My hawk 250 build

Sir kayakalot · 01-06-2017, 09:33 AM

Long time lurker but couldn't post for several weeks so I finally got a message into the mods and they got me fixed up now where I can post, thanks mods!
I purchased a Hawk 250 from PowersportsMax in November. I have nothing but good things to say about the purchase from them and would gladly buy from them again. Got the bike in less than two weeks and put it together with no issues. Thanks to the wealth of information here I took my time and greased everything that moves or pivots during the install. I changed the oil in the motor after a quick 10 minute ride. Then I put almost 100 miles on it. So far so good but just felt like there was more to be had from this little bike. This is where the fun starts. Again thanks to all the info from the good folks on this forum I knew right where to start my mods. Got the MSR shifter, big difference and I recommend doing it. Next was the muffler. Cut the cat out and took the screen off the inside off the muffler at the exit. Made a noticeable difference but still could tell the engine was struggling to breathe. So I did the air box mod. Again, noticeable difference but the engine wasn't putting out all it could. Sooooo I ordered the Mikuni carb and a set of jets. All I can say is HOLY COW!!! What a HUGE difference that made. I installed the 115 main jet and it REALLY woke the motor up big time. I am extremely happy with this bike and you owe it to yourself if you have one to at the very least do the muffler and carb mod. You won't be disappointed. Going to do chain and sprockets next when I decide what size I should go with. Also want to change out the oil in the forks. They are too soft and I only weigh 170 lbs. Thanks to everyone who ever contributed to this forum because it saved me a lot of time and money figuring out what I needed. Sorry but I don't have any pics and for those that are going to ask I got a Go Fast Green color

**JerryHawk250** · 01-06-2017, 09:38 AM

Welcome aboard! I did the same thing. A lot of lurking before I pulled the trigger and got my Hawk lol. I've learned a lot and shared. Great forum to be on.

Sir kayakalot · 01-06-2017, 03:29 PM

Forgot to say that I also upgraded the spark plug. JerryHawk how do you like your gearing upgrade?

**JerryHawk250** · 01-06-2017, 04:53 PM

I weight about 180 and it is perfect for me. I'm about 50/50 on and off road. South Louisiana is pretty flat but where we ride off road is pretty hilly. It handles the steep hills with ease. 15/40 is close to the same gear ration as the 16/43 and 17/45 that some of the others here have.

2LZ · 01-06-2017, 05:13 PM

Awesome snow pics! Congrats!
You just purchased about the best two wheeled deal on the planet......

tomalak007 · 01-06-2017, 05:22 PM

I just ordered a Hawk and hopefully it gets here next week. Great info! Did the mikuni carb really make that much of a difference? I read somewhere else that it didn't really do anything compared to a properly jetted stock carb. Also where can I get info on the stock muffler mod? Thanks man!

letsride · 01-06-2017, 05:36 PM

Here is the link to Jerry's thread where he gutted his Cat. http://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=17913

letsride · 01-06-2017, 05:41 PM

And here is a link to Minnesota Hawks exhaust mod. He tells what he did to mod the muffler.

pete · 01-06-2017, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir kayakalot

Also want to change out the oil in the forks. They are too soft and I only weigh 170 lbs.

changing the oil won't make the forks stiffer... springs do that...
diffrent oil will just change the damping speed...
make spacers for the top of the springs or longer ones if it already
has them that will put more pre-load on the springs...
PVC water pipe works ok for spacers...

green.... yer got the kawasaki version....

...

Sir kayakalot · 01-06-2017, 06:06 PM

Ok Pete thanks for the advice on the forks.
Tomalak yes the carb made a HUGE difference on my bike. I don't know what the stock jetting was on my bike because I didn't open up the stock carb and I'm sure the muffler mod helped but it wasn't until I put that Mikuni carb on til I noticed the remarkable difference. On the muffler I just made 3 cuts where the cat is located and peeled it open. Then I removed the cat and welded it back up where I made my cuts in the pipe. Pretty simple and best of all it was free!!
2LZ- yes I agree about the best deal on the planet. I don't regret buying this bike one bit.
Coming from racing dirt bikes when I was younger I wasn't expecting much but I can tell you I'm pleasantly surprised.

Sir kayakalot · 01-06-2017, 06:13 PM

Here is the only pic I have of the muffler when I cut it open and removed the catalytic converter.

pistolclass · 01-06-2017, 06:35 PM

Agreed Carb/jet upgrade make a huge difference! I love my Hawk. Adjust the valves right away, too.

Sir kayakalot · 01-07-2017, 08:25 AM

Yes adjusting the valves is definitely on my to-do list.
I forgot to mention that while I had the pipe off I ground down
the weld on the inside of the pipe where it butts up to the
motor. It was ridiculous how big that weld was.

2LZ · 01-07-2017, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir kayakalot

I don't regret buying this bike one bit.
Coming from racing dirt bikes when I was younger I wasn't expecting much but I can tell you I'm pleasantly surprised.

Join the club. Many of us here were "Young Roger DeCoster's" in our youth. The body may argue but the internal drive never ends.

Sir kayakalot · 01-07-2017, 12:36 PM

Ahhh Roger DeCoster one of my heroes for sure.
Tonight kicks off the 1st round of the SuperCross
and I can't wait!!!

01-06-2017, 09:33 AM	#1
Sir kayakalot Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 269	My hawk 250 build Long time lurker but couldn't post for several weeks so I finally got a message into the mods and they got me fixed up now where I can post, thanks mods! I purchased a Hawk 250 from PowersportsMax in November. I have nothing but good things to say about the purchase from them and would gladly buy from them again. Got the bike in less than two weeks and put it together with no issues. Thanks to the wealth of information here I took my time and greased everything that moves or pivots during the install. I changed the oil in the motor after a quick 10 minute ride. Then I put almost 100 miles on it. So far so good but just felt like there was more to be had from this little bike. This is where the fun starts. Again thanks to all the info from the good folks on this forum I knew right where to start my mods. Got the MSR shifter, big difference and I recommend doing it. Next was the muffler. Cut the cat out and took the screen off the inside off the muffler at the exit. Made a noticeable difference but still could tell the engine was struggling to breathe. So I did the air box mod. Again, noticeable difference but the engine wasn't putting out all it could. Sooooo I ordered the Mikuni carb and a set of jets. All I can say is HOLY COW!!! What a HUGE difference that made. I installed the 115 main jet and it REALLY woke the motor up big time. I am extremely happy with this bike and you owe it to yourself if you have one to at the very least do the muffler and carb mod. You won't be disappointed. Going to do chain and sprockets next when I decide what size I should go with. Also want to change out the oil in the forks. They are too soft and I only weigh 170 lbs. Thanks to everyone who ever contributed to this forum because it saved me a lot of time and money figuring out what I needed. Sorry but I don't have any pics and for those that are going to ask I got a Go Fast Green color
	4

01-06-2017, 09:38 AM	#2
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,533	Welcome aboard! I did the same thing. A lot of lurking before I pulled the trigger and got my Hawk lol. I've learned a lot and shared. Great forum to be on. __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
	1

01-06-2017, 04:53 PM	#4
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,533	I weight about 180 and it is perfect for me. I'm about 50/50 on and off road. South Louisiana is pretty flat but where we ride off road is pretty hilly. It handles the steep hills with ease. 15/40 is close to the same gear ration as the 16/43 and 17/45 that some of the others here have. __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
	0

01-06-2017, 05:13 PM	#5
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,065	Awesome snow pics! Congrats! You just purchased about the best two wheeled deal on the planet...... __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
	0

01-06-2017, 05:36 PM	#7
letsride Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 832	Here is the link to Jerry's thread where he gutted his Cat. http://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=17913 __________________ My Stable- 2022 Lifan KPX250 , 2023 Royal Enfield Himalayan, 1992 Honda GL1500 Goldwing, SSR 70 Auto, Kymco Mongoose 90, Honda Four Trax 300
	0

01-06-2017, 05:22 PM	#6
tomalak007 Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 28	I just ordered a Hawk and hopefully it gets here next week. Great info! Did the mikuni carb really make that much of a difference? I read somewhere else that it didn't really do anything compared to a properly jetted stock carb. Also where can I get info on the stock muffler mod? Thanks man!
	1

01-06-2017, 05:41 PM	#8
letsride Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 832	And here is a link to Minnesota Hawks exhaust mod. He tells what he did to mod the muffler. __________________ My Stable- 2022 Lifan KPX250 , 2023 Royal Enfield Himalayan, 1992 Honda GL1500 Goldwing, SSR 70 Auto, Kymco Mongoose 90, Honda Four Trax 300
	0

01-06-2017, 06:06 PM	#10
Sir kayakalot Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 269	Ok Pete thanks for the advice on the forks. Tomalak yes the carb made a HUGE difference on my bike. I don't know what the stock jetting was on my bike because I didn't open up the stock carb and I'm sure the muffler mod helped but it wasn't until I put that Mikuni carb on til I noticed the remarkable difference. On the muffler I just made 3 cuts where the cat is located and peeled it open. Then I removed the cat and welded it back up where I made my cuts in the pipe. Pretty simple and best of all it was free!! 2LZ- yes I agree about the best deal on the planet. I don't regret buying this bike one bit. Coming from racing dirt bikes when I was younger I wasn't expecting much but I can tell you I'm pleasantly surprised.
	0

01-06-2017, 06:35 PM	#12
pistolclass Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: connecticut Posts: 978	Agreed Carb/jet upgrade make a huge difference! I love my Hawk. Adjust the valves right away, too.
	1

01-07-2017, 08:25 AM	#13
Sir kayakalot Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 269	Yes adjusting the valves is definitely on my to-do list. I forgot to mention that while I had the pipe off I ground down the weld on the inside of the pipe where it butts up to the motor. It was ridiculous how big that weld was.
	3

01-07-2017, 12:36 PM	#15
Sir kayakalot Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 269	Ahhh Roger DeCoster one of my heroes for sure. Tonight kicks off the 1st round of the SuperCross and I can't wait!!!
	0