New 2018 Hawk Prep

[kirkallen143]

Originally Posted by Megadan

Check the adjustment on the rear brake, it may be just slightly out of adjustment and dragging a tiny bit.

That was it, seems like the adjustment was just a tad on the short side. Once lengthened, stops on a dime. Thanks megadan for the heads up!

Kirk

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by kirkallen143

That was it, seems like the adjustment was just a tad on the short side. Once lengthened, stops on a dime. Thanks megadan for the heads up!

Kirk

Good stuff. It's not uncommon for these bikes to come shipped with the rear brake adjustment being slightly out of whack. More often then not, a bit on the tight side, but sometimes completely loose.

[nickdowny]

Originally Posted by kirkallen143

If the link works, this is the one I ordered:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/11-280mm-Re...53.m2749.l2649

Let me know when you have it installed if theirs any issue's may have to order one next. The link works by the way.

[Hawk 229cc]

Originally Posted by kirkallen143

Well, I could at least give y'all a pic of the bike...



Kirk

nice bike where did you get the seat cover ,an the 2018 an 2017 are they the same my title says 2017 ,an crate sticker badge dec 2017 they look the same ,thank you

[dpl096]

Good looking bike...I like the blue.

[kirkallen143]

Been awhile, work and life have kept me away from the computer...

Update on the shock: bought the 280mm one from ebay. First off, it did not come with a Schrader valve, only a cap of some sort (which I found out after install was loose, so no nitrogen...can you say pogo stick?). I tried it anyway, and I believe the shock is too short. The rear tire would bottom out on the air box. Maybe if the shock was filled with nitrogen it might not have, but I do not know? It sure was nice to flat foot the bike with that shock, though.

Emailed the seller and asked why no valve when it shows it in the pics on ebay? They say oops and we'll refund you $5. I say, just give me a Schrader valve from another shock and call it good. They say no got Schrader valve...

I blew them off, it has been well over 60 days since I bought the shock, and I ended up stripping the threads on the pre-load adjusting nut...Son-of-a-Bi*ch! I'll write that off as a life lesson.

Going to look at a 300mm shock for the next one, and make sure the seller is selling what is pictured on ebay. I believe it will be a good compromise.

Other than that, the bike starts when you want and idles like it should...on the stand. Oh, one more thing, watch those battery terminals! Mine had corrosion all over them.

Kirk

[Digger]

Good looking Hawk. The .018 size on the pilot jet, are you happy with that size?
Thanks

[Redbookaudio]

Kirk... very impressive Hawk setup! 12 miles? (probably actually only 8 or 9 miles if your odometer works like mine....) At any rate, it sounds like you have more fun working on the bike than actually riding it! Hit the trail already!! (I'm probably just jealous of how WELL you've done your research and put your bike together.... congrats!)

[kirkallen143]

Thanks all for the compliments!

Digger, the 0.018" drilled jet seams to work good so far at sea level on the stock carb. and fuel mixture screw out 2 1/4 turns.

I think I am up to 80 kilometers now on the odometer...I'll get it broke in one of these days.

Now on to the shock...I ordered a 295mm one off ebay with the Schrader valve this time. They did not offer too many 300mm shocks, so settled for this. With me at 225lbs, the 280mm shock was too short and would bottom the rear tire into the air box on medium bumps (the lack of nitrogen in the shock could of have an effect, too).
I made sure and contacted the seller and asked them if it had one. This shock has a 1200lb spring with a dampening adjuster on the bottom, and how much nitrogen you want to charge it with (150psi is usually the max for most). Hopefully it will be here Friday and I will let y'all now the outcome.

Kirk

[kirkallen143]

Oh, almost forgot!

I changed out the fork oil and went with 7.5oz of 15W Belray in each leg and added 1" more of preload...LIKE DRIVING A CADALLAC! Not really, but it is 10 times better than what it was.

Hawk 229cc, the seat cover is from Walmart in the ATV section, ordered it online @ $20.

Kirk

[Digger]

Thanks Kirk!

[Redbookaudio]

Originally Posted by kirkallen143

Oh, almost forgot!

I changed out the fork oil and went with 7.5oz of 15W Belray in each leg and added 1" more of preload...LIKE DRIVING A CADALLAC! Not really, but it is 10 times better than what it was.

Hawk 229cc, the seat cover is from Walmart in the ATV section, ordered it online @ $20.

Kirk

Kirk we were thinking about changing the fork oil (although everything seems good with the original....but as newbies, we don't have anything to compare it to). I've seen videos about changing the fork oil, but what do you mean by "added 1" more of preload?" How do we do that? And is it important (my daughter, who rides it the bike the most, only weighs 120 lbs)? Thanks for any insight you can give to us!

[kirkallen143]

RBA,

The preload spacer is just what it says, I added an extra 1" to the existing spacer that is inside each fork tube to "preload" the spring for my extra weight. Now it does not sag as much in the front. It sits on top of the spring when you take off the fork/tube nut, and is just basically a metal pipe (although SCH40 PVC can be used, also).

With your daughter, I do not believe she will need the extra preload for her weight, but some better fork oil, say 3W or 10W, and that makes a world of difference. Drain the original out, and you will have to play with how much you put in each fork leg, but start at @ 6-7oz and see how she likes it. The more oil you add, the more dampening you get, the thicker the oil, the slower the dampening will be. Once the forks are back on the bike, to add more I use a 10ml syringe, and if too much, I use some fish tank air hose on the end of the syringe to suck it out.

Kirk

[Redbookaudio]

Originally Posted by kirkallen143

RBA,

The preload spacer is just what it says, I added an extra 1" to the existing spacer that is inside each fork tube to "preload" the spring for my extra weight. Now it does not sag as much in the front. It sits on top of the spring when you take off the fork/tube nut, and is just basically a metal pipe (although SCH40 PVC can be used, also).

With your daughter, I do not believe she will need the extra preload for her weight, but some better fork oil, say 3W or 10W, and that makes a world of difference. Drain the original out, and you will have to play with how much you put in each fork leg, but start at @ 6-7oz and see how she likes it. The more oil you add, the more dampening you get, the thicker the oil, the slower the dampening will be. Once the forks are back on the bike, to add more I use a 10ml syringe, and if too much, I use some fish tank air hose on the end of the syringe to suck it out.

Kirk

Thanks Kirk! We will change the fork oil as our next "project"....

[ChrisWNY]

Originally Posted by Redbookaudio

Thanks Kirk! We will change the fork oil as our next "project"....

Dan has a great video on youtube for changing the fork oil...the correct way to do it is to remove the front tire, the front brake caliper, loosen the cap at the top of the fork, then loosen the bolts on the triple clamps that lock the forks in place. Once you have the forks off the bike, you can take those end caps off (slowly because there is spring tension there), pull the springs and spacer out, then tip the fork upside-down and let the garbage oil drain out of the fork. I had mine changed out in under 45 minutes, 10 of those minutes was waiting for all the oil to drain out of the forks. Of course, this task is much more difficult if you don't have a scissor jack or something to keep your front tire elevated (a milk crate will do if you have someone help you lift it up there). You can find scissor jacks on Amazon for around $50...they're invaluable for DIY motorcycle work.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For reference, I used 20W Maxima fork oil...about 200mL in each fork which was probably overkill in my case (I'm barely 175 lbs, 5'10"). I prefer stiffer forks and wanted to prevent them from bottoming out, especially if someone heavier rides on my Hawk. A quart of fork oil runs anywhere between $5-$10 and can be found at ATV/dirt bike shops and sometimes department stores.

Here's the video - skip to about halfway through where he explains how to properly change the fork oil...