in colder temps though, and it really isn't that bad when you have the right gear for the job.

:thanks: Will do. I did get the bike up to 65. I had to sit on the rear pillion, put my feet on the rear pegs, and go into a full racing tuck. I am 6'2" so my torso acts like a parachute.:lmao:

[BBOWL10]

2 things that will greatly improve brake are:
1 caliper with 2 pistons and sinterd brake pads
2 braided line - what regs are there in the USA for brake lines?

I'm not sure what the requirements are but I don't think braided is required

[Megadan]

:thanks: Will do. I did get the bike up to 65. I had to sit on the rear pillion, put my feet on the rear pegs, and go into a full racing tuck. I am 6'2" so my torso acts like a parachute.:lmao:

I am two inches taller than you. I understand the parachute thing.