New Hawk, new adventures.

[Megadan]

Updated as of 5/8/24.

Modifications:

Engine.
1. Motocult ported head with undercut valves.
2. Motocult 70mm Big bore cylinder kit.
3. NGK DPR8EIX-9 Spark Plug.
4. Shortened factory plug wire with NGK XDO5F plug cap with resistor removed.
5. 125ml sump drawn Oil Cooler. https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32913143396.html
6. Mikuni VM26 30mm carb. 120 Main jet, 25 pilot jet, needle middle notch.
7. Dual layer foam pod filter.
8. Nibbi Performance ignition coil.
9. Kajimotor CRF exhaust system - modified mid pipe mount.
10. WGK 1010851 "Bravo" 292 Cam
11. Roller Cam followers.
12. Performance CRF230F PROCOM CDI.


Chassis/Suspension/Brakes
1. YSS PD238 Fork valves with custom made adapters. 15wt oil.
2. Bashan Brozz rear swing arm.
3. Fast Ace Bs-22ar/bda01ar 280mm rear shock with 1000lb/in spring
4. CG125 Cafe front fender.
5. Sintered brake pads front and rear.
6. Upgraded Master Cylinder and clutch base with factory levers.
7. Goodrich banjo bolt brake switch for rear brake.


Chain, Sprockets, and shifter
1. DID VX2 520 Chain, 98 Links
2. Front Sprocket - JTF328 13 tooth
3. Rear Sprocket - JTR279 33 tooth
4. Honda Sprocket Studs - 90128-KE2-940
5. IMS Flightline Folding Shift Lever - model 312223 for XR400.

Tires
Shinko 700. Front 3.0x21 and Rear 4.6x18 with heavy duty IRC tubes.

Controls/Display
1. Digital Tach cluster sold by Matt (no longer available).
2. Renthal Fat Bars
3. Adjustable riser adapters.
4. Quarter turn throttle assembly.
5. Progrip 737BK Grips.
6. Round swing-away style mirrors.

Lighting/Electrical.
1. 7 Inch Round Headlight conversion with CNC brackets and LED headlight.
2. 1157 LED Tail/Brake bulb from Superbright LEDs.
3. Motogadget M-Blaze Pin turn signals. (from an old project)
4. Upgraded main ground strap to 8awg wire.
5. YTZ7S Battery.
6. Upgraded main fuse to blade style with waterproof holder.
7 Most original connectors have been upgraded to weatherpack style.

Miscellanious
1. CSC TT250 rear luggage rack.
2. TT250 Seat

Top Speed: 79mph. Repeatable/Consistent top speed: 75mph.

A few pictures as it currently sits.

https://i.ibb.co/YPLGPgC/20240507-225501.jpg (https://ibb.co/S53p5Sj)

https://i.ibb.co/gyv7KdN/20240507-225331.jpg (https://ibb.co/qB0nQCK)

https://i.ibb.co/LzTHQY8/20240507-225404.jpg (https://ibb.co/PZ20TFN)

https://i.ibb.co/b3NptzT/20240507-225422.jpg (https://ibb.co/59sqZBm)

[pete]

705 would suit your local terrain a lot better by the look of it..



.

[Megadan]

705 would suit your terrain a lot better...



.

In this instance it does. I also spend about half my time on country roads made of dirt or gravel, and occasional single and double track adventures. The 705's did ok at that, but the 700's have been much better so far.

Hard to tell from a few pictures, I know.
:hmm:
The funny thing is, I actually like the on-road handling of the 700 better.

If it helps, 98% of the land in my state essentially looks like this, or farms.
https://www.planetware.com/photos-large/USNE/nebraska-sandhills-driving-tour.jpg

[pete]

rolling terrain...


no real hills/mountains ?


..

[Megadan]

rolling terrain...


..

Well, it is the central Great Plains. Rolling hills is kind of what this area is known for. That picture is just baby hills. some of the larger ones in North Central Nebraska are huge, and they roll on forever. Just watch Dances with Wolves and that will suffice to painting a picture.

It's also known for rocky terrain out west in the arid high altitude plains (about 4500-5500ft), including bluffs, canyons, lone rock pillars (Chimney Rock as one example). It looks like this.
https://visitnebraska.com/sites/default/files/styles/listing_slideshow/public/listing_images/profile/3516/ToadstoolView_809_54jpg1488325374.jpg?itok=FSzngJc A

Here on my end of the state, where nearly 80,000 miles of Rivers and streams - fun side fact, Nebraska technically has more waterfront land than any other state - all feed into the Platte and Missouri River (which both join about 40 minutes south of me, we enjoy more greenery, as well as more ancient bluffs. We have more dense forests (dense being a relative term here) and more wetlands.


I am very proud of where I come from, if it isn't obvious. One of my favorite off road parks is about 4 1/2 hours away from me at the Bessey Ranger District at the Nebraska National Forest. I took my last Hawk there, and I want to bring this one there as well for a motorcycle camping weekend. Ride there and back with all my kit on board.

[The_DJ_Remixer]

Awesome! I am heading to the UPS freight pick up to finally get my Hawk 250! So excited! :)

[OneLeggedRider]

I may have to get a pumper carb in the near future. Mine's running pretty good with the stock carb but I know it could be better.

I really like the lighter fork oil, I went with Victory/Polaris 7.5w. Southern Ohio doesn't spend much on road maintenance lol. And all the gravel hills are washboard around here. The fork rebound is actually better on the washboard than the monoshock so I probably need to adjust it.

Glad you got it where you want it overall, hopefully mine will be too soon lol.

[Megadan]

I may have to get a pumper carb in the near future. Mine's running pretty good with the stock carb but I know it could be better.

I really like the lighter fork oil, I went with Victory/Polaris 7.5w. Southern Ohio doesn't spend much on road maintenance lol. And all the gravel hills are washboard around here. The fork rebound is actually better on the washboard than the monoshock so I probably need to adjust it.

Glad you got it where you want it overall, hopefully mine will be too soon lol.

For my forks the weight of the oil is mainly used to tune the rebound damping, though it does have a minor effect on low speed compression. With the fork valves in place, most of the compression damping is dependent on the valve itself. Currently have a 15wt oil in it and it is fairly close to what I want, but I may step down to 10wt.

My rear shock is actually pretty close to ideal for me. I managed to find a sweet spot where it is fast, but controlled.

[Megadan]

Awesome! I am heading to the UPS freight pick up to finally get my Hawk 250! So excited! :)

Congrats! Don't let your excitement make you take shortcuts. Take the time to sort everything out as you assemble it and you will end up with a much better finished product that will give you far less problems as you ride it.

[The_DJ_Remixer]

Yessir, Ive been wrenchin on bikes as a hobby most of my life...I figure within a week it should be all together, as Im doing all the mods except the oil cooler...going to wait till 300 miles or so before I install it.

[The_DJ_Remixer]

This is #17. I have too many bikes and projects haha! My buddies Dad has 59 bikes, he helped me uncrate it today :)
How many bikes are in the photo? 3. The Hawk, the z400d1 and a xl80s in 1000 pieces on the shelves...

[Megadan]

This is #17. I have too many bikes and projects haha! My buddies Dad has 59 bikes, he helped me uncrate it today :)
How many bikes are in the photo? 3. The Hawk, the z400d1 and a xl80s in 1000 pieces on the shelves...

This Hawk would be my 16th bike in 18 years, so I am right there with you. I always tend to have two or three at a time, which usually works out for me since one always seems to need some sort of repair lol.

Great choice on the color by the way. :tup:

[Megadan]

So, after discovering that the price of the Hawk brake rotors went from a ridiculous $45 each to a ludicrous $65 each I decided to fix my warped rotor issue by going straight to the source and ordered a Pair of front and rear wave rotors off of TaoBao along with some "burned copper" (I am assuming it's just sintered) front and rear pads. So far, it has cost me $17 for all of that magnificence. Even if the shipping costs me another $20, it's still half the cost of just one rotor through the Manny network.

I will gladly wait a couple of weeks.

[Megadan]

Since I am stuck with the PZ30 Pumper carb a bit longer as I try to find an intake that will work, I figured I would correct and tweak the setup/tune on it and try to get it to behave just a bit better.

First thing I wanted to correct was the pumper jet nozzle orientation. In this picture the blue line represents what the jet spray angle was like out of the box. It functioned well enough as it was and didn't cause any running issues, but it bothered me. I now have it spraying in what is represented by the green line. Aimed right at the center of the carb exit, just next to the needle.

https://i.ibb.co/W3jWpSP/Inkedcarb1-LI.jpg

The nozzle itself is a press fit with a knurled end that simply fits into the hole. Using a bit of wood dowel I tapped it out. On the end of the nozzle is a notch that shows the direction of the nozzle. Using line of sight I tried to orient it the best I could with the center of the rear of the carb and then pressed it back in using a small bit of rod. It's a fiddley process to get it aimed and seated without the darn thing turning though.

https://i.ibb.co/PtM034T/Inkedcarb-LI.jpg

The other thing I really wanted to correct was the throttle cam for the pumper plunger. I was having an issue with it binding and causing the throttle to have stiff points, the cam binding up against the flange and side of the carb due to slop, and getting stuck because the stop would end up past the protrusion on the carb body.

My solution was a simple one, a thrust washer between the bracket for the throttle cable and the cam itself. It turns nice and free now and functions just like it should.

https://i.ibb.co/qNz5pyn/Inkedcarb2-LI.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/NxrHdRm/Inkedcarb3-LI.jpg


Last but not least I decided to play around with my jetting. Since OneLeggedRider drilled his pilot jet and had nothing but good things to say about it, I decided to give it a try with the other stock K40A jet I had laying around from my first Hawk. One thing that makes it a lot easier to do without breaking bits is having a "Drill press" stand for my rotary tool. I managed to drill it without breaking a single bit. I also used a .4mm bit to line the rotary tool and jet in the clamp before stepping up to the .45 bit. That made sure everything was centered and lined up ahead of time, and then I just drilled very very slowly lol.

With my now 45 pilot jet in hand I installed it and played with the idle mixture, ending up at 1 7/8 turns out with the best idle. After going for a test ride my Main jet was just a TINY bit rich (small surge on roll off) so I stepped down to a 120 main from a 125. Needle is also now up to the third notch from the 4th to try and lean out the middle throttle range. This works much better with the larger pilot and properly aimed pumper nozzle, and should help a bit with fuel economy as well.

Air temp at the time of this setup was 60 degrees and about 50% humidity.

Synopsis. Much stronger off idle throttle response. While the 40 pilot was working just fine, it must have been having just the slightest of lean spots on throttle roll on. When cranking the throttle open from a stop or low speed she just leaps forward and picks the front end up pretty hard. Mid throttle roll on is perfect, and wide open is clean, but now a teeny tiny bit lean. I am waiting for a 122.5 jet in the mail, but I have a feeling the 120 main will be the right size once it gets hot here.

One thing I can tell though, now that the motor is broken in. The carb is definitely a restriction on the top end. She will wind out to 8000 in a hurry, but you can just tell it is being held back a bit. I can't wait to hopefully get the PWK30 installed so I can really compare the two.

As a side note, I am also considering stepping down to a 33 tooth rear sprocket. With the way the power is delivered now (immense low end and mid range torque) I think it could benefit from having a bit more gear under her for street duty. I already have a 12 tooth front on stand by. I am also doing so because the 4.6x18 Shinko 700 is smaller in diameter than the stock 110/100-18, so I am geared a lot more like a stock bike with a 17/47 setup.

My last little update for the day was installing a chain tensioner to the swing arm. With the rear shock having the back end so extended I am running about 2 inches of free play in the chain. This definitely helps take the lash out of the system. I am curious to see how long the roller lasts because it's not the greatest design and build quality. A loose bearing and a cotter pin. I may work on making something else to take its place since the roller is just mounted to a straight rod.

https://i.ibb.co/p2khv5S/tensioner.jpg

[OneLeggedRider]

Thanks for the recognition Dan and my bike is running amazingly well, I got it to 70mph today. But I know it's still running lean from the plug readings and the snap crackle pop when I let off the gas. So.. I've decided to get a different carb and start over. Haven't figured out which one yet but I will. And I'm considering taking this pilot to .5 before I ditch it, worst that can happen is I foul a plug lol. Also I feel that you're talents are being wasted, NASA needs good thorough engineers. 😊

[Megadan]

Thanks for the recognition Dan and my bike is running amazingly well, I got it to 70mph today. But I know it's still running lean from the plug readings and the snap crackle pop when I let off the gas. So.. I've decided to get a different carb and start over. Haven't figured out which one yet but I will. And I'm considering taking this pilot to .5 before I ditch it, worst that can happen is I foul a plug lol. Also I feel that you're talents are being wasted, NASA needs good thorough engineers. ��

Of course. I always give credit where it is due. You were the first person to make the leap, so you have earned the right to it.

I am curious as to what carb you decide to go with. I know that I never had an issue getting my VM26 clone dialed in. This pumper, aside from some small tweaking, has been pretty decent in terms of getting it to run right. I am definitely interested in your results from going to a "50" pilot hole.

I would need to be an actual engineer first. Still need about 2 years of school before I can even test for a license lol. My thoroughness is just a part of my own personality and the nature of the work I do. I am the guy that takes longer to get a job done but the job only ever needs to be done once, and I am proud of that.

[JerryHawk250]

Good stuff Dan and OneLeggedRider. :tup: I'll need to play around with my PWK30 just to see if it makes any improvements. I'm running a 39 pilot @ 1 1/2 turns out and a 125 main. I hate to fool around with it because it seems to be running perfect. But I'll never know until I try it. The PWK30 was a big improvement over the PZ30 once I did the porting and decking.

I like the chain tensioner Dan. :tup:I see you never straighten the chain guide yet. lol I cut that tab off then aligned the guide with the chain and pop riveted it in place.

[NzBrakelathes]

Thanks for the recognition Dan and my bike is running amazingly well, I got it to 70mph today. But I know it's still running lean from the plug readings and the snap crackle pop when I let off the gas. So.. I've decided to get a different carb and start over. Haven't figured out which one yet but I will. And I'm considering taking this pilot to .5 before I ditch it, worst that can happen is I foul a plug lol. Also I feel that you're talents are being wasted, NASA needs good thorough engineers. 😊

When you get popping on decel open the air screw a little more till it all goes away - too lean is what I believe causes it.
My bikes if I open the screw a little each time it reduces till it pops no more.

[OneLeggedRider]

[QUOTE=JerryHawk250;307733]Good stuff Dan and OneLeggedRider. :tup: I'll need to play around with my PWK30 just to see if it makes any improvements. I'm running a 39 pilot @ 1 1/2 turns out and a 125 main. I hate to fool around with it because it seems to be running perfect. But I'll never know until I try it. The PWK30 was a big improvement over the PZ30 once I did the porting and decking.

Jerry I hate to even ask this question because I know that you know what you're doing when it comes to tuning. Have you done WOT plug reading runs with the setup you have now?

Also do you think the PWK30 would be a good choice for me as far as tunability? Keeping in mind I am planning on doing the porting and decking but haven't done it yet.

And Tako I absolutely refuse to go beyond 2 turns on the mixture screw. They drilled it into our brains anything below 1 turn out or above 2 turns out was out of the range of adjustability and clearly meant you needed a different size pilot jet. I've strayed far enough from my training by drilling the pilot, and that was only done out of necessity.

[JerryHawk250]

Jerry I hate to even ask this question because I know that you know what you're doing when it comes to tuning. Have you done WOT plug reading runs with the setup you have now?

Also do you think the PWK30 would be a good choice for me as far as tunability? Keeping in mind I am planning on doing the porting and decking but haven't done it yet.

And Tako I absolutely refuse to go beyond 2 turns on the mixture screw. They drilled it into our brains anything below 1 turn out or above 2 turns out was out of the range of adjustability and clearly meant you needed a different size pilot jet. I've strayed far enough from my training by drilling the pilot, and that was only done out of necessity.

Yes I have done plug reading from WOT. Looks perfect. I also used an A/R ratio gauge to help with tuning. Just curious if any improvements will be gained from low to midrange throttle. I like to tinker and experiment. :D If you watched my video in this thread http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=23589 I did a couple of WOT's at the 2:00 and 9:00 marks. Though you can't make out the speed, notice how quick it hits around the 8500 rpm mark through 4th gear. Both times I hit the 72-73 mph mark on the speedo before I let off the throttle which is almost dead on with my GPS. Like I said, I don't know if it will make a difference but worth a try.
If you are planning on porting and decking the PWK30 will be a good choice. Don't know if the power jet is really necessary. I've tried disabling the power jet and noticed a loss in throttle response.

[OneLeggedRider]

Wow Jerry, I'm jealous now, that son of a bit## runs! And you're pulling a lot higher gear ratio than me. My bike doesn't pull nearly that hard, takes a good minute to wind 4th gear out and you can't wind 5th out even going downhill. And I'm sure Dan's runs similar to yours. What octane are you running for the 10:1 CR?

Also you've got me convinced on the PWK30 for sure lol.

And Dan I didn't mean to hijack your thread, and would appreciate your thoughts on running the PWK30.

[JerryHawk250]

Wow Jerry, I'm jealous now, that son of a bit## runs! And you're pulling a lot higher gear ratio than me. My bike doesn't pull nearly that hard, takes a good minute to wind 4th gear out and you can't wind 5th out even going downhill. And I'm sure Dan's runs similar to yours. What octane are you running for the 10:1 CR?

Also you've got me convinced on the PWK30 for sure lol.



And Dan I didn't mean to hijack your thread, and would appreciate your thoughts on running the PWK30.
I'm running 93 octane non-ethanol gas.
I don't think Dan minds. It's all relative to his topic. ;)

[Megadan]

My bike doesn't pull nearly that hard, takes a good minute to wind 4th gear out and you can't wind 5th out even going downhill. And I'm sure Dan's runs similar to yours. What octane are you running for the 10:1 CR?

Also you've got me convinced on the PWK30 for sure lol.

And Dan I didn't mean to hijack your thread, and would appreciate your thoughts on running the PWK30.

I don't mind a good hijacking if it is relevant and contains useful info.

As far as running similar, it does. The only thing I would say is different about mine vs. his is that mine pulls a little harder in the lower/middle of the RPM range and a bit less hard at the top end (but still winds out past 8000 very quickly). I would entirely put that down to the difference in the carbs - mine being both smaller and having an accel. pump - and maybe a tiny bit on the fact that I have even a little more compression than Jerry does (entirely by accident).

I can't really compare how quickly it goes through the gears because I am currently geared much shorter than Jerry is in that video. If Jerry threw on a 47 rear sprocket we could compare more directly. I get to 5th gear in a hurry lol. That is honestly why I am going to drop down to a 33 rear sprocket, to get myself back to the equivalent of a 17/45 and gain back some top speed and lower revs on the highway.

As far as the jetting on your PWK30, I am sure it is spot on. Running a smooth bore half moon flat slide, power jet aside, it is going to draw on the jets much differently and with less turbulence. That lack of turbulence will actually decrease the effective size of the pilot jet - a phenomenon experienced on real Mikuni carbs that run an under flow optimizer, where the pilot jet size is almost half that of a carb without it. It all has to do with the velocity of the air charge being much higher. Suffice it to say that our PZ30 clones are a turbulent mess by comparison.

Jerry, as far as the chain guide goes, I will get around to it eventually. It's actually not too bad, so I left it alone for now. I actually want to order a new one from CSC, get it lined up, and install it with a nutsert. The one on my bike is so hopelessly warped that I don't think I can save it/make it work.

As for fuel. Thanks to the extremely conservative ignition timing on these motors, even with 10.3:1 static compression I can run on 91 octane no problem, but I do try to fill with 93 whenever possible. 93 isn't available at every fuel station here, so 91 is what I tend to fill with the most. I also took care to smooth and polish my combustion chamber when doing the port work to ensure I had zero potential hot spots in the chamber.

[JerryHawk250]

If I throw the 15 tooth on front it will hit the 8500 rpm limiter in 5th gear no problem.

Yeah, I would say 91 octane is more than enough. Most of the ethanol free fuel around here is 92 and 93.

I'm still going to play around with the pilot jet just for the heck of it.

[NzBrakelathes]

[QUOTE=JerryHawk250;307733]Good stuff Dan and OneLeggedRider. :tup: I'll need to play around with my PWK30 just to see if it makes any improvements. I'm running a 39 pilot @ 1 1/2 turns out and a 125 main. I hate to fool around with it because it seems to be running perfect. But I'll never know until I try it. The PWK30 was a big improvement over the PZ30 once I did the porting and decking.

Jerry I hate to even ask this question because I know that you know what you're doing when it comes to tuning. Have you done WOT plug reading runs with the setup you have now?

Also do you think the PWK30 would be a good choice for me as far as tunability? Keeping in mind I am planning on doing the porting and decking but haven't done it yet.

And Tako I absolutely refuse to go beyond 2 turns on the mixture screw. They drilled it into our brains anything below 1 turn out or above 2 turns out was out of the range of adjustability and clearly meant you needed a different size pilot jet. I've strayed far enough from my training by drilling the pilot, and that was only done out of necessity.

It’s essy to try n test theory
Won’t hurt at all but safer
Just for learning purposes
Then go back again

[Megadan]

I only did the drilling of the pilot jet because I happened to have an extra on hand. It is proving to be difficult to get fully dialed in, so I will have to disable the accelerator pump to get a better feel for it.

This is why everybody goes to the Mikuni clones. They are nowhere near as annoying to get the tune dialed in on. No idea why, but they are much easier.

[Megadan]

So I decided that a good way to spend a 53 degree overcast day was to take my Hawk on a little 130 mile mini tour along the Missouri River up through the Bluffs, forests, and wetlands. Nice windy little side roads and lots of steep hills. My rear end is sore like only a Hawk seat can manage.

A couple beauty shots that I just felt like taking. Some day soon I will setup my Go Pro to either a chest holder or a helmet and actually record a ride or two.

https://i.ibb.co/gr7m7cP/Hawkfrontroadfix.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/2gStMfp/Hawkrearfix.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/9wLtH4q/Foresthawkfront.jpg

[Megadan]

I forgot to mention, I did have one little hiccup on my way home. The barrel on my throttle cable at the throttle broke off about 2 miles from home (thankfully). Hooray for cheap cables.

A drawback to the pumper carb with the 1/4 turn throttle and the double ended cable means I can't just use the factory cable without swapping out to the original throttle assembly, and then I lose the pumper functionality.

Thankfully there are US Based companies on ebay that sell the cables for a whopping $8 each with "fast and free" shipping. I ordered two, just in case it happens again, and they should be here by Saturday.

I also got another intake in for my PWK30 that is not the right angle. Flush another $5... At least I have a great supply of intake O-rings...

[Megadan]

Ok, so my throttle cables should be here tuesday or wednesday.

Since I was making an order for a few different parts I also decided to order in the parts needed for a hydraulic clutch conversion. The cost is relatively low. and I get adjustable levers with my new brake and clutch masters.

Links:
Brake/Clutch master cylinders. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Unversal-7-822mm-Motorcycle-CNC-Hydraulic-Brake-Master-Cylinder-Clutch-Lever/264213972503?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=563775497747&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Hose:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Dirt-Bike-Steel-Hydraulic-Reinforce-Brake-line-Clutch-Oil-Hose-Tube/323544201580?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=512576429342&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Slave:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Motorcycle-Hydraulic-Clutch-Master-Cylinder-Rod-Brake-Pump-Kit-Durable/262964843819?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=561972545019&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

For those interested, the clutch line does need to be 1200mm according to my measurements. I also measured the front brake line, which was surprisingly shorter at 1100mm. If I were to order a new one I would go with 1200 so I could route it a bit differently.

I also submitted my brake parts to ship today. The shipping was twice the cost of the parts :ohno::lol:

The funny thing is, total price for three brake rotors (more on that in a second) and a full set of "sintered" brake pads was maybe 10 bucks more than JUST one rotor through txpowersports.

So, why three rotors? Well, I ordered a rear and a front as part of a set *link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=558984023350&sku=1627207:273110631
The issue is, the bike in question came with both styles of forks even though the hub looks the same, and as a result there are two different brake rotors sold for it. So I decided to not risk the first rotor not fitting after waiting a couple of weeks for it, and ordered the other style of rotor. (middle option on this link with straight "spokes") https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=39942362946&sku=1627207:1075833039
I figured for an extra 6 bucks (and 5 more shipping) I would rather be safe than sorry. If not for that, this would have cost less than just the front rotor from txpowersports.
The pads I ordered (cqr copper burning front and rear) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=20352400287&sku=1627207:362297183

My plan is to see if both fronts will work or not. If they do both work, then I will gladly sell one of the two front rotors to whomever would be interested in it for roughly what it cost me to buy and ship it (about $25).

[JerryHawk250]

The lever set is the same as the ones I have except I have the cable clutch. They work way better than stock. :tup: I thought about doing the conversation too before I ordered the levers. Wasn't sure how well it was going to work. Now I'll know. lol

[Megadan]

The lever set is the same as the ones I have except I have the cable clutch. They work way better than stock. :tup: I thought about doing the conversation too before I ordered the levers. Wasn't sure how well it was going to work. Now I'll know. lol

I am trying it out of curiosity, but also have a love of hydro clutches. I have never liked cables if I could avoid them. Not many people here have bothered with it, so I figured I could do a proper test/review of it and see if I like it more than the cable system.

I have a feeling the most challenging part of the whole setup will be getting the slave cylinder adjusted correctly. I am going to try and get around it by marking the position of the clutch arm on the engine case where my current adjustment is at.

[JerryHawk250]

I have a feeling the most challenging part of the whole setup will be getting the slave cylinder adjusted correctly. I am going to try and get around it by marking the position of the clutch arm on the engine case where my current adjustment is at.
That was my biggest concern too. I would much rather the hydraulic clutch. Hope it works out. I know I can get just the hydraulic clutch lever to match my brake lever.

[wedooit]

Wow, you guys here are in a masters division! If you guys charged for your time and experience, you might be able to retire early! Nice pictures Dan, I am jonesing to get out, but we are so backed up with work in our shop, and our yard looks like a truck stop, backed up with work, and I have a new bike being delivered next week. SO we are working thru the weekend to catch up....AND my weeds on our 10 acres are growing like weeds! lol! Am anxious to see how the hydraulic clutch project works!!! Thanks again guys!!!

[pete]

wow...
looking at the slave cylinder..

fixed body... straight ridged shaft..
and a pivoting clutch arm that arks at the shaft end..

everything you don't do when setting up a hydraulic ram...

the body needs to pivot so it can follow the ark of the clutch arm..


..

[Megadan]

wow...
looking at the slave cylinder..

fixed body... straight ridged shaft..
and a pivoting clutch arm that arks at the shaft end..

everything you don't do when setting up a hydraulic ram...

the body needs to pivot so it can follow the ark of the clutch arm..


..

I agree with you, but if you looked at the travel range and position of my clutch arm, there really isn't much arc to it. I think as long as the body and arm are all lined up straight it should do ok. If it lasts will be another question.

[Megadan]

Since the weather decided to suck and rain for most of the day I got my new throttle cable installed. I also have two backups just in case lol. I am fairly certain as to what caused the failure of the cable right at the barrel, and that is the fact that the barrel has to rotate in the throttle tube quite a bit between closed and even half throttle, and the hole for the barrel was pretty tight. I used a small round file and opened it up just a bit so the barrel can move freely. If it happens again I will be looking to make my own upper cable that utilizes the rear barrel position on said throttle cam to eliminate the need for said rotation. Why these cables don't come with the extra inch of length needed to do so is beyond me...

Anyway, while I had everything off to do install the new cable I decided to do my valve lash and wrap the head pipe to cut down on all of the heat and the pants burning :tup:. When I went to do the header wrap I spotted a small trace of carbon at the slip joint for the mid pipe so I pulled it and applied a nice coating of tail pipe sealant. I then re-angled my riser adapters away from me and adjusted the handle bars along with the controls to match to make the bike more comfortable for me. I then finally finished up my tinkering by adding some small spacers to the rear mounts for the front fender to angle the front up a bit - a suggestion via OneLeggedRider. It definitely enhanced the "4x4 mode" look of the bike by opening up more air gap between the front of the fender and the tire.

Then, as if the universe itself took pity on me, the rain stopped for a little while and the sun came out, so I decided to go for a quick ride. Made for a pretty good picture opportunity, so I couldn't resist. :yay:

https://i.ibb.co/6HNX3rk/60134025-10157081461546992-1048376180941520896-n.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/4F7q5M7/59750877-10157081461706992-2720654747412463616-n.jpg

[OneLeggedRider]

The fender definitely looks better, I don't know why more people aren't doing it. ��

[Megadan]

The fender definitely looks better, I don't know why more people aren't doing it. ��

Probably because they are simply happy with it the way it is. It's a subtle enough change that some people might not even see the difference.

[Megadan]

Got my 33 tooth rear sprocket in today and installed it. Much better! The 35 rear with the Shinko 700 tire diameter (about an inch smaller than stock) had the bike effectively geared like a 17 front 48 rear on a stock tire. Now its geared exactly like a 17/45, and it honestly feels no different in terms of pulling power, and much stronger than my last bike in the higher gears.

[China Rider 27]

Looks good!! I like how your muffler rides high up, some others seem quite bit lower. Is that a different muffler or did you paint it to match?

[Megadan]

Looks good!! I like how your muffler rides high up, some others seem quite bit lower. Is that a different muffler or did you paint it to match?

It sits higher because it is bolted to the front mount bolt location of the grab handle directly. I had my last one mounted in the same location. Not good for clearing the air box, but mine is hacked anyway and repurposed. I did not paint it though, it came black. It looks different because I removed the plastic end cap from the ebay system, cut down the outlet pipe, and bolted up the end cap from the original Hawk muffler.

[JerryHawk250]

You could always pick up a piece of 6" stainless pipe from a muffler shop to push it back to the stock position. I used my stock header pipe and extended it 6".
http://www.chinariders.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=15220&d=1545829878

[Megadan]

What I would love to do is just get a longer muffler and kill two birds with one stone. I would like to tone down the exhaust note just a little bit more. I have considered repacking this one to see if it helps. My last Hawk was just a hair less obnoxious than this one, and I can only equate the change to the head work.

[JerryHawk250]

What I would love to do is just get a longer muffler and kill two birds with one stone. I would like to tone down the exhaust note just a little bit more. I have considered repacking this one to see if it helps. My last Hawk was just a hair less obnoxious than this one, and I can only equate the change to the head work.
Yeah, the head work does make it a little louder. I need to repack my muffler too.

[OneLeggedRider]

I used one of the forward mounts and my bike is LOUD. but I had to push it so far on the header I'm probably only benefiting from 2/3 of the packing. When I let other people ride it I can hear it coming from a long ways off.

[Megadan]

I used one of the forward mounts and my bike is LOUD. but I had to push it so far on the header I'm probably only benefiting from 2/3 of the packing. When I let other people ride it I can hear it coming from a long ways off.

That's strange. My muffler actually has a lip on the inside that stops it once it hits the pipe. It just so happened to line up with the rear mount. I will grant that the consistency of these exhausts is rather wide ranging as far as fitment and such. Even between my last Hawk and this one there were quite a few variances, and this one actually fits better. I had to tweak the heck out of my old one to get it to fit without touching the engine case and the frame, and then align with the mount for the muffler at the rear.

I have been eyeballing a muffler like this to hopefully tone it down a bit. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-Universal-Modified-Motorcycle-Exhaust-Pipe-For-WRS-Exhaust-Muffler-CB400-CBR400-VFR400-High-Quality/32629643786.html?spm=2114.10010108.1000014.1.47646 41c3u0qE8&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.13338.133244.0&scm_id=1007.13338.133244.0&scm-url=1007.13338.133244.0&pvid=3c8e1631-135b-47a1-9e7d-7ae27c84d477
it's about 80mm longer than the ebay muffler, and the actual core and packing is the same total length as the entire ebay muffler. I am sure the packing in it is totally crap too, as they all seem to be lol.

The other one I have looked at is this one (the straight version). https://www.aliexpress.com/item/XUANKUN-CQR-XTR-CRF-KTM-Large-Off-Road-Motorcycle-Street-Car-Exhaust-Pipe-Tail-Modified-Muffler/32810022418.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.77532e0enfN 38m
Not too sure it would fit though without doing a bit of measuring.

I am just trying to decide if I want to spend the money to repack the ebay can and hope it helps, or get this one and then have to repack it as well most likely.

[Megadan]

So, with everything going on I had to get out and ride for a while to clear my head. While I was out riding I noticed my bike was running a bit stronger than normal, likely the atmopsheric conditions were just about perfect for my jetting so I decided to give it a large hand full of throttle and see just how far I could push it. I found my familiar long straight flat stretch of road and went for it...

I then hit the rev limiter in 5th gear, and recorded a max speed of 79.2mph on my GPS. Suffice it to say even I was impressed. I have been able to consistently hit 74 to 75mph, which I consider the bikes actual top speed, but it's nice to know that it has the potential to do 80 in the right conditions.

On my last bike I had to run taller gearing (17/43) to even consistently hit 70. On a 17/45 with the old bike I would generally top out around 67-68. Now I can surpass that by 7mph with the same basic gearing on a regular basis. If you want any more proof that it is worth porting the cylinder head, there you are.

That might not sound impressive to some people, but considering my 6'4" tall 260lb sail of a body is on the bike, I honestly think with a smaller lighter rider and a bit more gear under it this bike could consistently hit 80 and maybe max out at 85 or close to it. To answer your possible question, yes I did tuck in a bit to try and reduce my drag. 75 on flat ground without a head wind is about all it has with me sitting up otherwise.


I also played with the damping adjustments on the shock a bit and discovered that the last 3 positions are just about the only ones I can use without the rear end being too bouncy with my big butt sitting on it. The last position is very very firm and with the stock seat it's not very butt friendly, but for all out road handling it works really well. One down from that is a great compromise for on and off road and the position it came shipped with. One more down from that is very soft without being uncontrolled and worked great on a rutted hard pack road I often travel down. After that it starts to get a bit "boingy" and the risk of bottoming out is much higher.

I think once I get the clutch and other goodies done I am going to have my seat re-done with firmer foam, reshaped to remove the hump and level it out more front to rear, and covered in a heavy duty marine vinyl. That will more or less wrap up all of the mods I want to do with this bike.

[JerryHawk250]

:yay: That's close enough to 80. Same here, I can do 74-75 no problem but when the stars are align and a full moon LOL it will go faster. 80 mph on my GPS was the fastest I recorded. The head work was a big improvement.

I'm still curious if the pwk30 will make any improvements over the pumper. I almost bought the pumper carb but figured I try the pwk30 first.


You need to find a 100lb biker chick to take it for a test run or invite Azule over. The biker chick sound better IMO. :hehe:

On your post on the muffler. I like the one in the first link. It's a little longer and should push the tail end closer to the stock position. I think I'm going to order some ceramic packing. It was noticeably louder when I rode it Sunday.

[OneLeggedRider]

I got my pipe from Amazon, but it looks identical to yours Dan. As far as fitment it was perfect, lays right wear it should and doesn't touch anything. But yeah you can slide mine really far up on the header pipe. I could probably bolt it further forward if I wanted.

[Megadan]

:yay: That's close enough to 80. Same here, I can do 74-75 no problem but when the stars are align and a full moon LOL it will go faster. 80 mph on my GPS was the fastest I recorded. The head work was a big improvement.

I'm still curious if the pwk30 will make any improvements over the pumper. I almost bought the pumper carb but figured I try the pwk30 first.


You need to find a 100lb biker chick to take it for a test run or invite Azule over. The biker chick sound better IMO. :hehe:

On your post on the muffler. I like the one in the first link. It's a little longer and should push the tail end closer to the stock position. I think I'm going to order some ceramic packing. It was noticeably louder when I rode it Sunday.

I think I have the gearing about as well matched as it can get in terms of the engines capabilities and a desire to retain decent acceleration while being able to cruise along at 60-65. I have to fight the temptation to gear it up more.

I have that CQR intake on order from Taobao, so in about a month when it finally arrives I will be able to test the PWK30 back to back against the PZ30B. I suspect the PWK will have a stronger pull in the top RPM range. While my engine will happily wind out that high, you can just feel like something is holding it back a little bit. Past 65 the acceleration rate starts to fall off a bit, and I suspect the PZ30 is nearing the limits of it's airflow capabilities. something a smooth bore 30mm shouldn't have a problem with.

I considered the ceramic packing route myself, but I would like something that will have a bit more life. A buddy of mine directed me to this kit. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ED8QTJ6/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=AYC9UHBGTMZ4A&psc=1
I like the fact that it has the screen and uses a stainless steel wool for the inner core with fiberglass for the outer core/insulation. He has a couple thousand miles on his bike with that kit and says it's still going strong.

Just be careful handling that ceramic wool. Not only is it nasty stuff to breathe in, but it forms carcinogenic silicate compounds once it is exposed to enough heat. I have also read that it is a good idea to run some type of screen around the core as the ceramic fibers like to come apart and fly out of the muffler.

I got my pipe from Amazon, but it looks identical to yours Dan. As far as fitment it was perfect, lays right wear it should and doesn't touch anything. But yeah you can slide mine really far up on the header pipe. I could probably bolt it further forward if I wanted.

If you like it where it is. I would say mark the pipe where the end of the muffler is, measure the depth of that end cap it sits in, remove the muffler, mark that distance on the pipe down from the first mark, cut off the excess.

[ChipToothy]

You're having the same experience with the shock as I am. It's like riding a Pogostick over 50mph! I had been using mine 2 clicks from F for road and 3 clicks back from F for dirt. After the chain jumping off last week I doubt I use 3 clicks back anymore. It's my belief that the shock has too much travel for a small sprocket creating a large gap in chain tension under aggressive compressions. Of course with the 520 set up it's probably a whole other set of physics going on back there and may be better. I don't know.

[Megadan]

You're having the same experience with the shock as I am. It's like riding a Pogostick over 50mph! I had been using mine 2 clicks from F for road and 3 clicks back from F for dirt. After the chain jumping off last week I doubt I use 3 clicks back anymore. It's my belief that the shock has too much travel for a small sprocket creating a large gap in chain tension under aggressive compressions. Of course with the 520 set up it's probably a whole other set of physics going on back there and may be better. I don't know.

Post 14 of this thread, at the very bottom, you will see this image. https://i.ibb.co/p2khv5S/tensioner.jpg

As to it helping prevent the chain from whipping off, it's quite possible. Just also bear in mind that I am rather broken of body, so I don't get super aggressive off road either.

There is probably a small difference in how the two chain types react as well given the longer spacing of the 520 rollers. I also keep on top of my chain tension like a...Hawk :hehe: ... sorry, I had to lol.

I had to deal with a lot more rear suspension travel on my last hawk with the stock shock and I ran a 428 chain and sprockets on it for quite a while and never had the chain come off once. Sure you weren't just running that chain a bit too loose? In my experience it doesn't take a whole lot of excessive slack with the right combination of variables for the chain to come flinging off. I use the CSC chain tension spec, which is 15mm of free play with the chain at its tightest point, both in rotation and in rear suspension compression. In my experience that puts the slack at a bit more than 1 inch ( 1 1/4 ish inches) with the rear suspension fully extended. I set my chain to about 1 1/2 inches extended just to be a little on the safe side.

If the motion ratio math is correct, this 325mm shock should have about another inch of travel over the stock unit, which would put it around 7.5 inches total. It also raised the back of the bike about half an inch which is why the back end of my bike sits so high. I honestly need to set aside the time to set my preload for rider sag. I know it currently doesn't actually have enough (maybe 2 inches with my weight on it). I would like to get it to about 3., but I just haven't had the time to tinker with it very much. The spring rate is just about perfect for my weight though. I have hit dips that bottomed out the stock rear shock with ease, and I was nowhere close to bottoming out even with the "3rd" damping setting.

[OneLeggedRider]

Mine's not like a pogo stick and I think it's 4 clicks from firm. What kind of tire pressure are you running nowadays Dan? I'm at 18F and 26R because I was trail riding the last time I had it out but it's usually 24 and 26.

[ChipToothy]

Post 14 of this thread, at the very bottom, you will see this image. https://i.ibb.co/p2khv5S/tensioner.jpg

As to it helping prevent the chain from whipping off, it's quite possible. Just also bear in mind that I am rather broken of body, so I don't get super aggressive off road either.

There is probably a small difference in how the two chain types react as well given the longer spacing of the 520 rollers. I also keep on top of my chain tension like a...Hawk :hehe: ... sorry, I had to lol.

I had to deal with a lot more rear suspension travel on my last hawk with the stock shock and I ran a 428 chain and sprockets on it for quite a while and never had the chain come off once. Sure you weren't just running that chain a bit too loose? In my experience it doesn't take a whole lot of excessive slack with the right combination of variables for the chain to come flinging off. I use the CSC chain tension spec, which is 15mm of free play with the chain at its tightest point, both in rotation and in rear suspension compression. In my experience that puts the slack at a bit more than 1 inch ( 1 1/4 ish inches) with the rear suspension fully extended. I set my chain to about 1 1/2 inches extended just to be a little on the safe side.

If the motion ratio math is correct, this 325mm shock should have about another 1 1/2 to 2 inches of travel over the stock unit, which would put it around 8 inches total. It also raised the back of the bike about half an inch which is why the back end of my bike sits so high. I honestly need to set aside the time to set my preload for rider sag. I know it currently doesn't actually have enough (maybe 2 inches with my weight on it). I would like to get it to about 3., but I just haven't had the time to tinker with it very much. The spring rate is just about perfect for my weight though. I have hit dips that bottomed out the stock rear shock with ease, and I was nowhere close to bottoming out even with the "3rd" damping setting.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqdRZJztyyQ

At like 20:35 he shows the tension. I have been riding the past year with way less slack in mine. So that the chain cannot touch the swingarm when pushing up from the bottom has been my rule of thumb. I never had an issue until I recently swapped to the 43 cog and 128 link chain.

[Megadan]

At like 20:35 he shows the tension. I have been riding the past year with way less slack in mine. So that the chain cannot touch the swingarm when pushing up from the bottom has been my rule of thumb. I never had an issue until I recently swapped to the 43 cog and 128 link chain.

I run the same or more slack than he does. I ran the same slack on my 43 tooth 128 link chain setup on my last Hawk. Never bucked the chain. Jerry runs an even smaller sprocket on the back of his and hasn't bucked a chain as far as I know. Sounds to me like there is something else at work.

[Megadan]

So, my brake pads and the straight spoke style front rotor arrived. Yeah, they dont work. Not because of offset, thickness, or even the hub pattern. That is all dead on accurate.

They won't work because they are too small in diameter.

Yep, you read that right, instead of confirming it for myself I believed something I read on the internet (here) and decided to assume that the information I read was accurate. Sucks, but sometimes you gotta pay to learn. Maybe somebody on here can use them on different bike.

So the Hawk has a 265mm front brake rotor (10.4xx") and 220mm rear the same as a GY200.

Guess what I found on Aliexpress for $20 less (shipping included) than what is being charged by the Manny Machine/RPS? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/265mm-GY200-disc-brake-200cc-motorcycle-front-brake-disc/32798690970.html?spm=2114.search0604.3.42.15f977b4 CFbIzv&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_9_10065_10 130_10068_10890_10547_319_10546_317_10548_10545_10 696_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_537_536_10059_ 10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_52,ppcSw itch_0&algo_expid=d4f47f40-77bc-4165-a79c-8e80e336609a-6&algo_pvid=d4f47f40-77bc-4165-a79c-8e80e336609a

I will eat the loss just so I know for sure what does and doesn't work. It's all in the name of science! Well, that and there really wasn't any concrete information out there.

[NzBrakelathes]

So, my brake pads and the straight spoke style front rotor arrived. Yeah, they dont work. Not because of offset, thickness, or even the hub pattern. That is all dead on accurate.

They won't work because they are too small in diameter.

Yep, you read that right, instead of confirming it for myself I believed something I read on the internet (here) and decided to assume that the information I read was accurate. Sucks, but sometimes you gotta pay to learn. Maybe somebody on here can use them on different bike.

So the Hawk has a 265mm front brake rotor (10.4xx") and 220mm rear the same as a GY200.

Guess what I found on Aliexpress for $20 less (shipping included) than what is being charged by the Manny Machine/RPS? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/265mm-GY200-disc-brake-200cc-motorcycle-front-brake-disc/32798690970.html?spm=2114.search0604.3.42.15f977b4 CFbIzv&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_9_10065_10 130_10068_10890_10547_319_10546_317_10548_10545_10 696_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_537_536_10059_ 10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_52,ppcSw itch_0&algo_expid=d4f47f40-77bc-4165-a79c-8e80e336609a-6&algo_pvid=d4f47f40-77bc-4165-a79c-8e80e336609a

I will eat the loss just so I know for sure what does and doesn't work. It's all in the name of science! Well, that and there really wasn't any concrete information out there.

That is China for you, they are not responsible to 'Get it right" that is your job because its cheap. Had a mayor argument with my wife yesterday and she clearly told me it is MY FAULT to not check every detail on the racks I bought and its not the factories job to make it how I expect it to be (To be correct and fit correctly to bike listed) I shouldn't expect to buy at a low price then sell to the USA at a higher price and not have to deal with such issues.
I clearly told her she is STUPID and that way of thinking is PRIMITIVE, yeah typical woman and now I am in the dog box if I am lucky (Or divorced!).

So far I am at 2 days trying to get some other basic stuff and about 2 months for the racks etc

They think you need to change what you want to suit what THEY have etc.

Maybe I am more expensive but if I get it wrong I refund 100% and I only had to do that 1 time. Also I can check with the customer to see if what he wants and what I have or get is correct before it all makes the journey to the USA or elsewhere etc.


I feel your pain and know VERY well what n how shit don't work etc

[Megadan]

That is China for you, they are not responsible to 'Get it right" that is your job because its cheap. Had a mayor argument with my wife yesterday and she clearly told me it is MY FAULT to not check every detail on the racks I bought and its not the factories job to make it how I expect it to be (To be correct and fit correctly to bike listed) I shouldn't expect to buy at a low price then sell to the USA at a higher price and not have to deal with such issues.
I clearly told her she is STUPID and that way of thinking is PRIMITIVE, yeah typical woman and now I am in the dog box if I am lucky (Or divorced!).

So far I am at 2 days trying to get some other basic stuff and about 2 months for the racks etc

They think you need to change what you want to suit what THEY have etc.

Maybe I am more expensive but if I get it wrong I refund 100% and I only had to do that 1 time. Also I can check with the customer to see if what he wants and what I have or get is correct before it all makes the journey to the USA or elsewhere etc.


I feel your pain and know VERY well what n how shit don't work etc

I went into buying the parts knowing full well they probably weren't going to work. Something about the dimensions seemed visually off, but it's hard to judge that stuff 100% via pictures on a computer screen, so I decided to sacrifice some extra cash to the "box of parts" gods in the name of accurate information. Stupid? sure. I could have just bought the front rotor I needed right here in the U.S. for what I shelled out with the cost of shipping factored in.

At least not all of it was a waste. I do need new pads thanks to the warped rotor, and the sintered pads I got seem like pretty good quality parts. EBC sintered pads in the same pad style cost more than what I paid for the pads and the rotors, so I will just consider it a wash because it makes me feel better that way lol.

[Megadan]

In other news, since I can't sleep again, I decided to try and dial in my preload/sag front and rear. I ended up taking 10mm out of the forks to get it right at about 2.75-3 inches. With the fork valves installed the front end is much more controlled, so I can actually get away with a more off road friendly amount of rebound travel. Out back I took about 1 1/4 turns out of the preload adjuster to achieve close to the same 3 inches-ish of sag (hard to get accurate when trying to do it solo.

To finish off the fork setup I am going to go to a lighter oil, either 10 or 7.5 to reduce rebound damping just a little bit.

The other half of my insomniac garage session was working on getting my headlight and spot lights re-mounted so the cutoff and light spread from the headlight is further out on low beam, and the spot lights are tucked in a bit tighter.

In order to get the headlight aimed properly I had to get creative with the lower and upper mounts. With the lower tabs in the rubber tabs in the triple the beam pattern was aimed pretty far down, and with such a distinct cutoff from the bulb I am using, it made riding on dark country roads a bit scary if I couldn't run my fog lights.

I first dismounted the headlight and used cable ties to secure the lower tabs to the outside of the lower triple clamps in a cross cross pattern (surpsingly effective). Doing this aimed the headlight WAAAY high, and now I had the opposite problem of the light being too high with the headlight adjusted all the way down. I spaced the upper mounts off the upper triple with 4mm aluminum spacers. That was the ticket to get my headlight aimed in a 2 inch down in 25 foot beam angle with my weight fully on the bike.

As ghetto sounding as it is, it was very effective at not only allowing me to get light where I need it, but buying me just enough room to get my spot lights tucked up against the headlight a bit more and away from the inside edges of the tank plastics (one was slightly rubbing).

I didn't take any pictures of the end product, but I am going to try and cover it in a video and try to show the light output with me sitting on the bike tomorrow night. For now I am going to pass out.

[OneLeggedRider]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you go to the lighter fork oil. I never rode the bike before changing the oil and adding spacers, but I had watched several videos of the forks bottoming out. And my original plan was to go with 15w, but from owning several Hondas and working in the shops I knew they used ATF for years in their dirtbike forks. So a quick internet search to find out the weight of ATF, and another to find out the weight of Polaris/Victory fork oil (because that's the nearest Dealership and the weight isn't specified on the bottle) told me both were 7.5w.

I am very happy with the rebound characteristics of the forks now, and they get tested daily with all the washboard and potholes on these dirt roads and riding the whoops out at the Reclaim. And the bike doesn't feel springy or bouncy at all, it's quite stable infact. Now if I just add some preload to the monoshock I think I'll be done with the suspension.

Also with me being 6'2" and 265lbs at the moment we are very similar in size when it comes to suspension tuning.

[JerryHawk250]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you go to the lighter fork oil. I never rode the bike before changing the oil and adding spacers, but I had watched several videos of the forks bottoming out. And my original plan was to go with 15w, but from owning several Hondas and working in the shops I knew they used ATF for years in their dirtbike forks. So a quick internet search to find out the weight of ATF, and another to find out the weight of Polaris/Victory fork oil (because that's the nearest Dealership and the weight isn't specified on the bottle) told me both were 7.5w.

I am very happy with the rebound characteristics of the forks now, and they get tested daily with all the washboard and potholes on these dirt roads and riding the whoops out at the Reclaim. And the bike doesn't feel springy or bouncy at all, it's quite stable infact. Now if I just add some preload to the monoshock I think I'll be done with the suspension.

Also with me being 6'2" and 265lbs at the moment we are very similar in size when it comes to suspension tuning.

That's what I've been using. ATF with the pre-load spacers seems to be perfect for me. I'll eventually replace the rear shock with a 315 mm shock like yours and Megadans. The spring on mine has sprung. on the rear. It's probably 2" lower than when it was new. I'm a little on the lighter side though @ 5'11" 175lbs. after a big meal. lol

[OneLeggedRider]

That's what I've been using. ATF with the pre-load spacers seems to be perfect for me. I'll eventually replace the rear shock with a 315 mm shock like yours and Megadans. The spring on mine has sprung. on the rear. It's probably 2" lower than when it was new. I'm a little on the lighter side though @ 5'11" 175lbs. after a big meal. lol

Sweet Jebus you're gettin fat lol. I kept my stock shock because I'm thinking about building another go cart, the last one didn't have any suspension and it was rough on the spine.

I strongly considered going to the gas station and picking up a couple quarts of ATF, and I'm sure it would have worked well in these simple forks. But I don't plan on taking them off or apart again so I went with specific fork oil. Truth be told I worked at the Polaris/Victory dealership in question as a tech and they will only warranty their machines if you buy their expensive fluids and oils. I'm sure there's nothing special about them other than the purple coloring they add.

But anywho, I think I'll start recommending ATF to folks on the fb groups just because it's so cheap and easy to find ($16 for the Polaris/Victory fork oil but the pretty purple color was nice lol).

[Megadan]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you go to the lighter fork oil. I never rode the bike before changing the oil and adding spacers, but I had watched several videos of the forks bottoming out. And my original plan was to go with 15w, but from owning several Hondas and working in the shops I knew they used ATF for years in their dirtbike forks. So a quick internet search to find out the weight of ATF, and another to find out the weight of Polaris/Victory fork oil (because that's the nearest Dealership and the weight isn't specified on the bottle) told me both were 7.5w.

I am very happy with the rebound characteristics of the forks now, and they get tested daily with all the washboard and potholes on these dirt roads and riding the whoops out at the Reclaim. And the bike doesn't feel springy or bouncy at all, it's quite stable infact. Now if I just add some preload to the monoshock I think I'll be done with the suspension.

Also with me being 6'2" and 265lbs at the moment we are very similar in size when it comes to suspension tuning.




Truth be told I worked at the Polaris/Victory dealership in question as a tech and they will only warranty their machines if you buy their expensive fluids and oils. I'm sure there's nothing special about them other than the purple coloring they add.



There are two reasons I use fork specific oil. Having spent time doing suspension tuning you learn a few things about fluids in dampers and how they behave. The biggest key difference is the level of anti-foaming is higher and more stable in fork oils over ATF, especially at higher temps. Most people will probably never push these bikes hard enough for that to make a difference, but that is part of what makes them special. They are also designed to have better lubrication properties for the seals and bushings, but in that regard I wouldn't make it as a claim to fame considering ATF was used by Honda from the factory for many years and the forks in those bikes lasted a very long time without wearing out.

The other, and main, reason I like using fork oil is the specified weight on the bottle. Not all ATFs are created equal and some are lighter or heavier than others (some might be 10 weight, others 5, depending on brand and type). The same is actually true between fork oils, which is why sticking with the same brand is so important. Maxima 10wt might actually be a little heavier/lighter than PJ1 10wt for example. The specified weight of the oil is useful in determing what direction to go when trying to dial in/out certain behaviors in the damper.

My forks having the valves installed also means that the weight of the fork oil only determines the rebound and partially the low speed compression behavior since those are fixed orifice hole sizes. The 15wt I am currently using is actually well controlled for road use, but is just a little too slow for rebound when things get bumpy, hence the desire to go lighter. The fluid numbers give me a point of reference for adjusting said tuning.

One nice thing about the Hawk in particular is that it uses just the right amount of fluid that I can save money by buying a half liter bottle of fork oil. That also means I use most of the bottle and don't have a bunch of half full bottles sitting around.

That's what I've been using. ATF with the pre-load spacers seems to be perfect for me. I'll eventually replace the rear shock with a 315 mm shock like yours and Megadans. The spring on mine has sprung. on the rear. It's probably 2" lower than when it was new. I'm a little on the lighter side though @ 5'11" 175lbs. after a big meal. lol

While I was digging around looking for the GY200 rotors I ran across this. for $60. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/TDPRO-310mm-Shock-Absorber-Motorcycle-Rear-Suspension-Bike-For-Yamaha-Motor-Scooter-ATV-Quad-Dirt-PitBike/32963229381.html?spm=2114.search0604.3.1.22eb149bn ewYmY&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_9_10065_10 130_10068_10890_10547_319_10546_317_10548_10545_10 696_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_537_536_10059_ 10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_52,ppcSw itch_0&algo_expid=e0e3f8ba-8265-4671-ad7a-a49d4cd2bfea-0&algo_pvid=e0e3f8ba-8265-4671-ad7a-a49d4cd2bfea The only thing that shock doesn't offer is adjustable damping, but it does have a single rate spring and preload adjustment. If I remember my measurements correctly it should mount up without spacers. If it will last a long time is a different question.

I honestly think it is worth the extra money to get the shocks with the adjustable damping. It may not have a lot of fine tuning to it, but it is nice being able to stiffen or loosen up the damping.

[JerryHawk250]

While I was digging around looking for the GY200 rotors I ran across this. for $60. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/TDPRO-310mm-Shock-Absorber-Motorcycle-Rear-Suspension-Bike-For-Yamaha-Motor-Scooter-ATV-Quad-Dirt-PitBike/32963229381.html?spm=2114.search0604.3.1.22eb149bn ewYmY&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_9_10065_10 130_10068_10890_10547_319_10546_317_10548_10545_10 696_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_537_536_10059_ 10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_52,ppcSw itch_0&algo_expid=e0e3f8ba-8265-4671-ad7a-a49d4cd2bfea-0&algo_pvid=e0e3f8ba-8265-4671-ad7a-a49d4cd2bfea The only thing that shock doesn't offer is adjustable damping, but it does have a single rate spring and preload adjustment. If I remember my measurements correctly it should mount up without spacers. If it will last a long time is a different question.

I honestly think it is worth the extra money to get the shocks with the adjustable damping. It may not have a lot of fine tuning to it, but it is nice being able to stiffen or loosen up the damping.
This is one I have on my wish list. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Off-Road-Motorcycle-Rear-Shock-Absorber-Damping-Adjustable-315MM-Long-After-The-Shock-for-BSE-T8/32884485799.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.4bc62e0eMuI Wip

[Megadan]

This is one I have on my wish list. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Off-Road-Motorcycle-Rear-Shock-Absorber-Damping-Adjustable-315MM-Long-After-The-Shock-for-BSE-T8/32884485799.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.4bc62e0eMuI Wip

$16 with $43 shipping lol, aka 59 bucks. Hopefully it works out well for you when you get it.

[JerryHawk250]

$16 with $43 shipping lol, aka 59 bucks. Hopefully it works out well for you when you get it.yeah, I know I was excited until I saw the shipping. lol But still not a bad price.

[Megadan]

So while I wait in limbo for parts to arrive I am spending way too much time looking at parts...

I stumbled into these and I am thinking about giving them a try. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/FX-CNC-31MM-Motorcycle-Preload-Adjusters-Fork-Bolts-Fits-For-Showa-31mm-Conventional-Forks-Motorcycles-Accessories/32852552008.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.f2d92e0eyou C21

Or this slightly cheaper set with allen heads on the adjusters.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mgoodoo-31MM-Motorcycle-CNC-Preload-Adjuster-Fork-Bolts-Cap-For-Honda-CBR150-CBF150-Motocross-Enduro-Supermoto/32826195575.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.f2d92e0eyou C21

It would be kind of nice to be able to dial in a bit more preload when I have carrying a bunch of weight in my pack, or tail bag.

[JerryHawk250]

Good find! :tup:I would do the allen head ones. Less chance of boggering up. I hate anything that requires a flat screw driver. lol

[Megadan]

Good find! :tup:I would do the allen head ones. Less chance of boggering up. I hate anything that requires a flat screw driver. lol

The top ones I linked are hex head adjusters, probably 10mm. Allens would make carrying an adjutment tool a lot easier though. an L allen takes up very little space.

[JerryHawk250]

The top ones I linked are hex head adjusters, probably 10mm. Allens would make carrying an adjutment tool a lot easier though. an L allen takes up very little space.

It sure is. Man, how did I miss that? I looked at second picture and saw slot head. :doh:
https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1VhbhXiMnBKNjSZFzq6A_qVXaJ.jpg

[Kivi]

Nice find! I searched for adjusters for china USD forks, but got 0 results.

[Megadan]

It sure is. Man, how did I miss that? I looked at second picture and saw slot head. :doh:
https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1VhbhXiMnBKNjSZFzq6A_qVXaJ.jpg

I think it is just a stock picture because if you look through both types they each have one. The other link is a red pair I believe.

Nice find! I searched for adjusters for china USD forks, but got 0 results.

I don't know if they will work or not yet, but I suspect they will. By looks everything seems to be correct. They did have a bunch of other options. I might be able to find something for the USD forks, but then it would depend on the type of USD forks in question. Some are just regular old dampening rods turned upside down, others are actual cartridges.

[pete]

wonder how high they are....
usually not a lot of space between the fork and handle bars..
if the bars go across them it could make adjusting hard with
out removing the bars...

but all still easyer than making spacers..


..

[Megadan]

So, I have still been experiencing some odd running issues with my Hawk. I have changed the main jet between 120 and 125 a million times, played with the needle, my idle will be good one moment and strange the next. Sometimes it would start right up, others it would immediately stall.

So, I decided I have had enough and tore it down to every individual component and then set it in my heated ultrasonic cleaner in regular distilled water for 20 minutes.

As I put it back together I was inspecting every part closely and then made a discovery on my float needle. It had a gouge in it... That would explain quite a bit if it wasn't seating fully and the bowl level was constantly fluctuating. It never overflowed though, so it couldn't have been a big leak.

I stole the one from my stock carb and made sure it was good, threw it all back together, set my float height, and then started from scratch dialing in my carb.

With 80 degree air temp and 60% humidity I ended up with the 45 pilot, Mixture 2 1/4 turns out, needle in the 3rd notch, and a 125 main. The 4th notch is way too rich with the 125 main, and the second actually works, but you can feel it is a tad lean.

She pulls WAY stronger than she did before through the whole throttle sweep and my idle is rock solid steady. Starts right up too without cutting out. I do wish I could try a 48 pilot jet, but I can live with my mixture a quarter past 2 turns. No hesitation at light throttle, so it's not that lean.

Gotta love itty bitty little things that can make your life hell.

[Megadan]

wonder how high they are....
usually not a lot of space between the fork and handle bars..
if the bars go across them it could make adjusting hard with
out removing the bars...

but all still easyer than making spacers..


..

The Hawk bars are positioned far enough back on the upper clamp that they shouldn't hit anything. In my case, I have all the room in the world with my risers.

[dpl096]

So, I have still been experiencing some odd running issues with my Hawk. I have changed the main jet between 120 and 125 a million times, played with the needle, my idle will be good one moment and strange the next. Sometimes it would start right up, others it would immediately stall.

So, I decided I have had enough and tore it down to every individual component and then set it in my heated ultrasonic cleaner in regular distilled water for 20 minutes.

As I put it back together I was inspecting every part closely and then made a discovery on my float needle. It had a gouge in it... That would explain quite a bit if it wasn't seating fully and the bowl level was constantly fluctuating. It never overflowed though, so it couldn't have been a big leak.

I stole the one from my stock carb and made sure it was good, threw it all back together, set my float height, and then started from scratch dialing in my carb.

With 80 degree air temp and 60% humidity I ended up with the 45 pilot, Mixture 2 1/4 turns out, needle in the 3rd notch, and a 125 main. The 4th notch is way too rich with the 125 main, and the second actually works, but you can feel it is a tad lean.

She pulls WAY stronger than she did before through the whole throttle sweep and my idle is rock solid steady. Starts right up too without cutting out. I do wish I could try a 48 pilot jet, but I can live with my mixture a quarter past 2 turns. No hesitation at light throttle, so it's not that lean.

Gotta love itty bitty little things that can make your life hell.

Carbs are a huge struggle for me....I have to plow through it time and time again whereas others have that gift of dialing in the sweet spot with relative ease.

[Megadan]

Carbs are a huge struggle for me....I have to plow through it time and time again whereas others have that gift of dialing in the sweet spot with relative ease.

I wouldn't call it a gift. I would call it experience. Lots and lots of experience. The more you do it and re-do it the more you start to learn what sounds, smells, behaviors, etc. are caused by what.

Take my needle jet setting. I started at the 4th notch because experience and wisdom say to always start on the rich side of things. After warming it up, setting the idle mixture, and then going for a ride, if i tried to hold a steady 1/4 to 1/2 throttle the bike would lightly bog, pop, and "snarl" like it was getting too much fuel. I confirmed this by simply rolling the throttle open and it cleaned up and started pulling very strongly almost immediately. That's a good indicator of being a bit too rich. If it would have hesitated and then took off, that would be lean. Even the tone of the noises it was making were a good clue. Rich bog/hesitation just feels "heavy" but generally smoother because the fuel is so heavy it just isn't igniting properly, while lean hesitation is almost herky-jerky feeling as the fuel spikes and dips.

Another good indicator of the needle being rich would be the exhaust smelling of fuel with a half throttle neutral rev. Since I add a little MMO to my fuel to help lubricate the carb parts it actually makes it easier to detect a rich smell since MMO actually changes the smell of the fuel slightly.

[Azhule]

since MMO actually changes the smell of the fuel slightly.

:yay: Mmmmm, the smell of burning "oil of wintergreen laced fuel" :tup:

[Megadan]

:yay: Mmmmm, the smell of burning "oil of wintergreen laced fuel" :tup:

I like the smell lol.

[dpl096]

Dan my friend.... From my perspective you, and others, are gifted brother....I admire your knowledge and abilities

[Megadan]

Dan my friend.... From my perspective you, and others, are gifted brother....I admire your knowledge and abilities

It's the burned MMO vapors, they give you magical powers. :tup::hehe:

[Megadan]

First try at a Motovlog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ngK74ZOSB0

[JerryHawk250]

Good job on the video.:tup: I just finished watching it on YouTube.

[Megadan]

The camera being off kilter kinda bugs me, and my transition between the two clips didn't really work at all and actually cut the first one short, but hey. I will get the hang of it eventually lol

[ChipToothy]

So you are running much larger jets than on your old Hawk? 140 on the pilot? What causes this change from 117?

[Megadan]

So you are running much larger jets than on your old Hawk? 140 on the pilot? What causes this change from 117?

My carb is a bit odd. Pilot is a keihin sized 45 that is a little too small. Main is a Mikuni 125. What caused the big leap in jetting? Head work.

[JerryHawk250]

The camera being off kilter kinda bugs me, and my transition between the two clips didn't really work at all and actually cut the first one short, but hey. I will get the hang of it eventually lol

Video is fine Dan. It does exactly what it supposed to do. Getting information out about your Hawk and mods. You're not going for the Academy award are you? lol

[OneLeggedRider]

It does sound awesome! And good job on the motovlog. Lots of information and no dead air time. Hate it when they just ride paved roads and don't say anything.

Do you think the 65ml oil cooler could be mounted in the same manner as your big one? And I wouldn't be against drilling some big holes in the rear of the fender.

[JerryHawk250]

And I wouldn't be against drilling some big holes in the rear of the fender.
That was my first thoughts.

[2LZ]

And I wouldn't be against drilling some big holes in the rear of the fender.
Drill away! As you can see in this pic, Q comes with a vented fender for cooling.

[Megadan]

Thank you guys. I did consider drilling a series of half inch holes in some sort of pattern to try and let some air through. I just don't want to weaken the plastic too much and make it flimsy. Even just a few holes would likely make a good difference. The fender I was looking at has slots similar to that Q link one, but the tail end is a little shorter. It's only about $20, so not a huge investment.

[2LZ]

Thank you guys. I did consider drilling a series of half inch holes in some sort of pattern to try and let some air through. I just don't want to weaken the plastic too much and make it flimsy. Even just a few holes would likely make a good difference. The fender I was looking at has slots similar to that Q link one, but the tail end is a little shorter. It's only about $20, so not a huge investment.

May be worth a look. The slots on Q's fender are "thicker" along the ridges, probably for strength.

[dpl096]

Drill away! As you can see in this pic, Q comes with a vented fender for cooling.

Harbor Freight lift ?

[Megadan]

So a few adventures underway.

Last night I decided to tear into the bike and do a bunch of stuff at once.

First order of business was to install my new front rotor. While I am at it I installed the brake master cylinder along with the sintered pads and got that bled. Not much choice with the pads. The rotor ate away the inside pad enough to see the difference in wear between the two. I am going to change out the rear pads to match later today. Maybe the brakes will have a nice strong bite now.

I also got around to installing my skid plate, but the center stand is now too short to be of any practical use. I have to stick an 3/4 inch thick board under the legs in order for it to function. Further proof that my shock lifted the bike a little. I am going to leave the center stand mounts in place though because it is easy to slap on and quite handy when working on the bike.

Got the PWK30 installed, trying to sort out the jetting.

Halfway through the process of installing the hydraulic clutch. Got the clutch master mounted and I am trying to work out the best routing for the line. A part of me wishes I would have gone for the 1100mm hose, but I should be able to make the 1200 work just fine.

Since I had everything apart I also decided to relocate my aux light switch to the left side of the bars. Just wasn't easy to use on the right side and I would accidentally hit my kill switch sometimes. :doh: I also slightly re-routed my front brake line and throttle cable, as well as rotated my throttle housing 180 to the top to reduce the bend angle on the line. Now I have nothing blocking my gauges or my ignition switch.

Hopefully I can get it all buttoned up and take it for a rip snort later today. The first day it hasn't rained in almost a week.

[JerryHawk250]

Looks like you got a good bit done. :tup: I had a center stand about 3/4" longer but ended up cutting it down and putting it on my bike. It's probably a combo of the rear shock and front fork not having as much sag as stock. I can always make another one and send it to you whenever I find the time to make another batch of skid plates and center stands. Like you said though it does make it easier to work on when messing with the front wheel and lubing chain.
Curious to see how the hydraulic clutch works out.

[Megadan]

So sitrep.

Hydraulic clutch:
The Good: It does work.
The Bad: The adjustment range is TINY - I had to remove the rear most adjustment nut to get it close enough, then had to adjust the little nut on the end of the rod that goes through the clevis a million times to get it where the clutch would disengage when pulled in and not slip with let out.
The ugly: Even with the adjustment fairly close, I can tell the clutch was not fully engaging until the bike got up to temp, and even then it never felt right. The fluid also was filled with particulates and looked like grey swamp water after just one 5 minute ride. Either the seals or the bore is being eaten alive. I will be converting back to cable tomorrow.
Final thoughts. Don't bother. The cable actually has a lighter pull, likely due to the clutch slave or master destroying itself. Once I have them off I will dismantle and see which is the culprit. I suspect the slave cylinder.

PWK30 carb install:
The Good: ...
The bad: I hacked the nibbi intake in the name of science. Doesn't work. The angle is just not quite right and it hits the frame worse than before in a different place.
The Ugly: Pretty sure I got a defective carb. I installed the 35 pilot jet and the surging continued, but between the dips it showed signs of being too lean. I confirmed this when going for a ride around my neighborhood and got bouts of hesitation at light throttle.

I removed the carb immediately after letting it start to surge again and found the intake pooled with fuel as well as the carb itself. I then completely tore the carb apart, checked every component, cleaned the #$%^ out of it, put new seals on every part I could, set the float height intentionally low along with the needle in the first notch and tried to let it idle. Same result. Somewhere/somehow fuel is being drawn up through the carb at idle, and I can also hear the throttle slide clacking away with each intake pulse.

Suffice it to say I installed my PZ30B and threw everything into a box to never be seen again. At this point I am considering trying a PE30 Nibbi carburetor. Sure, it's a round slide, but all of the adjustments are on the correct side of the bike and I can use all of my current jets I bought for the PWK.

[JerryHawk250]

So I can scratch Hydraulic clutch off the list.

Definitely a bad carb. I took my carb straight out the box and hooked everything up and she fired right up and ran damn near perfect. Only after I swapped the main and pilot jet that I had to move the needle clip down one notch and adjust the idle mixture.

Good luck on the next experiment.

[Megadan]

So I can scratch Hydraulic clutch off the list.

Definitely a bad carb. I took my carb straight out the box and hooked everything up and she fired right up and ran damn near perfect. Only after I swapped the main and pilot jet that I had to move the needle clip down one notch and adjust the idle mixture.

Good luck on the next experiment.

It has to be a flaw with an air passage. It only draws excessive fuel when the throttle is closed and there is a lot of vacuum. It also had a strange flat spot around 3/4 throttle and the power jet never pulled fuel up from the bowl. If being free revved it would sometimes blow soot from the muffler, and others would come out clean.

I have a Nibbi PE30MM "High performance" carb on order. A bit more expensive than the cheapie Half round slides, but it also comes with a great warranty and the Nibbi carbs have a good reputation. The idle mixture screw and idle speed being on the right side will also mean I can try to run one of the other intakes I have.

[JerryHawk250]

Good choice. :tup: I had looked at that carb. From what I remember it's a full 30mm bore all the way through just like the PWK30.

[Azhule]

Were did you find the PE30 version ? I can only find the 26, 28, and 34 versions for sale currently (but I only checked the 3 main places I know of :hehe: )

[JerryHawk250]

Were did you find the PE30 version ? I can only find the 26, 28, and 34 versions for sale currently (but I only checked the 3 main places I know of :hehe: )

It's available on Amazon and Ebay. https://www.amazon.com/NIBBI-Replacement-Performance-Carburetor-180CC-300CC/dp/B07P2VY8NC/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=Nibbi+PE30MM&qid=1559225348&s=automotive&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1

[Azhule]

It's available on Amazon and Ebay. https://www.amazon.com/NIBBI-Replacement-Performance-Carburetor-180CC-300CC/dp/B07P2VY8NC/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=Nibbi+PE30MM&qid=1559225348&s=automotive&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1

:doh: I looked at that one too but didn't scroll down to the "Technical Details" to see it was the PE30 :hehe:... might need to drink some more Yerba Mate to wake the brain up a little more :D

[Megadan]

Yep, and Amazon is the cheapest place I have found them, even before the free Prime shipping which made it even cheaper. The main jet changes will not be quite as easy as the PWK, but it's a fair trade to have a proper bowl drain screw that won't spew fuel all over the place. Plus, all of my current jets will work on the PE, so that saves me time and money.

In regards to the hydraulic clutch. The clutch master cylinder was the culprit for the debris. The piston was chewing into the bore, likely due to the seals being cheap and soft. It's strange to me that the brake master is perfectly fine and the clutch master is shit. The slave was in great shape, although it's seals were also soft and a bit deformed. I have a feeling they would have failed within a few hundred miles of use.

Short of a Magura kit for a CRF230 and the cable bracket for said CRF230, which would be expensive as hell ($300+), I don't honestly think there is a viable hydro setup for these bikes. Even if I used an OEM Honda clutch master like that from a VFR800, which I used on my Goldwing, the slave cylinder would always be the potential weak point.

[2LZ]

Harbor Freight lift ?
Whoops! Just found this. Yep! HFT lift. Been great so far. Has no problems jacking up the Victory. It laughs at the CB's. Best money I spent so far. I hate rolling around on the ground anymore.

[dpl096]

Whoops! Just found this. Yep! HFT lift. Been great so far. Has no problems jacking up the Victory. It laughs at the CB's. Best money I spent so far. I hate rolling around on the ground anymore.

I've got the identical lift.....I'm toying with the air powered hydraulic lift mod for it using the one from HFT ...I agree...money well spent .... I would love to fab some wings for it to accommodate my 4wheeler and UTV.

https://youtu.be/dMZKZZxgoVA

[Megadan]

Small update. I managed to get my hands on a NOS CMX250 (Honda Rebel) 14 tooth front sprocket for a whopping 5 bucks from a guy in the local riders group I am a part of. If you didn't know, the front and rear sprockets for the 520 chain also fit the Honda Rebel.

Anyway, it is just a curiosity exercise, but I want to confirm if the 14 can work or not on a Hawk. I expect not, but 5 bucks is a small price to pay for information. Once I get some time I will report back with pictures.

[Megadan]

I can confirm that the 14 tooth is just a teeny tiny bit too bg. Unfortunate, if not too surprising.

[JerryHawk250]

Too bad that didn't work out. Do you think a 11 tooth would work and not be to small? I really want to do the 520 swap but like having a wide range of choices of 3 sprockets to be able to gear up for different types of riding like I do now with the 428 sprockets.

[Megadan]

Too bad that didn't work out. Do you think a 11 tooth would work and not be to small? I really want to do the 520 swap but like having a wide range of choices of 3 sprockets to be able to gear up for different types of riding like I do now with the 428 sprockets.

There are 11 tooth sprockets out there. PBI makes one that should work out of stainless steel for about $15.
https://www.ebay.com/p/PBI-352-11-Steel-Front-Sprocket-11T/171221746?iid=222902669579&rt=nc

I wouldn't consider the 11 too small, though I wouldn't run that as a daily gear.

I think for you, if you wanted to copy the 17/40, 16/40/ 15/40 options you would want a 30 rear. A 13/30 is near enough the same to a 17/40, a 16/40 and 12/30 are identical, and 15/40 and 11/30 are close to the same.

There is a 31 tooth option, but it wasn't sold here in the U.S. I had one on my last Hawk, and you can get them off of ebay for about $25 usually.

If I remember correctly I had 102 links with my 13/31 combo, so you would need either that or maybe 100 links exactly.

I was secretly hoping the 14 would fit, and honestly it might work if you flipped the sprocket and modified the sprocket cover. In the standard location the chain will rub against the protrusion that surrounds the sprocket/chain area from the engine case at about the 7-8 o'clock position. When I say it barely doesn't fit, I mean barely. We are talking about a 16th of an inch.

My hope was to be able to run a 14 front 35 rear, which with my tires would have been like a 17/42 on your bike, but then be able to swap down to a 12 front and have gearing equivalent to a 17/49 setup, or go extreme and swap in an 11 tooth and have a 3:1 gearing setup.

I think I will have to go back to a 31 tooth rear like I had before and snag myself an 11 front to achieve the same things.

This is why I want an engine with that .8 6th gear so much. Then I could have the best of all worlds without the sprocket swapping. a 17/48 equivalent combo would have the cruising RPM in 6th gear of our bikes with a 17/43 in 5th.

[Megadan]

Dan, That CB 200 that I used in my Storm had a 14 tooth 520 on it. The engine was in a 2007 Lifan GS200.

Could be a small variance with the way the engine cases were cast. Like I said, it barely doesn't fit. If I flipped the front sprocket it would work just fine, but I would have to cut away parts of the sprocket cover to make it work.

We shall see. I have no qualms with modifying the sprocket cover, and to be honest my chain alignment when the rear wheel is centered is actually not perfect because the front sprocket is a bit too inboard, so I might just do it. The only thing I hate about flipping the front sprocket is trying to get the bolts in. I might just drill the threads out of the sprocket and run a bolt through it and put a nut and lock washer on the other side to make it easier to install and remove. I already have a 12 front to swap out and that would give me much better off road gearing.

[Megadan]

This Lifan engine uses a JTF264 sprocket. The original 520 sprocket has a offset to it to the outside of the case.

That is kind of what I am getting at. These CG Clones in the Hawk put the sprocket fairly inboard towards the engine case. Without flipping the sprocket, they sit too close for a 14 tooth. Even with the 13 tooth in the standard position it is fairly tight with the sprocket cover and just barely contacts it when installing it, just like a 17 tooth with a 428 chain, though a tiny bit less.

If I flip the sprocket, then the cover definitely needs to be clearanced. It would keep the chain off of the engine case though.

Who knows, I might just go through with it, but not tonight. I just got done cleaning and adjusting my chain lol. No energy left for modifications. I was hoping my Nibbi carb would have arrived by now so I could have installed it, but alas... nothing.

[OneLeggedRider]

Too bad that didn't work out. Do you think a 11 tooth would work and not be to small? I really want to do the 520 swap but like having a wide range of choices of 3 sprockets to be able to gear up for different types of riding like I do now with the 428 sprockets.

Dont fret Jerry, I'll lead your hand on this journey to the 520 club.. :lmao:

But on a serious note I will get the 13 tooth which will net me about a 17/43 ratio with my 33 tooth rear sprocket. And I seriously doubt you'd need to go lower than the 12/33-16/45 ratio I've got now, I can putt around the Reclaim on some pretty technical trails without slipping the clutch, just gotta be gentle with the throttle.

But I haven't ordered anything other than boat parts/accessories for a minute because I've got bigger plans in the works and my toy budget only goes so far. :)

[Megadan]

So, I went on a longer ride today, about 80 miles-ish. I discovered a new side effect of my "high output" engine with that big oil cooler flowing hot air above the motor when riding on a hot day (91 degrees and 87% humidity!) My seat actually gets kinda warm now lol. So does my fuel tank for that matter. I have a whole square sheet of that gold heat reflective foil sitting around not doing anything. I think I may line the underside of my tank with it, and if I have any left I might try to stick some to the seat. Might not do a whole lot, but it has to be better than nothing. Cool fuel is happy fuel, right? Cool crotch is definitely happy crotch for sure.

[JerryHawk250]

Dont fret Jerry, I'll lead your hand on this journey to the 520 club.. :lmao:

But on a serious note I will get the 13 tooth which will net me about a 17/43 ratio with my 33 tooth rear sprocket. And I seriously doubt you'd need to go lower than the 12/33-16/45 ratio I've got now, I can putt around the Reclaim on some pretty technical trails without slipping the clutch, just gotta be gentle with the throttle.

But I haven't ordered anything other than boat parts/accessories for a minute because I've got bigger plans in the works and my toy budget only goes so far. :)
I'll probably go with the 31 tooth because the 30 will put me a little higher than I want with a 13 tooth on front. The 12/31 will be fine for most of the off road riding I do. There are a couple of place we go ride that have some pretty steep hills and the 11/31 would be perfect there. I need billy goat mode there. lol

[Megadan]

So, my Nibbi PE30 has failed to arrive on time. Contacted the seller and they are going to mail me a new one. Without any tracking information it is impossible for me to know if it got lost or delivered to the wrong house, etc. I don't understand why these sellers don't spend the extra buck on tracking. It makes everybody happier in the long run.

[dpl096]

So, my Nibbi PE30 has failed to arrive on time. Contacted the seller and they are going to mail me a new one. Without any tracking information it is impossible for me to know if it got lost or delivered to the wrong house, etc. I don't understand why these sellers don't spend the extra buck on tracking. It makes everybody happier in the long run.

I had same experience...since then I always offer to pay a little extra if the seller will provide the tracking..most say no problem...a few have said if I want that extra service to buy somewhere else.........and I did/do.

[Megadan]

PE30 just arrived. I didn't look it over in super close detail, but I can say that the extra cost paid for the carburetor really shows in the quality. The chome on the slide is immaculate and all of the machining to the carb body is very fine, and certain areas are a polished finish. The black outer coating seems durable, but has a bit of a textured feel to it that might make it a pain to keep clean looking (if you even care).

It came with extra jets in a baggie, a 125, 128, and 130 main jet plus an extra pilot that I couldn't quite read, but looked like a 40 or 48. I have not opened the bowl yet to see what jets come installed, but I am going to assume a 120 main and maybe a 45 pilot. Bowl screws are cap head allen bolts instead of JIS/Phillips.

Overall, I don't feel like it was money wasted at this point. I will report back when I get the time to really look it over and install it. Damn nice carburetor.

[JerryHawk250]

Can't wait t see it installed and results. :tup:

[Megadan]

So to update on the bike with said PE30 carburetor (as seen in this thread. http://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=23923 ).

End results. As far as any change to top speed is concerned, there was no real increase, but that has a lot more to do with the cam profile and where the power peaks combined with my current gearing and where the motor sits in the RPM range,

What has changed is how quickly the bike gets up to speed. It has now become a more steady linear climb up where before it would feel like a struggle, and I can maintain 65-70 with greater ease and more throttle available to me than before. Beyond that point I am on the tail end of the power curve and it just drops off too much to really see much of a difference.

I have a feeling if I put that 14 front on or dropped down 2 teeth in the rear for a better "road bike" gearing setup getting to higher speeds would be much more attainable, if I desired to do so.

Acceleration through all of the gears almost feels effortless now. Maintaining higher speeds up hills in a higher gear is also much easier than it ever was before. Often finding myself able to maintain the current higher gear instead of having to downshift on certain hills I frequently find myself going up.

This is the boost in power I was hoping for ever since I installed the ported head.

[JerryHawk250]

Those are the same exact results I have gotten. Just being able to cruise 65-70 without having to twist the throttle all the way was a nice improvement. I think a 30mm smooth bore is the sweet spot for our setup. I think anything bigger you will loose performance. You have a 32mm. Please prove me wrong. :p lol

[Ariel Red Hunter]

I'll probably go with the 31 tooth because the 30 will put me a little higher than I want with a 13 tooth on front. The 12/31 will be fine for most of the off road riding I do. There are a couple of place we go ride that have some pretty steep hills and the 11/31 would be perfect there. I need billy goat mode there. lolYou are going to the 520 chain because your engine improvements are stressing the 420 HD chain I hope you are using? There is no reason to change to a 520 chain except poor chain and sprocket life. Unless you think you "Just gotta have an O-Ring chain". ..ARH :yay:

[Megadan]

You are going to the 520 chain because your engine improvements are stressing the 420 HD chain I hope you are using? There is no reason to change to a 520 chain except poor chain and sprocket life. Unless you think you "Just gotta have an O-Ring chain". ..ARH :yay:

You can get non o ring 520 chain as well. The reason to switch is entirely for better chain life/durability over the 428. Is it necessary? not entirely. A 428hd chain can live a long happy life on most of these bikes. Since the cost is about the same, if you have to change sprockets and chains, why not? Most OEM's don't even run a 428 chain on anything 200cc or larger anymore entirely for durability reasons. Even the CRF230F, which weight and power wise is close to a Chonda, uses a 520 from the factory.

[JerryHawk250]

You are going to the 520 chain because your engine improvements are stressing the 420 HD chain I hope you are using? There is no reason to change to a 520 chain except poor chain and sprocket life. Unless you think you "Just gotta have an O-Ring chain". ..ARH :yay: I know eventually I'll have to change the rear sprocket. Might as well upgrade everything when I do. I'm surprised that my rear sprocket has held up as well as it has for 5000+ miles. I've been through a few 15 tooth front sprockets but these were stock Hawk sprockets.

[OneLeggedRider]

520 = piece of mind. The smaller chain means constant stretching/adjusting which means more sprocket wear, and a neglected 428 might break. A high quality 520 O-ring should only need one adjustment after break-in, and just replace it if it looks like it needs a second adjustment. If you do your sprockets will last forever. Also I don't lube any of my offroad chains, you're just putting glue on there for sediment to stick to. It can get a little expensive replacing the chain every year especially if you own a few bikes. But not having to worry about your chain and sprockets or breakage = priceless.

[Megadan]

Time to revisit the adjustable preload caps i found a few weeks ago.

To start, I ordered the allen head versions, so naturally I get sent the standard hex head. :ohno: Not a huge problem, I am happy either way.

Side by side shot. If you don't already have different preload spacers or find the Hawk units are good for you, then with these you would basically replace them. They add about 12mm (est) of preload even with the adjustment screws all the way out. Then you can add about another 20mm of preload on top of that with the adjuster all the way in. The only other difference is the size of the hex head for the cap itself, which is 19mm vs. the original caps 17mm.

https://i.ibb.co/9sXw4k5/65550662-10157193072926992-4255197805804519424-n.jpg

As far as fitment. They fit perfectly. The washer on the end that pushes against the spring has a small cotter pin that you will need to bend the legs around more so they sit inside of the spring ID. Otherwise, they are perfect.

https://i.ibb.co/L8dYKgt/64958709-10157193073026992-6934733141915467776-n.jpg

[Ariel Red Hunter]

520 = piece of mind. The smaller chain means constant stretching/adjusting which means more sprocket wear, and a neglected 428 might break. A high quality 520 O-ring should only need one adjustment after break-in, and just replace it if it looks like it needs a second adjustment. If you do your sprockets will last forever. Also I don't lube any of my offroad chains, you're just putting glue on there for sediment to stick to. It can get a little expensive replacing the chain every year especially if you own a few bikes. But not having to worry about your chain and sprockets or breakage = priceless.Well, yes, if you never lube a chain, going for an o-ring chain is a good idea. I've ridden off road a lot in my 65 years of riding, but I never wore out a chain on any of my bikes. But I did chain Maintainance, which consisted of washing it in warm kerosene, then immersing it for an hour in hot Gulf canning wax mixed with colloidal graphite. Once a year...ARH

[OneLeggedRider]

Well, yes, if you never lube a chain, going for an o-ring chain is a good idea. I've ridden off road a lot in my 65 years of riding, but I never wore out a chain on any of my bikes. But I did chain Maintainance, which consisted of washing it in warm kerosene, then immersing it for an hour in hot Gulf canning wax mixed with colloidal graphite. Once a year...ARH

I'm sure the chain maintenance you're describing works well and saved you some money over the years. But nowadays us young whippersnappers (I'm 47) wouldn't even know where to find the wax and graphite or know how to heat kerosene lol. And what do you do with the kerosene after? And thanks to the internet a 520 O-ring is only $35 shipped to your front door. It costs double that to take my lady to dinner. ;)

[Ariel Red Hunter]

I'm sure the chain maintenance you're describing works well and saved you some money over the years. But nowadays us young whippersnappers (I'm 47) wouldn't even know where to find the wax and graphite or know how to heat kerosene lol. And what do you do with the kerosene after? And thanks to the internet a 520 O-ring is only $35 shipped to your front door. It costs double that to take my lady to dinner. ;)If you are spending 70 bucks to go out to dinner with your wife, you are living pretty high on the hog. I gotta admire a guy with your kind of money surfing along on the least expensive motor cycle on the American market. I mean it when I say I think it's great that you do, because you can have a lot of pleasure wrenching on a cheap, but basically good motor cycle....ARH :yay:
PS Gulf canning wax is sold in every Wal-Mart in the USA.

[Megadan]

If you are spending 70 bucks to go out to dinner with your wife, you are living pretty high on the hog. I gotta admire a guy with your kind of money surfing along on the least expensive motor cycle on the American market. I mean it when I say I think it's great that you do, because you can have a lot of pleasure wrenching on a cheap, but basically good motor cycle....ARH :yay:
PS Gulf canning wax is sold in every Wal-Mart in the USA.
You must not go out much these days. Me and my lady just had a "date night" a couple of days ago. 1 ice tea, 1 water, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, and a split dessert =$60 plus tip. Neither of us are anywhere near wealthy, she has two kids, etc. Wasn't even a fancy place to eat lol.

I keep my expenses low specifically to feed my weird obsession with modifications and motorcycles.

[OneLeggedRider]

If you are spending 70 bucks to go out to dinner with your wife, you are living pretty high on the hog. I gotta admire a guy with your kind of money surfing along on the least expensive motor cycle on the American market. I mean it when I say I think it's great that you do, because you can have a lot of pleasure wrenching on a cheap, but basically good motor cycle....ARH :yay:
PS Gulf canning wax is sold in every Wal-Mart in the USA.

I'm not wealthy by any means, but I do ok. I paid my place off early (the finance company hated that) in March and since then I have about $2000 a month for blow money after the bills are taken care of and paying my 2 employees. But any unscheduled vehicle repairs has to come out of that, along with date nights and other recreational activities. Buying the TBR7 this month was a little bit of a strain and it took money away from my other toys and projects, but realistically I could buy a China bike every month if I felt the need to. That's what I love about them and the cheap parts. But I do see a DRZ 400 in my future because I want more power speed and reliability.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

I'm not wealthy by any means, but I do ok. I paid my place off early (the finance company hated that) in March and since then I have about $2000 a month for blow money after the bills are taken care of and paying my 2 employees. But any unscheduled vehicle repairs has to come out of that, along with date nights and other recreational activities. Buying the TBR7 this month was a little bit of a strain and it took money away from my other toys and projects, but realistically I could buy a China bike every month if I felt the need to. That's what I love about them and the cheap parts. But I do see a DRZ 400 in my future because I want more power speed and reliability.That's why we have a different point of view I get about $1750 per month BEFORE I pay any bills. When I take my step-grand daughter out to eat, it's for breakfast, and it's tough to keep it under 10 bucks. ...ARH :p

[Ariel Red Hunter]

You must not go out much these days. Me and my lady just had a "date night" a couple of days ago. 1 ice tea, 1 water, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, and a split dessert =$60 plus tip. Neither of us are anywhere near wealthy, she has two kids, etc. Wasn't even a fancy place to eat lol.

I keep my expenses low specifically to feed my weird obsession with modifications and motorcycles.I go out for breakfast at least 5 times a week. $30 bucks cover it, including tip...ARH :hehe:

[Megadan]

I go out for breakfast at least 5 times a week. $30 bucks cover it, including tip...ARH :hehe:

Oh we have a cheap local diner we like to frequent about once a week. Lots of food for a very reasonable price. Usually lunch costs no more than 35 with tip included. It just depends where you go. It isn't hard to spend $70 at a "nicer" place though.

[OneLeggedRider]

Texas Roadhouse tonight. 2 thick bone in ribeyes with a side of ribs, 2 sides and loaded potato skins for an appetizer. Add on 3 margaritas with with Patrone double shots in each totalled $105 with 15% tip.

My father got very frugal with breakfast because it was 5 days a week in Florida. $2.10 for eggs toast and coffee with orange juice. And he bitched if I added on bacon or ham. :lmao:

He seen it as almost a competition between him and the other snowbirds.

But let's get back to Dan's original post. He continues to amaze on a regular basis. :)

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Texas Roadhouse tonight. 2 thick bone in ribeyes with a side of ribs, 2 sides and loaded potato skins for an appetizer. Add on 3 margaritas with with Patrone double shots in each totalled $105 with 15% tip.

My father got very frugal with breakfast because it was 5 days a week in Florida. $2.10 for eggs toast and coffee with orange juice. And he bitched if I added on bacon or ham. :lmao:

He seen it as almost a competition between him and the other snowbirds.

But let's get back to Dan's original post. He continues to amaze on a regular basis. :)Yeah, I see your point. But ARE THOSE GREEN BEANS? You paid $105.00 for a meal in a joint that serves green beans? Green beans are the go to veggie in every greasy spoon in America. I drove 18 wheelers for some years. The lousier the truckstop kitchen, the more sure you were of getting green beans. Nice looing lady, by the way...ARH :yay:

[OneLeggedRider]

Texas Roadhouse makes the absolute best green beans with Sideliners bar and grill coming in at a close second. I've tried to mimic the recipe at home but they're just not the same.

So now that we've all agreed that you shouldn't lube offroad chains and a 520 is an absolute must have for the Hawk.. :hehe:

I think it's time we gave Dan hell for his frivolous spending and purchasing the adjustable preload caps. Why do we need to have adjustable preload if you're the only one riding said bike? And it doesn't seem like you do much trail riding so I'm not sure I see the purpose.

[JerryHawk250]

I think it's time we gave Dan hell for his frivolous spending and purchasing the adjustable preload caps. Why do we need to have adjustable preload if you're the only one riding said bike? And it doesn't seem like you do much trail riding so I'm not sure I see the purpose.
The adjustable pre-load would be nice to have when you first set the bike up. Get it all fine tuned and leave it alone. Or if you eat too much you could always adjust it. lol

[Azhule]

Yeah, I see your point. But ARE THOSE GREEN BEANS? You paid $105.00 for a meal in a joint that serves green beans?

You do know Gordon Ramsay will serve you Green Beans... at his 5 Michelin Star restaurants... and you will easily pay well over $100 per person for those meals with salt and peppered green beans :doh:

[Megadan]

I can name several reasons to have them, and several not to have them.

Just like I can record myself on a non paved surface that I actually do frequent on a regular basis, or I cannot. It is all personal preference.

I am a well known spender of frivolity. Kind of a trait of mine.

[OneLeggedRider]

I can name several reasons to have them, and several not to have them.

Just like I can record myself on a non paved surface that I actually do frequent on a regular basis, or I cannot. It is all personal preference.

I am a well known spender of frivolity. Kind of a trait of mine.

Amen Dan, anytime I get a project I spend silly amounts of money, and when I can't do anything else to it I move on to the next, for example $2,500 in a Traxxas Stampede. I got it to go extremely fast and handle really well. But when I couldn't do anything else to it I moved on to an RC crawler.

And ofcourse you know I was trying to steer the thread away from green beans and budget spending and back to the infamous Hawk with a with a bit of humor and sarcasm.

And I personally would love to see some of your offroad adventures. I have a GoPro but I need a new laptop.

[Megadan]

Mosy of my unpaved adventures are just dirt lanes and some dual track out in the farm land near the river. Nothing too exciting really. I am not a hardcore off roader, which is why I tend to favor more street oriented setups. I prefer the big wheels of the Hawk though, because some of the ruts and obstacles out here can get pretty gnarly sometimes.

I may take a trip to the nearest ORV park if it isn't still underwater. I could always record myself fooling around out there lol.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Mosy of my unpaved adventures are just dirt lanes and some dual track out in the farm land near the river. Nothing too exciting really. I am not a hardcore off roader, which is why I tend to favor more street oriented setups. I prefer the big wheels of the Hawk though, because some of the ruts and obstacles out here can get pretty gnarly sometimes.

I may take a trip to the nearest ORV park if it isn't still underwater. I could always record myself fooling around out there lol.I think that the style of your off-roading is what most people do. This is why Triumph 500's were so popular back in the day. They did nothing really well, but they could do every bit of it...ARH

[Megadan]

I think that the style of your off-roading is what most people do. This is why Triumph 500's were so popular back in the day. They did nothing really well, but they could do every bit of it...ARH

That is actually kind of how I view the Hawk, like an old T100 with maybe a bit more clearance and travel. Just a good all around utilitarian bike that can swiss army knife itself through most situations well enough, even if it isn't particularly the greatest at any one of them.

With motorcycles being more and more specialized, it is kind of nice to own something that is a bit more "jack of all trades" so I don't need to own 5 bikes. Now I own two, and they are complete opposites of one another. If I need to eat highway miles, go set my hair on fire, or go run a track day - VFR. If I want to go put around town, go visit some family out in the "boonies", explore anywhere that isn't paved, etc. The Hawk works rather well, and I can ride it without really having to monitor my speed every few seconds to make sure I am not over the speed limit at felony levels without realizing it.

[Megadan]

A PE30 and a ported head are a match made in heaven. Not only do I climb all the way to 75mph with amazing ease, but it can hold speed up most of the hills on the highway I take to work. I wont be able to beat my top speed record since I am limited by gearing, 75mph=8000rpm, but it gets there without me having to use the force to will it there. It just pulls and pulls.

I am going to resist the urge to gear it up, but I do want to make that 14 tooth front sprocket work for a trip I have planned (4.5 hours of highway) just to get the rpms down a bit more for that extended trip. Otherwise I think the gearing/tire size/mods are in perfect balance.

[JerryHawk250]

Sweet! Still haven't ordered my 122 yet. Yeah that 14 tooth would put you the same as my 17/40. That will drop the rpms just about right for 65-70 mph. You still using the 35 pilot?

[Megadan]

Yep, still rocking the 35 pilot. I think the slight unsteady idle is just a part of the carb, intake and head porting.

The 14 front with a 33 rear on my rear tire diameter would be closer to your bike having a 42 rear sprocket. The shinko 700 4.6 x 18 is closer in diameter to a 120/80 18 tire, which is a bit shorter in diameter than a 110/100 18.

[Megadan]

So. it took way longer than I expected but I crested the 1k mile mark (actually at 1100). I attribute this to the hot weather and owning a car with air conditioning making me lazier than usual and driving to work most of the time - that and a fear of my bike being stolen again from my work makes me ride it less often.

In the process of what I like to call a "major service" where I take things apart, clean and grease, check spokes, adjust the valves. I managed to find a unicorn at a local hardware chain for the oil change - 15w-40 Rotella T6. The one downside to a vacuum based oil cooler setup is being able to flush the cooler easily. I have some leftover T4, so I think I will take the easy way out and drain as much oil oil as I can, fill it with T4, take it for a short ride, and then drain it again. Removing the oil cooler to drain it would be ideal, but that would be a ton of work.

I am thinking about rigging up some sort of block/contraption with a hose barb fitting on one end that leads to a tapped hole for the banjo bolt for future endeavors that I can hook up the line from a hand pump I have for gallon oil jugs.

In other news, the Brozz swing arm upgrade test fit should happen sometime tonight or tomorrow morning. From my measurements the shock mount hole is about 20mm higher than the original Hawk unit. I am curious to see how this translates to a change in ride height. I plan on measuring the change in shock length to maintain stock ride height.

Depending on what I find with this experimentation I may change to a different length shock. I have considered actually lowering the back of my bike a little bit. I never planned on raising it to begin with, and the result of which has angled the rear up enough that the seating position is a bit awkward on longer rides and contributes to back and shoulder pain. I have my eye on a couple of Fast Ace shocks, but they may be too short, so it will depend on what I find with my measuring.

Update to follow once I get a chance to goof around with it.

[Megadan]

Swing arm shenanigans.

I put most of the information about the fitment in the other thread about the Swing arm posted by PeaceSportsAtlanta found here: http://chinariders.net/showpost.php?p=314423&postcount=22

What I want to cover here is related to the shock and the effect on the length if the mount point on the swing arm is used.

What will need to be done comes down to two things.

The easiest/cheapest solution would be to drill a new pair of holes on the bracket to put the lower shock mount in the same relative location as the Hawk arm - roughly 20mm lower than the current holes. The good news is, there is a lot of bracket to work with for doing this, and the excess can easily be trimmed down.

The more expensive solution would be a shorter shock. Now, since I didn't feel like completely tearing down the bike to fully remove the rear shock, this is just guesstimation work, but should be fairly close. If you stick with a 320mm length shock you would be looking at at least a 2 inch increase in ride height in the rear. To achieve close to the stock Hawk ride height you would want about a 25mm shorter eye to eye length shock - aka 295mm.

Going back to my previous post concerning myself considering a Fast Ace shock, I have been eyeballing this guy: http://www.pccmotor.com/fastace-11quot-280mm-rear-shock11280661001.html

Preload, compression, and rebound adjustment with a 70mm stroke - compared to the 40mm of the other generic shocks of the same length.
I would have to trim a bit more away from the air box to clear the reservoir, and getting to the compression adjuster would be mildly annoying, plus the cost is a bit more than I would like to spend.

The other one I have been looking at is this guy. https://www.amazon.com/280mm-Fastace-Bs-22ar-bda01ar-Shock/dp/B007J5E38E/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=fastace+280mm+shock&qid=1563614478&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Slightly lighter spring rate, but also has the same 70mm stroke.

The second option is more tempting just for the simplicity and the cost. One nice benefit of the brozz mount bracket is that, if the 15mm shorter shock lowers it more than I desire, I do have some room to work with on changing the mount location to bring it back up a little bit if desired.

[brianjmt]

Megadan, Man you are complicating things for me and I am about to start ordering parts probably next week. LOL Your best guess on one of those fast ace shocks for a brozz? I am not going to be doing jumps and really tough offroad but i plan on tearing up the twisties. I like the current brozz seat height dont really want to f that up because it is perfect for me or at least the one I sat on. Not much on here for brozz specific bikes and i was sorta under the assumption they were almost the same or close enough stuff would interchange. Glad I waited on ordering you dont know how close I have been to going all in on getting parts to start shipping for when I get the bike. But every visit here or allexipress is more $$$$. But in a good way.

[OneLeggedRider]

Now Dan just admit it, ever since you seen my bike lowered in the rear and raised in the front you've been coveting it.. and I wont hold it against you if ya wanna follow in my footsteps. :hehe:

Great work on the swingarm, and I knew if anyone could make it work you would. It may be a future mod for me but I've got alot of work to do to catch up to your bike. :tup:

[Megadan]

Megadan, Man you are complicating things for me and I am about to start ordering parts probably next week. LOL Your best guess on one of those fast ace shocks for a brozz? I am not going to be doing jumps and really tough offroad but i plan on tearing up the twisties. I like the current brozz seat height dont really want to f that up because it is perfect for me or at least the one I sat on. Not much on here for brozz specific bikes and i was sorta under the assumption they were almost the same or close enough stuff would interchange. Glad I waited on ordering you dont know how close I have been to going all in on getting parts to start shipping for when I get the bike. But every visit here or allexipress is more $$$$. But in a good way.

Before ordering a shock I would suggest taking the time to remove the original one and measure it. If I had to guess, the Brozz uses around a 300mm shock, but the top mount may be in a slightly different position than it is on a Hawk and could be longer or shorter because of that. Due to the geometry of the rear suspension a small change in length on the shock can make a substantial difference in ride height. Take my Hawk, a 5mm longer shock (325mm vs 320mm) lifted the back of the bike a bit more than half an inch.

As far as the two Fast Ace shocks I linked, both are the same length at 280mm. The first one would require removal or serious modification to the airbox due to the reservoir, but comes with the benefit of full adjustability that will likely actually function properly. The second shock will also work just fine, but only has rebound and preload adjustment (that will also likely function properly). Both shocks are designed more for off road performance which is why they have a longer shock to provide more wheel travel.

In the case of my Hawk, with the Brozz swing arm, if I used a 280mm shock I would be looking at lowering the bike about 1.5 inches out back as well as picking up a lot more wheel travel.

The other shocks out there like the one I have do work just fine, but the adjustment is very limited. The advantage is that they come in a variety of lengths so you can closely match to what you have.

[Megadan]

Full oil change with the oil cooler. The "It works, but slightly messy" method that I utilized tonight will be my go-to method with my planned longer change intervals of 1000 miles. It is a little more involved time wise than just draining the oil and topping it off, but it does ensure that a majority of the old oil is out of the entire system.

I will also note that the center stand made this a lot easier to do, so having the bike level and upright really helped.

Step 1. Remove the drain bolt from the block and drain the sump and leave it out.

Step 2. Undo the fitting for the line from the sump to the oil cooler at the oil cooler end. This allows the line to drain back into the sump and thus into the oil pan beneath. This also facilitates unscrewing the oil filter screen housing to clean said screen.

Step 3. Remove the banjo bolt for the feed line to the oil pump at the block fitting and hang it over your oil drain pan. This will allow the line to drain.

Step 4. Install the drain plug bolt back into the block once all of the oil has drained.

Step 5. This required finding a fitting that I sourced from a local speed shop. It is an M12 metric O-ring to 3/8" hose barb adapter. I screwed this into the oil cooler where the sump banjo bolt was removed. I then pushed the end of the 3/8" hose for my oil transfer pump (Link to something similar: https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W1139-Gallon-Design/dp/B00329VL3G/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1GHTQCS4XTSNE&keywords=fluid+pump+for+gallon+bottles+-+transfer+gear+oil&qid=1563697371&s=automotive&sprefix=gallon+bottle+oil+pu%2Cautomotive%2C177&sr=1-5 ) on to the barb end and secured with a small hose clamp.

From there I just pumped oil into the cooler, forcing oil out of it and down the disconnected line to the pump and let it drain into the oil pan below until it started to come out clean and then let it finish running out the line until it was done dripping.

Step 6: Reinstall the line to the pump on the block fitting, and then set the bike on the side stand. I removed the barb fitting and then slowly used the pump and hose to add oil to the cooler in order to prime the line to the pump. I stopped once the oil no longer went down in the cooler and then made a little mess as it overflowed a bit (oops). I then reinstalled the line from the sump at the oil cooler end and placed the bike back up on the center stand.

Step 7: the obvious step, filled the sump.

This is where the big oil cooler and the lines come into play as far as capacity. I already have the cooler full, and the line to the pump primed. I filled the oil to the top of the sight glass, what should be too full. I then started it, let it run for a few minutes, shut it off, let it sit a few more minutes to drain, and voila, no oil in the sight glass when vertical. If I tilted the bike to the right a bit it would show, so it wasn't empty, but it definitely shows just how much oil those lines to and from the oil cooler hold. Topped it off, and done.

By far the most complicated oil change I have ever done lol.

As far as the coolers functionality, it definitely made a difference. This oil had about 600 miles on it, and while dark enough to obviously not be new, it was not as dark as the oil was at about 400 miles (oil from second oil change during break in) before I installed the cooler. So, yes, the oil life is definitely extended.

As a side note. I am glad I was able to find the Rotella T6 in 15w-40. I never liked the 5w40 T6 because of how clattery the engine was on a cold start thanks to how thin it was. The 15w40 T6 is perfect for this engine. It still flows much easier than the T4 15w-40, but still thick enough to keep the noise down, and the engine runs much smoother, and the gear shifts are smoother as well. This will be my oil of choice from now on with this bike. :tup:

[Megadan]

Some side notes of other things during my major maintenance shenanigans.

The chain tensioner I added to the bike is essentially shot. The roller was definitely worn, but what makes it useless is the arm itself that holds the roller and adds tension. It wore the edges down where the pivot is located and was starting to go cockeyed. This is entirely due to the distance between the roller and where its shaft connects adding a lot of angular load to the arm. If I were to do it again, I would consider flipping the installation around to get the arm closer to the roller.

Valve adjustment: Intake was fine, and the exhaust was within spec though just barely. I set them at .06mm intake and .07mm exhaust. I like these specs as they are tight enough to keep the valve clatter to a minimum, but are not at minimum spec. either, thus allowing a little more leeway for service intervals (roughly 1000 miles between checks).

One thing worth doing is to periodically check the grease on the swing arm pivot and shock bolts, especially if you ride on dirt. After 1000 miles the lower shock bolt and spacers were gritty and the grease was almost solid - the upper was fine. The swing arm pivot was also getting dry enough that a tiny bit of surface rust formed on the pivot bolt in a couple of spots. I cleaned everything up and then re-greased it. Do not neglect these areas of your bike if you want a long happy life out of it.

Installing a zerk on the swing arm is definitely a worth while thing to do, and will be something done to the Brozz swing arm before it is installed.

I also checked the steering stem bearings/grease, and they were fine. My Fork oil was pretty nasty, so I drained it and used the last of my current quart bottle to add fresh fluid. Seals were fine, but I did use my seal cleaning tool and found a little bit of grime in them.

I also completely removed the chain and gave it a very very thorough cleaning with a brush and some kerosene. This is probably the cleanest the chain has ever been lol. I then sprayed it with my favorite Pro Honda white graphite chain lube, let it dry, and wiped off the excess. All of this is so much easier to do with the chain off it is almost comical. Set my chain tension to 40mm of slack at full droop, which is almost spot on perfect to meet the loaded tension spec of 15mm.

I went over all of the motor mount bolts, and found the upper rear mount plate bolts a bit loose. I have always had an issue with these guys, even on my last Hawk. I installed some serrated flange nylock nuts in place of the originals. All the rest of the bolts were still tight.

With both wheels off I decided to clean the heck out of them. WD40 and a shop towel is amazing for getting off brake dust from the rims and the spokes. Then following it up with a wash of the rims to keep dust/dirt from sticking to them (left the spokes alone for rust prevention reasons) Checked the wheel trueness and checked/tightened all of my spokes.

I also cleaned the brake rotors with a green scotch brite and some brake cleaner, and them removed the brake pads, cleaned the calipers and all the other hardware then cleaned and re-greased the slide pins. Brakes now work better than ever.

I also went over all of the wiring and connectors to check for any wear from rubbing or corrosion. Found nothing, which makes me a happy camper.

With all of this said and done, it was a full weekend, but now the bike is ready for the rest of the year and beyond.

Yes, I am this obsessive about maintenance with all of my bikes. :crazy:

[OneLeggedRider]

Now Dan, the idea of a partial oil change even makes me cringe, and I don't know enough about the cooler to know if the lines would need to be primed after. But what about changing a quart of the capacity every 500 miles? Certainly seems like alot less hassle.

When I got my '74 K20 it incorporated the constant loss oiling system (which has since been remedied) and because there was always some fresh oil going in it didn't look too bad at the 3000 mile intervals. Just a thought, and I wonder how Jerry handles oil changes with 2 coolers.

[China Rider 27]

That is some impressive maintenance! This winter you should do a "maintenance resource guide" sticky! I saw other day Rotella came out with a full synthetic T6 15W-40 they say for reduced oil burning.

[Megadan]

Now Dan, the idea of a partial oil change even makes me cringe, and I don't know enough about the cooler to know if the lines would need to be primed after. But what about changing a quart of the capacity every 500 miles? Certainly seems like alot less hassle.

When I got my '74 K20 it incorporated the constant loss oiling system (which has since been remedied) and because there was always some fresh oil going in it didn't look too bad at the 3000 mile intervals. Just a thought, and I wonder how Jerry handles oil changes with 2 coolers.

The oil coolers are suction based, so you need to prime the system.

As for the partial oil change. Normally I wouldn't bother going to these lengths, but seeing as with the cooler installed it makes up about a third of the total oil capacity I care a bit more.

That is some impressive maintenance! This winter you should do a "maintenance resource guide" sticky! I saw other day Rotella came out with a full synthetic T6 15W-40 they say for reduced oil burning.

I go over all of my bikes like this once a year. Not sure if a sticky is warranted, but I could always add something to the resource guide.

The oil burning with 5w40 T6 doesn't surprise me with how thin it is. That was the main reason I never touched it. Probably not an issue with these little motors, but it does make them more noisy, which I don't like.

[JerryHawk250]

Now Dan, the idea of a partial oil change even makes me cringe, and I don't know enough about the cooler to know if the lines would need to be primed after. But what about changing a quart of the capacity every 500 miles? Certainly seems like alot less hassle.

When I got my '74 K20 it incorporated the constant loss oiling system (which has since been remedied) and because there was always some fresh oil going in it didn't look too bad at the 3000 mile intervals. Just a thought, and I wonder how Jerry handles oil changes with 2 coolers. I've done it a couple of ways just to experiment and find out which is the best way. First time I did it similar to the way Dan just explained. The last time I drained the oil from the bottom plug. Once that oil had drained I switched the kill switch on and cranked the engine until it sucked all the oil out of the coolers. More oil did come out so I know it was sucking it out. I'm sure there was some left in the cooler but not enough to worry about. I then disconnect the line that the filter screen is on to pull and clean the screen which btw was clean as can be. I may skip this step on the next oil change and do this like every other oil change. After reconnecting the lines I then replace the oil drain plug and fill with 1 quart of oil. With the kill switch still on I'll crank it to prime the cooler. The 1st time I tried this method I was leery on this method so I pulled the hoses from each cooler and tried to top off each cooler. Both were full so the method works on my setup anyway. So after starting I check the oil level and usually add about 4 oz. more oil to bring the oil level just above half glass. I'm not telling everyone this is the way to do. This what has worked for me and as you can see I took precautions to make sure that this method worked.

Like Dan stated. The center stand makes the oil change much easier. Bike is level and no jack stuck in the way of the oil drain pan.

With the oil cooler the life span is much longer between oil changes. Before the oil cooler @ 500 miles the oil would be almost jet black. After installing the oil cooler I changed the oil at 1000 miles and still be a nice golden brown. So the next oil change I pushed it to 1200 miles. Still same golden brown. Now I know this will make Dan and a few others cringe but I have about 1500 miles on the oil and is still a golden brown but I am scheduling an oil change soon even though it probably doesn't need one. Since I installed the dual coolers my oil temps have never gone over 200*. Highest I seen was 189*. This was on a 98* day with the heat index of 106*. Yeah, too dang hot to ride. I do use Quicksilver 15W50 full synthetic Motorcycle oil so not to worried about oil break down. My thinking is if my full size truck is designed for 9000 to 10000 mile oil change intervals I'm sure the little china bike engine will be okay if I push it to 2000 miles.

[China Rider 27]

By what means are you getting the oil temps?

[JerryHawk250]

By what means are you getting the oil temps?
From this temperature/volt meter I installed. Link to thread. http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=22409

[Ariel Red Hunter]

The oil coolers are suction based, so you need to prime the system.

As for the partial oil change. Normally I wouldn't bother going to these lengths, but seeing as with the cooler installed it makes up about a third of the total oil capacity I care a bit more.



I go over all of my bikes like this once a year. Not sure if a sticky is warranted, but I could always add something to the resource guide.

The oil burning with 5w40 T6 doesn't surprise me with how thin it is. That was the main reason I never touched it. Probably not an issue with these little motors, but it does make them more noisy, which I don't like.This is/was a diesel truck engine oil. Cold blooded engines that are liquid cooled. Absolutely necessary to have such thin oil in order to get adequate lubrication to the over-head gear, which includes fuel injectors on all but one brand of over the road engine. Diesels are normally slow to warm up, because they are constant pressure engines instead of constant temperature engines like the one in your car. BUT, a heavier oil is indicated for air-cooled engines which run at a higher temperature...ARH :doh:

[Megadan]

I've done it a couple of ways just to experiment and find out which is the best way. First time I did it similar to the way Dan just explained. The last time I drained the oil from the bottom plug. Once that oil had drained I switched the kill switch on and cranked the engine until it sucked all the oil out of the coolers. More oil did come out so I know it was sucking it out. I'm sure there was some left in the cooler but not enough to worry about. I then disconnect the line that the filter screen is on to pull and clean the screen which btw was clean as can be. I may skip this step on the next oil change and do this like every other oil change. After reconnecting the lines I then replace the oil drain plug and fill with 1 quart of oil. With the kill switch still on I'll crank it to prime the cooler. The 1st time I tried this method I was leery on this method so I pulled the hoses from each cooler and tried to top off each cooler. Both were full so the method works on my setup anyway. So after starting I check the oil level and usually add about 4 oz. more oil to bring the oil level just above half glass. I'm not telling everyone this is the way to do. This what has worked for me and as you can see I took precautions to make sure that this method worked.

Like Dan stated. The center stand makes the oil change much easier. Bike is level and no jack stuck in the way of the oil drain pan.

With the oil cooler the life span is much longer between oil changes. Before the oil cooler @ 500 miles the oil would be almost jet black. After installing the oil cooler I changed the oil at 1000 miles and still be a nice golden brown. So the next oil change I pushed it to 1200 miles. Still same golden brown. Now I know this will make Dan and a few others cringe but I have about 1500 miles on the oil and is still a golden brown but I am scheduling an oil change soon even though it probably doesn't need one. Since I installed the dual coolers my oil temps have never gone over 200*. Highest I seen was 189*. This was on a 98* day with the heat index of 106*. Yeah, too dang hot to ride. I do use Quicksilver 15W50 full synthetic Motorcycle oil so not to worried about oil break down. My thinking is if my full size truck is designed for 9000 to 10000 mile oil change intervals I'm sure the little china bike engine will be okay if I push it to 2000 miles.

The second method you did is something I had considered. If I were to try this I would do two things differently. First, definitely on a hot oil change so the oil would flow more freely. I did mine cold since I was also doing the valves at the same time. I just let it drain for a very long time. Second, I would crank it over as you did and then sit it on the side stand for a few minutes to let the head drain down, then bavk on the center stand. Maybe not necessary, but it would help get as much out as possible.

The 1500 mile interval doesn't make me cringe at all. I use shorter intervals because how my bike is used is pretty rough on the oil. Short trips mixed with lots of hard highway runs. I destroy the oil pretty quick. I expect this 15w40 T6 to last every bit of 1000 miles, and possibly longer.

[JerryHawk250]

I always warm he engine up before changing the oil. I just forgot to mention that. lol

[Megadan]

This is/was a diesel truck engine oil. Cold blooded engines that are liquid cooled. Absolutely necessary to have such thin oil in order to get adequate lubrication to the over-head gear, which includes fuel injectors on all but one brand of over the road engine. Diesels are normally slow to warm up, because they are constant pressure engines instead of constant temperature engines like the one in your car. BUT, a heavier oil is indicated for air-cooled engines which run at a higher temperature...ARH :doh:

I cut my chops in a diesel shop. Very familiar with them. Most of the modern engines use much thinner oil because of their OHC heads, as you mentioned. The older cummins ohv and detroit 4 strokes use pretty heavy oils.

[Megadan]

I always warm he engine up before changing the oil. I just forgot to mention that. lol

I figured, and I normally do as well. My one exception is if the bike has been sitting for a couple of days. By that point most of the oil has drained down to the sump.

[kingofqueenz]

SO many varying schools of thought around changing oil warm or cold..

I changed it cold after the bike sat for 4 days

[Megadan]

SO many varying schools of thought around changing oil warm or cold..

I changed it cold after the bike sat for 4 days

Both methods are viable. It just depends on circumstances. If the bike is used regularly, hot is going to be my method. If it sat for days, cold will get more oil out, but you have to let it drain for a while. If it is an old bike that has sat for several weeks/months I will often fill it with a cheap oil, run it for a few days to stir up anything that settled, then do a hot oil change to my preferred oil with a new filter.

[kingofqueenz]

Thanks Dan...that's a nifty.. sensible idea to use the cheap oil to run and grab the gunk out.

Suppose that is a viable option to de-winterize the bike ( I live up North).

I have done something similar with my lawn mower.

You mention changing the filter... I've got the stock screen on my TBR7.. I'm sure you may not..but that may be another post, another story for another day.

[Megadan]

Thanks Dan...that's a nifty.. sensible idea to use the cheap oil to run and grab the gunk out.

Suppose that is a viable option to de-winterize the bike ( I live up North).

I have done something similar with my lawn mower.

You mention changing the filter... I've got the stock screen on my TBR7.. I'm sure you may not..but that may be another post, another story for another day.

The filter was just mentioned as a generic term. I have owned a bunch of bikes lol.

[Sochin]

Questionable bikes with questionable riders :D :lol:

[OneLeggedRider]

Questionable bikes with questionable riders :D :lol:

Yessir, you gotta watch all these shady mofos, lord knows if they're willing to go this far to save a few greenbacks what else they will and have done. :hmm:

[Sochin]

I concur, I'm a cheap ass even tho I've two other decent bikes. The frugal nature of the Chonda's are appealing.........I'm having a bet with myself how many miles I will get on this thing before I deem it not roadworthy?

[brianjmt]

Megadan, question what are the pro's /con's to using shock risers? Been looking and with risers that sure would open the door up for more quality shock options. I found this on another site but I havent read anything on here about using risers.

[Megadan]

I'm having a bet with myself how many miles I will get on this thing before I deem it not roadworthy?

How many do you want to get out of it? Short of some disaster, there is no reason that one of these bikes couldn't go for tens of thousands of miles as long as they are cared for. Even if something does go wrong, the parts are so cheap that in theory you could keep it going until the frame rots away, or you just can't get parts anymore lol.

Megadan, question what are the pro's /con's to using shock risers? Been looking and with risers that sure would open the door up for more quality shock options. I found this on another site but I havent read anything on here about using risers.

Pros = options for using other shocks that may be too short. Adapting one type of shock to a different mount style. Altering the chassis setup/suspension geometry for a given purpose.

Cons = An added complexity that can become a potential failure point. Altering of the suspension geometry/chassis setup that, if done blindly, could cause potential handling and stability issues.

[brianjmt]

Megadan yeap i did some more research seems it is ok for 4x4's and cars but the motorcycle world is a no go on these shock risers/extenders. All I could find on utube is vids of either india or asia guys doing this. I am not as lucky as those guys. Law of physics do not apply over there . The shit I have seen them do you would never believe me in a million yrs. There was one or two dirt bikevid's where the owners did this but it was on very small50cc bikes/scooters for kids.

[Megadan]

Since I haven't updated in a while I may as well blab a bit.

Rotella T6 15w40 is just about the best oil I have run in my Hawk to date. Now that I have found a place that carries it, it will be all I run.

No advances made on the swing arm swap. Just no time to mess around with it right now and I am still looking at alternative shocks.

[Cravin01]

Well I have used Rotella T5 15-40 since the build. Not one slip with the clutch or any downside. I haven't rode as much as I would like in the last few month due to very hot weather but I did get some people wondering about T5 and wet clutches. No problems here to report.

[Megadan]

Well I have used Rotella T5 15-40 since the build. Not one slip with the clutch or any downside. I haven't rode as much as I would like in the last few month due to very hot weather but I did get some people wondering about T5 and wet clutches. No problems here to report.

T5 used to be jaso ma2 rated years ago. They just stopped getting it certified for whatever reason. T6 15w40 is hard to find. Most places only carry the 5w40 version.

[Megadan]

Had a bit of an adventure today. My uncle decided to do his annual Hog Roast down on my Mom's family land - 160 acres granted by the Homestead Act to my great, great grandfather and Grandmother - so I decided to ride my Hawk the 50 miles down a 70mph highway at 65mph in order to go exploring on it. Something I have wanted to do for a while. Nothing but rolling hills, tall grass, and thick trees of a million varieties - brought about thanks to the Arbor Lodge (the reason Arbor day exists) - that leads all the way to the Missouri River.
https://i.ibb.co/6Zr3nXv/NECITY.jpg

It was a fun day, even though I annoyingly forgot my Gopro at home. After a bit of fun I got to stuff my face with lots of home made food and BBQ. Sometimes you just need a day like today to recharge your batteries.

[OneLeggedRider]

That does look like a fun place to explore. My parents have 157 acre farm just down the road, but we can't ride quads or bikes on it because THEY ARE THE DEVIL! :lmao:

[wedooit]

Nice pictures, and glad you had a fun time!

[Megadan]

That does look like a fun place to explore. My parents have 157 acre farm just down the road, but we can't ride quads or bikes on it because THEY ARE THE DEVIL! :lmao:

about half of this land was used for farming at one point. If you look to the right you can see the terracing on one of the hills. Now most of it has been left to return to "wild" except for 30 acres on one corner. that is leased to a neighbor. which is the only flat section on the whole property. The rest of it is small but steep hills and woods.

[McFailbutter]

Sou d's like goods times dan. Everyone needs a day like that sooner or later

[Megadan]

Figured I would upload this here since it is relevant. I go over the total cost in mods/upgrades and show the work to my garage in prep for VFR disassembly for transmission work. If you haven't seen the usual state of my garage, this probably won't be as amazing to you lol.

One thing I will note, this is just a representative cost for this bike. Some of the more expensive parts on this particular bike were either already purchased for my last Hawk and never installed or kindly donated to me, but I included them in the cost because I had bought them for my last Hawk, so I just treated it as if all parts were purchased since they technically were.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzIPuNtiFbw

[OneLeggedRider]

I for one would definitely like to see a couple pics/vids of the tear down and and reassembly of the VFR. I am a big fan of the V4 Honda's (not necessarily working on them) power output and delivery, and have had the pleasure of riding a couple of them.

As far as the Hawk goes, we know you enjoy tinkering with it as much as riding it. And this winter mine's coming back in the house for some serious upgrades. What I would like to see you do is put that swingarm on there and lace some good rims front and rear. Then what would stop you from jumping it/riding it like an actual (albeit heavy) dirtbike?

[wedooit]

Dan, so great to see your smiling face! Thank you! Glad you cleaned up your shop looks nice! You are a remarkable genius, and thanks for sharing your knowledge to all on this site, and helping us, personally, as well. Thank you for your kindness.

I agree with onelegged dude above. Pics and videos of the VFR repair, would be kool. If I would never own one, I learn from your analytical approach, and how you present the repair, or the steps, to accomplish the goal.

I agree with your remarks regarding euro brands of bikes, and the market driven costs. In our area, I cannot believe there isn't more china syndrome bikes. (There has been some used storms advertised for 1500.00, out of Salt Lake area....new 1500.00 off internet)

Thank you again for your time, and videos!

[Megadan]

I for one would definitely like to see a couple pics/vids of the tear down and and reassembly of the VFR. I am a big fan of the V4 Honda's (not necessarily working on them) power output and delivery, and have had the pleasure of riding a couple of them.

As far as the Hawk goes, we know you enjoy tinkering with it as much as riding it. And this winter mine's coming back in the house for some serious upgrades. What I would like to see you do is put that swingarm on there and lace some good rims front and rear. Then what would stop you from jumping it/riding it like an actual (albeit heavy) dirtbike?

I have no problem making the vids. Gives me some great content at least lol.

What stops me from riding it like an actual dirt bike? My spine. The lack of disc in my lower back being the main reason.


Dan, so great to see your smiling face! Thank you! Glad you cleaned up your shop looks nice! You are a remarkable genius, and thanks for sharing your knowledge to all on this site, and helping us, personally, as well. Thank you for your kindness.

I agree with onelegged dude above. Pics and videos of the VFR repair, would be kool. If I would never own one, I learn from your analytical approach, and how you present the repair, or the steps, to accomplish the goal.

I agree with your remarks regarding euro brands of bikes, and the market driven costs. In our area, I cannot believe there isn't more china syndrome bikes. (There has been some used storms advertised for 1500.00, out of Salt Lake area....new 1500.00 off internet)

Thank you again for your time, and videos!

You are too kind with your words, but thank you. I will do what I can to record the process on the Honda.

Local market does greatly affect value. ATVs are way more popular here than dual sports and dirt bikes and the market reflects it. The lack of supply/options is the biggest hurdle, and when a nice one does pop up it tends to be at top dollar and still needs work done.

[Megadan]

Doing some end of the year maintenance. So far I have just shy of 400 miles on the T6 15w40 oil, and it's ever so slightly light brown now. In contrast, the T4 would be pretty dark by this point.

Went over all the bolts. Figured it was worth doing after the valve cover incident. As usual, all of the motor mount bolts are fine except the rear left bracket. I decided to put a lock washer and nylock there. One of the oil cooler bracket nuts was also backed off a bit. Added a second nut to lock against it and the others as a precaution.

Checked all of my spokes and found a few a tiny bit loose.

Since the temps swung pretty drastically I decided to revisit my carb jetting and settings. The 35 pilot jet is still A-ok, but my idle mixture is now set at about 1 1/2 turns out vs. 1 7/8 when it was much warmer out. Main jet is now a 130, and when it dips below 60 degrees it pulls like a monster up top. If the temps crawl into the 70's like today you can smell it is just a bit on the rich side, but since 70+ is now officially a rare occourance, I can live with it. This PE30 is definitely much more sensitive to air density changes than the PZ and VM carbs. I would chalk that up to the much higher velocity through the carb body thanks to the lack of a venturi in the body itself.

Once I finish with chore duties around the house I plan on going for a bit of a ride and maybe making a video to rant about some things. Obviously I will share it with you guys. :tup:

[JerryHawk250]

I notice the same with the cooler weather. I had a lot of decel popping on Saturday mornings. I have a 125 main in now and need to bump that up and adjust my idle mixture too.

[Megadan]

I notice the same with the cooler weather. I had a lot of decel popping on Saturday mornings. I have a 125 main in now and need to bump that up and adjust my idle mixture too.

I am surprised that I still don't need to change out the pilot. I have a feeling that it may need to bump up to a 38 once it gets into the 40's, but so far so good. Main jet wise, I think even a 135 would be the ticket once the temps consistently stop peaking above the 60's

I still find it fascinating at the subtle difference in jetting between our two bikes. I know you are about 1000ft lower than I am, but the half step difference in pilot jet has always perplexed me. Main jet wise, the difference makes more sense since you have that power jet adding fuel. After trying the 122 jet this summer I ended up going back to a 125 as it was just a bit too lean below 85 degrees. I probably should have been running a 128 to be honest.

A lot of that could come down to the difference in intakes as well as minor differences in the port work obviously. I would honestly love to get my hands on one of those mild cam upgrades from Brazil. As much as the RE250 is tempting with its 6th gear, I think being able to rev the motor past 8 without that drop in power would be more than adequate, and it would be a lot cheaper than a whole engine.

I have even considered re-working my engine build with my stock head. Porting it but leaving the deck stock and then machining the cylinder jug to reduce the quench gap and raise the compression instead.

[Megadan]

Dan, Several years ago I read in Hot Rod magazine about intake manifold gaskets for small block chevy,s that had fine screen in the ports to break up the fuel droplets into a fine mist. Would that make a difference on these little engines. I think it was to be like a poor mans fuel injection. Thoughts on it.

Personally, I wouldn't try it. The slight beneficial gain from the increased atomization of the fuel would be counteracted by the decrease in port area caused by the mesh and an increase in intake turbulence/loss of velocity. Charge velocity is far more critical to engine performance than pretty much everything else - both in terms of fuel mixing with said charge as well as cylinder filling at high RPM, and as long as the ports are capable of keeping the fuel suspended in the charge and prevent pooling, it will more than adequately atomize by the time it has entered the cylinder.

[Megadan]

Video, if you are interested. Again, my camera angles were wonky, but I moved my mic in the helmet to try and get better sound overall. I would say that it is definitely improved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-FYaYSZiCI&feature=youtu.be

[China Rider 27]

Great vid and discussion! Love those turn signals, where can you get them?

[wedooit]

Thanks again Dan!!!

[Wild Dog]

Avoid those two cylinder 400cc engines, they are crap at least the ones that were brought here. Troublesome and they lack power...
Just to give an idea, last year a company brought here an enduro motorcycle, equipped with the Loncin LX178MN. Which is a 300cc engines single cylinder dohc water cooled.
That engines makes 25,5 hp stock, some people here were able to mod it to bring around 30 hps.

[Megadan]

Avoid those two cylinder 400cc engines, they are crap at least the ones that were brought here. Troublesome and they lack power...
Just to give an idea, last year a company brought here an enduro motorcycle, equipped with the Loncin LX178MN. Which is a 300cc engines single cylinder dohc water cooled.
That engines makes 25,5 hp stock, some people here were able to mod it to bring around 30 hps.

The G400C is a singe cylinder. It is not without it's own potential problems as well though, known to have weak transmissions.

[Megadan]

So I may as well let the cat out of the bag now. I was finally able to contact somebody in Brazil that can sell me one of the WGK camshafts. Cost shipped is $95, so it is not the cheapest mod ever, but I think it makes more sense to try this to try and achieve my goals and get that last little bit of power out of my CG before dropping hundreds on a different engine, even if said engine has that extra gear I so crave. I am going for the WGK 1010851 which is designed to be installed without any other modifications to the engine, but increases total duration and overlap to shift the power curve up the RPM range a bit.

[OneLeggedRider]

Sweet Dan, and I'm sure that involves splitting the cases.

In reference to the inline twin, if Honda couldn't get it right, what makes you think anyone else could? The exception to the rule is Yamaha's Banshee 350, but that was 2-stroke and needed re-ringed every 16 hours.

[Wild Dog]

So I may as well let the cat out of the bag now. I was finally able to contact somebody in Brazil that can sell me one of the WGK camshafts. Cost shipped is $95, so it is not the cheapest mod ever, but I think it makes more sense to try this to try and achieve my goals and get that last little bit of power out of my CG before dropping hundreds on a different engine, even if said engine has that extra gear I so crave. I am going for the WGK 1010851 which is designed to be installed without any other modifications to the engine, but increases total duration and overlap to shift the power curve up the RPM range a bit.

Nice and the price is more than OK for the price. Since you found someone that ships you from Brazil, try to source from them, some of this
18957

Plus some better valves and springs.

[Megadan]

Nice and the price is more than OK for the price. Since you found someone that ships you from Brazil, try to source from them, some of this
18957

Plus some better valves and springs.

I am actually not a fan of roller lifters/followers. Flat tappets are much simpler and more reliable. Valve springs shouldn't be necessary with the cam I am getting, but if they are I already know a source in the U.S. for Honda springs. As far as the valves, I would like better ones for sure.

I have possible plans involving my original head and some more serious engine work. For now I just want to push the envelope with what I have.

[Megadan]

Sweet Dan, and I'm sure that involves splitting the cases.


Nope! It does require removing the jug and pulling the flywheel, but the cases can remain intact.

[Megadan]

Camshaft is on order. I await tracking information which should come sometime this morning. Then it is just the long wait for it to show up, likely at least 3 or 4 weeks. Been a while since I was excited about something with my Hawk. I hope that it pushes me into that extra bit of power I crave and opens up the rest of the RPM range. It's frustrating knowing that the engine could easily rev another 1500rpm safely, but just doesn't have the guts to get there.

[franque]

Do you care sharing with the class from whom you're ordering?

[Megadan]

Do you care sharing with the class from whom you're ordering?

Once I have the part in hand I will for sure. I want to make sure all goes well before I go sending others off with their hard earned money.

[JerryHawk250]

I hope this turns out to be a winner. I've ran out of mods to do on my Hawk.

[OneLeggedRider]

I hope this turns out to be a winner. I've ran out of mods to do on my Hawk.

520 chain and Honda sprocket studs? 🤔

[Megadan]

I hope this turns out to be a winner. I've ran out of mods to do on my Hawk.

I am sorta out of mods after the camshaft, at least short of going all out with the engine build, which isn't the point of what I am trying to do. I want to see how far I can take it without custom parts and expensive machine work.

I don't doubt that this cam will help me get where I want to be. I will gladly sacrifice a little mid range grunt if it means I can utilize the full rpm range of the motor. Especially after the head porting and PE30 carb. I have midrange to spare.

I am considering finding some upgraded pushrods to go along with the cam. 152mm length (1mm shorter) to compensate for the decked head and restore the geometry a little bit. I just dont remember the thickness off the top of my head.

[JerryHawk250]

That's my goal with my Hawk. Get the best performance out of the CG engine with just ad-ons and without getting into any major machine work. Just like the head work. I could of paid someone to do the work and machine down the head but showed that it can be done with minimal tools and skills. Is it perfect, Probably not but definite improvement. The cam will be the final mod that will more than likely get these engines running at there peak performance and not sacrifice reliability.

[Megadan]

That's my goal with my Hawk. Get the best performance out of the CG engine with just ad-ons and without getting into any major machine work. Just like the head work. I could of paid someone to do the work and machine down the head but showed that it can be done with minimal tools and skills. Is it perfect, Probably not but definite improvement. The cam will be the final mod that will more than likely get these engines running at there peak performance and not sacrifice reliability.

To be honest, I would love to build a high spec, blueprinted, properly balanced CG clone. Just not with the motor I have now. If I were to go all out on a CG engine I would want to buy a new one and strip it down, then build it back up with high quality bearings, the transmission, crank, rod, pin, etc all sent in for cryo treating. Crank alignment checked and corrected, then the crank and rod balanced. Followed by whatever piston was used and the cylinder decked to set the quench gap at .030 followed by a professionally ported head with recessed valve pockets, stainless steel valves, and a more aggressive cam with added lift.

Then I could have a 24whp 229cc engine that revs out to almost 10,000rpm for all of my effort and a lot of invested time and money.

Would it be cool? sure would. Would it be reliable? maybe. It sure as heck wouldn't be cheaper than buying a bike with a more powerful engine as standard though lol.

Alternatively, our home brew DIY machines could reach close to that. If I even put down 20-21whp doing it the way we have done it, I call it a success.

They way I see it. We started with, at most 15hp at the crank - rated at 14.2 if I remember correctly, but with terrible jetting, so 15 with proper jetting

With an intake and exhaust and a properly tuned carb, that figure bumped up to maybe 17-18hp. With the basic head porting and a bump in compression combined with the 30mm carbs, we are likely sitting right around 20hp ( about 18 at the wheel) when considering our jetting, with a lot more power under the curve in the lower RPM ranges, especially between 3000-6000rpm.

Now we are mainly limited by the cam profile. It just doesn't allow these motors to breathe well enough at the top end of the RPM range. With the 30mm carbs and a better cam to extend the power curve out past 7000-7500m it should be good for about another 2hp, give or take a tenth or two. That would ball park us right around at least 20 wheel hp.

If the pickup in power felt anything like the ported head and PE30 combo, which was a dramatic difference, I know I would be happy.

Funny related side story. A guy commented on one of my videos about porting his head and putting the Nibbi carb on his bike after watching one of my other videos, said it was the greatest mod he has ever done to his Hawk lol.
"BEST MOD EVER!"

[JerryHawk250]

If I were to do a build I think I would start with a true 249cc CB engine just because of the cam options.

Oh I agree with the head work. Best Mod Ever.

[Megadan]

If I were to do a build I think I would start with a true 249cc CB engine just because of the cam options.

Oh I agree with the head work. Best Mod Ever.

Same with me, but you get the point I was trying to make about what I am doing vs. The ultimate approach for power. People always add in "you should do x, y, z." suggestions, which I appreciate, but it goes against the semi budget approach. I may still be spending a decent amount of money, but compared to what I could spend it is still cheap lol.

The head work on its own, while it made a difference, was underwhelming on its own. A couple of guys I talked to that have fitted a 30mm carb to an unported bike said that, it did something, but was a little underwhelming. The two combined compliment each other extremely well, as you know. The stock head and pz30/vm26 are a perfect match. Change either one and you are partially held back by the other.

If you had to buy a Wen tool, bits, and say a more budget carb like yours or the not 100 buck clone of a PE30, you would be all in for about maybe 100 bucks, 200 with the exhaust included, for a pretty substantial increase in power over stock. Basically for another 100 the cam is the cherry on top. 300 bucks for what is essentially a 7 to 8 hp increase from stock, which is a 50% increase in power, is the bargain of the century. You just have to be willing to get your hands a bit dirty lol.

Edit. Keep in mind my hp figures are educated estimates based on data from various sources, so some grains of salt are needed. They arent too far off base though.

[OneLeggedRider]

Ehh.. just start with a better motor, be cheaper and easier in the long run. Spend some time aboard a DRZ, not your cup of tea but twice the bike and stupid wheelies on demand. 6 months ago I found a clapped out one for $1400, could've dropped another 1000 in it and had a mean a## dualsport. Still kicking myself for not jumping on that one.

[Megadan]

Ehh.. just start with a better motor, be cheaper and easier in the long run. Spend some time aboard a DRZ, not your cup of tea but twice the bike and stupid wheelies on demand. 6 months ago I found a clapped out one for $1400, could've dropped another 1000 in it and had a mean a## dualsport. Still kicking myself for not jumping on that one.

There is a reason my youtube name is oddballperformance. I am not the type to get a better motor. I am that weirdo that loves to make a better motor out of an inferior one.

I earned the nickname because of my strange obsession with Isuzu Impulse JR chassis. The old rwd door wedge cars with their 2 valve hemi headed 4 cylinder turbo motors. 2.6 swaps out of trucks with custom cam regrinds and custom forged internals with fairly large turbos making silly amounts of torque and decent hp.

You should have seen the laundry list of parts adopted from other vehicles lol. Fiero spindles and hubs with corvette rotors drilled to 5x100 and corvette calipers. Just as an example.

[OneLeggedRider]

I understand that, and I was referring to getting a Loncin OHC 250cc motor for your Hawk.

But honestly you could get a used DRZ with twice the power (if not more) that could be jumped without fear of bending a rim, and be stupid reliable for $2500 to 3000 because they been making them for 18yrs with almost no changes (testament to quality). And with your ability and talent you could turn that bike into a fire breathing widow maker I'm quite sure.

[Megadan]

I understand that, and I was referring to getting a Loncin OHC 250cc motor for your Hawk.

But honestly you could get a used DRZ with twice the power (if not more) that could be jumped without fear of bending a rim, and be stupid reliable for $2500 to 3000 because they been making them for 18yrs with almost no changes (testament to quality). And with your ability and talent you could turn that bike into a fire breathing widow maker I'm quite sure.

I mainly want the 6spd transmission far more than the OHC setup lol.

I have ridden a DRZ or two. The 400 to be specific. I did like it very much, but it isn't quite my cup of tea.

No sir, if I am going to spend silly levels of cash on a Japanese dirt bike/dual sport of any kind, I am going to have to go straight to my childhood bedroom wall poster (the one that was next to the Ferrari Daytona and Lamborghini Countach posters) which is the XR650R;

Yes, that's right. I am a BRP fan. Just so damned hard to find locally.

[OneLeggedRider]

My high performance instructor Don was a wirery little fella in his 60s that had worked as tuning specialist/Tech for several teams in the NHRA for most of his career. He had a very short fuse and even lit into me (his prize student) a few times.

But he owned your dream bike, and was always tinkering with it and throwing it on the dyno in between classes. Mind you this was his daily driver but it had a lope at idle that was a dead giveaway of it's capabilities. The school was located in a developing industrial park and sometimes on our lunch break he would show us what his big thumper could do. A bit big and top heavy for my taste, but it was a serious beast.

[Megadan]

They are monsterous machines for sure. 61hp and 47ft-lbs completely stock and a wet weight of 317lbs. They were called Big Red Pigs for a reason, but my goodness are they amazingly capable machines, and the power was honestly not too hard to manage. I have had the pleasure of riding one a couple of times, and they just felt built to fit me. I would have to toss a few modern CRF450 components on it, mainly forks and the 450L lighting package.

So in Hawk related news. I have the tracking info for the cam. It is sitting waiting to be shipped off. I decided I may as well do some other things while I have the motor apart, so I ordered a new piston and ring kit just to refresh the motor from my abuse of dialing in carbs and whatnot. The piston I ordered has whatever that black coating is on the crown. Not sure if it will make any sort of difference but it's so cheap I may as well right? Full gasket and O ring kit coming with it and some new cam follower arms to go with the cam as well.


I do want to look into the clutch as well as I would at least like to upgrade the clutch springs to get a little more clamping power. I haven't had any real clutch issues, but it can't hurt. EBC clutch springs are fairly inexpensive anyway, so again, why not?

[Its_not_a_honda]

Yeah Dan, it's just as fun to make a slow engine faster as it is to make a fast engine faster. The mechanical mind just likes to tinker.

[Megadan]

Yeah Dan, it's just as fun to make a slow engine faster as it is to make a fast engine faster. The mechanical mind just likes to tinker.

Completely true! I just enjoy the challenge more than anything.


Update on the cam order. The cam is now in customs and has been for 3 days now. I know it can take up to a couple of weeks to clear before it is then shipped on from there. Hopefully the cam arrives by mid november.

Still waiting on my Aliexpress ordered goodies, but they should be arriving soon.

I decided to order a new cylinder to go with the piston and rings as a precaution, just in case the original cylinder is potentially scored. I figure for $44, why not? At the very least I can have a backup ready to go.

Temps and weather are supposed to be quite favorable today, so I may even get a short ride in. :clap:

[Megadan]

Cam arrived today. Got my new cylinder in as well. Just waiting on the cam followers, gaskets, and piston kit. Pictures to follow along with the contact information for ordering the camshaft. Just have to wait until I get home first.

[JerryHawk250]

Cam arrived today. Got my new cylinder in as well. Just waiting on the cam followers, gaskets, and piston kit. Pictures to follow along with the contact information for ordering the camshaft. Just have to wait until I get home first.
:yay:

[Megadan]

So, as promised...

I will start with the information on where I ordered mine, as well as a second alternative. The camshaft I ordered is model number 1010851 from WGK. This cam profile has no extra lift, more duration, and a flatter peak for increased "overlap" between the two valves. It is designed/intended to be installed with no modifications to the engine for clearance reasons and will shift the power band of the motor up the RPM range, sacrificing some mid range power for more top end. Basically, if you are tired of your engine wheezing its way beyond 7000rpm, this will definitely solve that issue.
Cam spec card here (in Portugese, but its not hard to figure out). https://wgkindustria.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/RESSALTO-CG-125-OHV.pdf

I ordered my camshaft by e-mailing RB Motos in Brazil directly, found here: sac@rbmotos.com.br
I got in contact with a person who spoke decent enough English and I simply stated that I wanted to purchase the WGK 1010851 camshaft. I was able to place my order through them by having them setup and send an invoice via Paypal through which I paid. Total cost for all things involved, $95. Time frame was pretty typical for most international orders I have made, so expect to wait 3 or 4 weeks.

Alternative option is to talk to a gentleman that works at/with WGK more directly. I asked if he would be ok with me sharing his information to others here that may want to order anything from WGK and he agreed. His contact name is Douglas Carvalho, E-mail is douglasernani@hotmail.com He speaks pretty darn good English too.

In regards to the fitment, I can understand why many would hesitate to drop this kind of money on something that doesn't show a listing to work specifically with a CG250 engine. I took the leap because from every bit of information I could find, the specs of the camshafts themselves are the same across almost every model with the only difference being how the cam is mounted to the gear. One style is via snap ring, and the other is a press fit. I confirmed with two different Hawk owners that had to tear down their engine that our engines use the snap ring style camshafts, so I ordered with some confidence. That said, if you want to eliminate any and all guess work when it comes to your money, then the only way to know 100% for sure would be to tear down your motor far enough to remove the camshaft.

In short, do your due diligence or order at your own risk.

Moving on to pictures. I actually got the cylinder and piston in along with the camshaft. So all I am waiting on at this point is the cam followers and the gasket kit.

https://i.ibb.co/LC55Wyd/20191113-005948.jpg (https://ibb.co/Q6ddRVv)

https://i.ibb.co/ZztCYD8/20191113-005850.jpg (https://ibb.co/zVjw7vR)

https://i.ibb.co/J5fmNLm/20191113-005913.jpg (https://ibb.co/Qr2pZBp)


Maybe, just maybe, I can get it installed in an easy weekend and get at least a break in run going, but the weather turned south really quick with the high temps now sitting in the 20's, so I am not sure how soon I will be able to actually get it up and running. Fingers crossed for at least some 40 or 50 degree weather here soon.

I already gapped the rings and checked the piston to wall clearance at a few points. So far everything is within spec, which is nice.

[Merlin]

Thanks

[JerryHawk250]

Nice! :tup: Your house is heated right? I would have that sucker inside working on it or get a heater for the garage. lol I picked up a propane heater over the weekend. My neighbor was cleaning out his shed and was throwing it a way. I asked him what was wrong with it. He said nothing, just don't need it. Took it home and hooked propane up and it fired right up. I'm set for winter projects now. :D

[Megadan]

Nice! :tup: Your house is heated right? I would have that sucker inside working on it or get a heater for the garage. lol I picked up a propane heater over the weekend. My neighbor was cleaning out his shed and was throwing it a way. I asked him what was wrong with it. He said nothing, just don't need it. Took it home and hooked propane up and it fired right up. I'm set for winter projects now. :D

I consider mine semi-climate controlled. It has a vent straight off the HVAC into the garage, but the garage isn't the most well sealed at the door either. For the most part the garage stays comfortable enough, if not toasty. My bigger issue with it getting super cold is being able to simply ride/run the bike once it is back together.

[franque]

Maybe you should set up a PayPal to do a Dyno run before and after. I'd be interested in seeing the number difference, and I'd contribute.

[Megadan]

Maybe you should set up a PayPal to do a Dyno run before and after. I'd be interested in seeing the number difference, and I'd contribute.

The issue really isn't cost. It's availability. I only have one shop within a reasonable distance to me with a dyno, and they have a constant 6-10+ week waiting list and they don't run the dyno in the winter, so it is only open from late March to April through when the temps drop below freezing, which is usually right around this time of the year. Barring some random warm weather where they have a few hour window to work in.

If you want an idea, I actually did call them about dyno time. The earliest I could get my bike in is the end of April. They are already booked out that far due to the early cold spell.

I would love nothing more than to document the changes, but seeing as I would like to actually ride my bike...

Omaha isn't a big enough city where I have tons of options to work with.

[Megadan]

I have no doubt that this cam is worth an easy 2hp at the crank on a 200-230cc CG engine with most of the gains being made from 6000rpm and up. The intent of this profile was a bit of a compromise - to get the most power possible without requiring piston or chamber machine work.

They do have other cams with less total duration, more active duration at .050: lift, and a little more valve lift that show better total gains with little to no loss in the mid range. The catch is that they do require either clearancing of the pistons or recessing the valve seats in the head to prevent the valves from colliding with one another. Heck, they have a cam (with a dyno comparison) that improves power between 3500 and 7500 quite dramatically on a CG125 (1.8whp) and another that sees a similar power increase, but stretched across a wider RPM range to over 9000rpm, with no loss in mid range power or torque. If I were wanting to go crazy with a build, I would honestly choose a different profile with the added lift.

I chose this cam due to the simple fact that it is "bolt on" power. Designed to work with stock valve springs, pushrods, etc. Nothing extra required. In the spirit of what I call low investment power adders, or stock "optimization."

[OneLeggedRider]

Maybe you should set up a PayPal to do a Dyno run before and after. I'd be interested in seeing the number difference, and I'd contribute.

So would I.

[Baskt_Case]

Any updates on the cam install?

[NzBrakelathes]

Any updates on the cam install?

Or USD front end?!
Was just thinking about all that lol

[Megadan]

Any updates on the cam install?

Nothing at this point. Too busy at work and with Holiday stuff at the moment.

[Megadan]

Update, which isn't really an update. I haven't done any work on any of my bikes at the moment. Nor have I really been around here except for the occasional comment here and there.

Truth is, I have been very burnt out the last few months with everything going on between my job, my personal life, etc. I have been under a large amount of stress for a very long time and it has finally caught up with me. As such I have been just trying to take a step back and keep my life simple for now until I can get myself sorted out straight.

Just bear with me and I will get back to it soon, I promise.

[herbie]

I completely understand the stress and the winter time definitely doesn't help anything. It's always nice to be able to go for a long ride and collect your thoughts and destress a little bit, sunshine and warmer days are around the corner. Take care Dan hopefully things will get better for ya soon.

[franque]

No worries Dan, take care of yourself!

[JerryHawk250]

Don't worry Dan. Warm weather is around the corner so you'll be able to get out and ride to relieve some of that stress. I know it helps me. I got a lot of stress relief over the weekend. My mind is in a much better state this morning. :D Too bad by knock off time all the stress will be right back. :grr: I need to retire and just ride for a living. lol
Take care Dan. :tup:

[wedooit]

Hey Dan! Take care....I also have been under severe stress with 2 huge jobs we just completed, heck haven't even rode our sleds yet, and we have had some really good snow!!! I completely understand all....

[Megadan]

Well, I did get to do a little de-stress riding today. High was almost 60 and sunny out so I took the Hawk out of mothballs and did a little maintenance on it and my other vehicles, then took it for a light trail and city ride for a couple of hours. My jetting wasn't very optimal for the colder air so I had to get a little creative and zip tie a sock around my pod filter, which did the trick lol.

Full gear, with thermal liners. I have actually lost a little bit of weight over the winter so my stuff fit a little loose.
https://i.ibb.co/wMJx8PF/2020firstride.jpg

One of the trails I like to ride along is just sort of a loose gravel and dirt road that runs by a trap shooting range I go to from time to time. I kind of want to build a gun case rack/mount for my bike and make this a normal weekend run.

https://i.ibb.co/kSMNJ5F/2020firstride1.jpg

To answer the question, no I have not done the cam install yet. I want to finish my VFR first before I take this bike apart so I at least have one bike to ride.

Anyway, Have a good rest of the weekend. :tup:

[JerryHawk250]

Glad to see you got to do some riding. Sounds like your weather was like here today. Chilly this morning but did make it to the upper 50's. With the sun out it didn't feel so bad.

[Megadan]

Glad to see you got to do some riding. Sounds like your weather was like here today. Chilly this morning but did make it to the upper 50's. With the sun out it didn't feel so bad.

Compared to the weather we have been having, this is was a downright heat wave! The Great Plains/Midwest wild weather swings are pretty spectacular right now as well. In two days we are expecting a light snow and a high in the 20's, then a few days later back to the 50's. The only real issue is the temp swings between day and night. As you said Chilly, and then the warmer high temp peaks in just a narrow 3 or 4 hour window, and then back to cold again. 58 for the high today and 30 for the low. We probably wont see low temps above 40 for another month or so, otherwise I would ride to work.

[China Rider 27]

Good to see Megadan on the trail again! That weather looks great for riding. I've been riding most sunny or cloudy non rainy days I can in the low 40's. I wear long johns under my pants and the liner in my jacket and a scarf around my neck. The fingers get cold but the sound of the engine keeps calling me out!

[Megadan]

Good to see Megadan on the trail again! That weather looks great for riding. I've been riding most sunny or cloudy non rainy days I can in the low 40's. I wear long johns under my pants and the liner in my jacket and a scarf around my neck. The fingers get cold but the sound of the engine keeps calling me out!

I will gladly ride in the low 40's. That's nice weather for this time of the year in my parts. It's the mid 20's and low 30's I tend to shy away from if at all possible.

[Megadan]

One thing that has been eating up a lot of my time and making it hard to do work on my bikes is related to my work. I am being considered for a senior technician position, which comes with some added responsibility as well as a fairly healthy pay increase. I am doing everything I can to try and prove I am worthy of said position at the moment. It would be the highest income level I have ever been at in my life if I get it.

[China Rider 27]

As efficient and thorough as you are that should be a done deal! Maybe you should list your work here on the forum for accomplishments. If they need a good reference have um make a post and we will reply! Good luck!

[Megadan]

As efficient and thorough as you are that should be a done deal! Maybe you should list your work here on the forum for accomplishments. If they need a good reference have um make a post and we will reply! Good luck!

Efficiency and thoroughness are key elements in what I do as a career. Keeping production machines up and running is the name of my game. People get cranky when a machine is down for a long time, or repeatedly breaking down.

[Megadan]

Finally got around to a proper start of the year bike prep. Greased the greasy things, checked the spokey things and other fasteners. Fiddled a bit with the carb as well after getting a few odd lean surges at light throttle. I am pretty confident I have the carb dialed in about as good as I can get it for the temp swings (60 high, 30 low). 138 main, 35 pilot, and 2 1/4 turns out on the idle mixture after a good cleaning and valve check. I should probably go a bit bigger on the pilot jet, but it hasn't surged since I cleaned it so I can only assume it had a tiny bit of varnish after being stored. Once it warms up a bit more I will drop to a 135 main and turn back the mixture a bit.

So I am finally happy with the carb setup, and soon will be screwing it all up again... I like to torture myself lol.

[Megadan]

Fittingly a new goody arrived right in time for my birthday to myself.
I ordered a Fast Ace shock ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007J5E38E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )

Yes, I went shorter. Firstly because the Brozz swing arm lower shock mount is a bit higher than the Hawk, but I also want to actually bring the rear end back down just a hair. If I am correct, this combination should lower the back end about 2 inches from where it sits currently, or 1 1/2 down from stock. The high ass end with my current shock makes the seating position just a bit uncomfortable on longer rides, even if it does make it handle very sharply.

The spring rate is also a bit lighter at 1000lb/in vs. 1200lb/in. However, the Fast Ace shock also has about 60% more travel.

One thing I will say, you can tell the quality difference over the current shock I have. The bushings actually have needle roller bearings on each end of the shock, and the material quality is tangible. It is also a lot lighter.

I just need to paint the Brozz swing arm and then install it with said shock and see what the results are. If I am satisfied with the results I will probably put up my current rear shock for cheap if anybody would be interested.

[OneLeggedRider]

I knew you would come around to my way of thinking eventually (most people do :hehe: ) and get tired of riding downhill all the time. But I am surprised you went with the 1,000lb version, folks our size are usually better off with the 1,200... Anywho, if you decide to shed the old monoshock I'll buy it for cousin Jay. :tup:

Also we want details about spacers and fitment issues.

[Megadan]

I knew you would come around to my way of thinking eventually (most people do :hehe: ) and get tired of riding downhill all the time. But I am surprised you went with the 1,000lb version, folks our size are usually better off with the 1,200... Anywho, if you decide to shed the old monoshock I'll buy it for cousin Jay. :tup:

There was no 1200lb version available for this shock, but the angle of the shock is actually altered with the brozz swing arm, and so is the leverage on the shock thanks to the centerline intersect. Plus, I have lost a bit of weight over the last several months and my Hawk rides a bit stiff out back now, plus the front is still softer than the rear, which makes the ride a bit weird.

If it doesn't work I can probably just sell this shock off and find another option. This didn't actually cost me any money out of my pocket. I used bonus points we earn at my company to get amazon gift cards, and then bought them with that lol.

[OneLeggedRider]

Sweet, well let me know if you decide to sell either of them, I'm in quite a few groups so if either didn't work out for Jay I could still pass it onto someone else and break even.

[Megadan]

Sweet, well let me know if you decide to sell either of them, I'm in quite a few groups so if either didn't work out for Jay I could still pass it onto someone else and break even.

I will keep both options in mind.

As for the lowering of the back end, you actually did inspire that to some degree. It was also just a lack of better options that made me pick the lesser of two evils. I honestly don't mind how high the back end is, but lowering it a little also falls in line with some future potential plans of mine.