Hawks & Turkeys

Oof - still a lot of anger out there over dealer/distributors, registration issues...my Hawk actually arrived damage free. I paid a little extra for them to put the bike together and for a Nibbi carburetor upgrade and to complete a break in period. The only area I ding them for was the break in period, which, as far as I can tell, involved them letting the bike idle for extended periods of time (the odometer only read 4 miles); do an oil change, start it and let it idle some more; do another oil change. I had good support from the dealer's admin support person, who got me an original bill of sale. It helped at my DMV that the manufacturer's certificate of origin read, "motorcycle" and not "dirt bike," or, "off road."

In my efforts to get my new, 2024 Hawk to start, I found the starter struggling to power the engine and I thought it was a weak battery. In reality, the "wires" coming off the battery and solenoid weren't providing enough juice to the starter. I upgraded both "wires" to actual cables, and even found a seller on eBay who cut a six inch cable down to four inches before shipping it to me to make the short run from the battery to the solenoid. The seller is Gauge Wire & Cable, LLC. When you place your order on eBay, just message them and ask for a specific length.

One other thing I did with my new Hawk was a valve lash. Between the valve adjustment and the high grade cables I installed, its made a big difference in the Hawk's ability to routinely start.

More next time. Thanks for checking in.