Compare Hawk to other 250cc enduro bikes?
 

I see a lot made of the inability of the Hawk maintain extended highway driving. I also see a lot about people taking long highway trips on other 250cc enduro bikes, like the KLR250, WR250, and CRF250.

Are those other bikes in a different league than the Hawk? Is it just a matter of a gearing change? Are all 250cc bikes going to be wound out the max and uncomfortable at 60 mph?

I'm a total motorcycle noob trying to figure out what to get for a first bike. I'm not a big guy, 5'9" 150lbs. My plan involves a lot of highway time mixed with back roads for this bike.

Thanks!

My hawk will do 65, but its not comfortable for more than 20 minutes or so. The other 250 bikes you mentioned will go faster. They have much more power, somewhere in the 28-30hp range vs the 15hp of the hawk.

Comes with the price tag :)

Your are describing a 2016 csc rx3 silver bullet. Fits, price, starter bike, streetability, lower height, perfect first bike.

Yeah, but the RX3 is more than twice as much as the Hawk. If I were to spend that much I'd be more inclined to go with one of these...

http://www.cycletrader.com/dealers/G...50GS-117589781

2005 BMW F650GS. I'm seeing a few around that price.

I also see lots of KLR650s around $2000, about the same as a Hawk. I'm not seeing many 250cc bikes in that price range though, and I'm afraid a 650 might be too big for me.

I ride my Hawk on 100 mile round trips. No problems at ask. Now, I'm 340 and my Hawk easily maintains 58, but, I can push it to 62 for extended runs. I love this bike ;)

The bottom line is the Hawk is 70's technology and it's performance reflects that. There is an upside to this "old school" bike. It's super easy and inexpensive to maintain. It's fun to ride also, not because its fast and powerful, rather it harkens back to the day's of my youth riding bikes like the Honda Sport 50 and 90.
I have both a Hawk and a Honda CRF250L. The only similarity between the tow is the 250 designation. The Honda is smooth, comfortable, faster(78mph) with 21 HP and 6 speeds.
The Hawk is none of these yet it is my daily ride.

What the Hawk doesn't have regarding blistering performance, it more than makes up for in rugged durability of the CG motor. They're made to run a very long time on very poor maintenance. It's why they're so successful around the globe.

If you're going to be doing a ton of open highway, I'd not go for any small displacement enduro/dually. If you're not into the RX3, get something larger and used.

ditto 2LZ

For a lot of highway use you need a 6 speed gear box on a 250...
thats prob the hawks biggest let down as a true dual sport..
low HP & 5 speeds it always going to be struggling..
the avarage jap 250 with 6 cogs will sit on 100kmph at
around 6000 to 6500 revs.. I have read here the hawk sits at 7500 revs..
where the Hawk is near red line the jappers still have revs/power left..
That takes it's toll on the motor in the long run....

I think the hawk would be a very good town / secondry / back road bike / trail
bike.... where lower speeds are the norm...

my old XR250 sat at 6200 @100kmph
My TTR250 sits at 6300 @ 100kmph


..

My Xf 250 claims to have a whopping 19 hp and I find it pretty comfortable cruising at 65 and I will even push it to 70 for extended ranges so long as there is little to no wind. In a good 25mph desert headwind I struggle to see 60.

u r right, klr too tall, too heavy for your size, hell, on trails sometimesm its too heavy for me:I 6'3-4 270 lbs

go to youtube, look at the various bike videos, and specially Motocheez's Hawk vids and CSC's TT250 vids.

really.....

I'm 5' 7" 80kgs and think nothing of tossing a
170kg "400lb" Yamaha XT660R around the trails...




..

probably not your first bike either.. and unless you're a weightlifter, ... plus 170kg YAM is not a 440or so lb KLr. I have an XT600 and its no comparo to the KLR's, (have 3). My bro is about your weight/5'9 still bench's just short of 300lbs and not all that long ago routinely knocked 6' to 6'3 / 220 lb super villian wanabe's on their asses(he's now mellowed a bit).
Several years ago, He was surprise attacked by a huge 300 lb'r black felon (wanted for homicide at the time) in Vegas.
Bro hit him so hard, one shot, gave him a concussion, fellow went straight to emergency room, nearly died. I tell you this cause even my Bro (who is an excellent lifetime offroad rider) has trouble in the gnarlies muscle-fooking a KLR around. If it falls down hill instead of up, takes three men and a small boy to lift one. There's a vid on youtube of a trails competent aussie I think going singletracking on a KLR. when it falls downhill , he can't do a thing untill he finds 2 other guys to help get it back on the track. and don't tell me you never fall. People that don't fall off road, don't ride anywhere worth riding. Even at my size, and I routinely hand-muscle 300-900 lb round bales of hay around the ranch, I am much more careful and deliberate when offroading my KLR's, especially if riding alone.

ok, looking at your sig, Pete, I now see by your bike list you r definitely NOT the normal offroader.
Incompetent people do Not ride Montesas:) (Bro was an Ossa/Bultaco kind of guy)sorry if my post offended you, but I think the OP stated he's a new rider

I'm a bit confused here...one post you are looking for a bike for "a lot of highway time" and another post reads "No highway riding".

All I can add is that for a new rider, I wouldn't really recommend either riding highway or riding 2 up, both present challenges not really suited for a new rider IMHO.