New Guy, New to Bikes, Looking for Answers

[95C1500]

Hey guys,

New guy here from DFW. I've got multiple questions regarding the Hawk 250. I've done a lot of research already but I still can't bring myself to actually go buy one. I'm not convinced. I've been wanting to get a bike for the longest time, and I don't want to spend a ton of money on a first bike. I'm also not afraid of tinkering on machines. I bought my first truck 4 years ago and I've had some sort of project going on (fun or maintenance) damn near every weekend since. That being said, I feel the Hawk is an excellent choice.

But like I said, I'm not convinced that it's the bike for me.

First off, as the title states, I have seen multiple people who have put between 1000-3000 (motocheeze on youtube)or so miles on the bikes and revied them but what about 10-20,000 miles or more. I'm wanting to know how they held up/are holding up and what are some parts that tend to break, or just need replacing. How do these bikes handle being ridden daily? I have a 20 mile round trip to school everyday and the speed limit never goes above 50 on that commute. Are they pretty reliable once you get them tuned and dialed in? Like I said, I don't mind working on the bike, but I don't want one that will need to be worked on every couple days or one that I have to worry about it not starting every morning.

I've been reading through threads since I joined a week or so (maybe two) ago. I've already got a list of the "mods" I plan to do. 17t front, 45t rear sprockets, better chain, mikuni carb and jets, changing engine oil, better spark plug, longer shift lever, etc...

Now, looking through the local CL ads, I found a 2015 Hawk for $1000 obo. I thought to myself "hell yeah!" until I looked at the pictures.


Other than the front wheel and tire, do you guys see anything else that's just jumping out at you that looks wrong with this bike? Shitty pictures, I know. I'll take better ones if/when I go look at it. The clutch lever doesn't look right to me. If I can get a hold of the guy and go look at it, what are some things I should look for that could be damaged as a result of whatever caused that wheel to be bent? Since I obviously can't ride it like that, how would I check to makes sure things aren't bent/broken.

And lastly, replacement parts. I talked to a couple dealers today (one of which, when I mentioned the one on craigslist, dropped his price right then and there... $1650 TTL out the door to $1500 TTL out the door), one being 360 powersports, one being pioneer powersports, and the other being a no name sotre with a sign above the building that says "Scooters and ATVS!". 360 said they would not install parts I order (like the sprockets and such) while the other two said they would. I've heard horror stories of 360 so I'm completely turned off by them now. So other than dealers, where could I order parts for these things? Preferably american made replacements if that's even an option.

I'm sure I'll have more questions the longer I'm here.

Thanks guys and gals.

[Adjuster]

I say no on the above bike for $1000 is my personal opinion. A brand new one delivered to your front door that you know the history of can be had for less than $1400.00.



/

[jaymalmat]

Yeah. I also say no to the "used" one. I bought mine off Harry Hines about a year ago for like $1680 TTL soooo. If you are close to Garland or can be and want an up close and personal look or maybe even a quick test ride to help your decision along, I can meet up with you. Or in between here and Love Field (area where I work), that'll work too. Just lemme know. It really is a great bike once you figure out the quirks if it has any.

[Republic]

The only way a Chinese bike made sense to me was to buy it new so that I could be sure it was taken care of. I'm not expecting Japanese reliability because I'm not paying Japanese prices, so the best way to get a reliable machine is if I'm sure of all maintenance, etc.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by 95C1500

Hey guys,

New guy here from DFW. I've got multiple questions regarding the Hawk 250. I've done a lot of research already but I still can't bring myself to actually go buy one. I'm not convinced. I've been wanting to get a bike for the longest time, and I don't want to spend a ton of money on a first bike. I'm also not afraid of tinkering on machines. I bought my first truck 4 years ago and I've had some sort of project going on (fun or maintenance) damn near every weekend since. That being said, I feel the Hawk is an excellent choice.

But like I said, I'm not convinced that it's the bike for me.

First off, as the title states, I have seen multiple people who have put between 1000-3000 (motocheeze on youtube)or so miles on the bikes and revied them but what about 10-20,000 miles or more. I'm wanting to know how they held up/are holding up and what are some parts that tend to break, or just need replacing. How do these bikes handle being ridden daily? I have a 20 mile round trip to school everyday and the speed limit never goes above 50 on that commute. Are they pretty reliable once you get them tuned and dialed in? Like I said, I don't mind working on the bike, but I don't want one that will need to be worked on every couple days or one that I have to worry about it not starting every morning.

I've been reading through threads since I joined a week or so (maybe two) ago. I've already got a list of the "mods" I plan to do. 17t front, 45t rear sprockets, better chain, mikuni carb and jets, changing engine oil, better spark plug, longer shift lever, etc...

Now, looking through the local CL ads, I found a 2015 Hawk for $1000 obo. I thought to myself "hell yeah!" until I looked at the pictures.


Other than the front wheel and tire, do you guys see anything else that's just jumping out at you that looks wrong with this bike? Shitty pictures, I know. I'll take better ones if/when I go look at it. The clutch lever doesn't look right to me. If I can get a hold of the guy and go look at it, what are some things I should look for that could be damaged as a result of whatever caused that wheel to be bent? Since I obviously can't ride it like that, how would I check to makes sure things aren't bent/broken.

And lastly, replacement parts. I talked to a couple dealers today (one of which, when I mentioned the one on craigslist, dropped his price right then and there... $1650 TTL out the door to $1500 TTL out the door), one being 360 powersports, one being pioneer powersports, and the other being a no name sotre with a sign above the building that says "Scooters and ATVS!". 360 said they would not install parts I order (like the sprockets and such) while the other two said they would. I've heard horror stories of 360 so I'm completely turned off by them now. So other than dealers, where could I order parts for these things? Preferably american made replacements if that's even an option.

I'm sure I'll have more questions the longer I'm here.

Thanks guys and gals.

I would reccomend buying a new one, sent to your home so you can assemble it yourself. That way, you know who to blame if it is assembled wrong. I wrote a bunch of stuff under "Hawk Talk" that should help you. And there are plenty of other threads also to help you. The Hawk is in the enviable position of being the most bang for the buck, motorcycle wise. The engine is one of the most reliable ever made.

[2LZ]

Reliability: The CG motor will run a very long time, especially if it's maintained. They were designed to deal with the worst of conditions. There's a member here who has 50k on his Lifan CG motor before the oil pump chain got to slack (counter balanced motor). I believe the motor still runs. There is no oil pump chain in a Hawk since it's not counter balanced. One less thing to go wrong.

Parts: There's many options including RPS and CSC for starters. Most generic Hondoid parts can also be found on Amazon or EBay.

[SeerAtlas]

I have two Hawks which are not just ridden, but ridden HARD pretty much every day the weather doesn't intervene. If you wait till the perceived 'end of mc season' the prices will plummet, I believe someone was selling them for 1050.00 last fall. Paid 1300 for mine, could have done a bit better but liked the seller.
Now, since you're in texas, you should be able to get a serious deal cause the importer is there, grab a friend w a pickup and take a road trip. i.e., forget shipping.
Assuming you get a get a good one (problems have been really, really rare) order up an 45 rear sprocket, maybe a 16 front if you want more than you're 50mph comfortably, and a unibear chain (you'll need it eventually as the stock chains stretch like crazy). With the money you save from shipping, get our board members hawk version of his digital speedo / tach) change the fluids, and smile/ridee like a bandit .
These things are serious fun, JUST MAKE SURE you read and follow the xcellent setup and maintenance threads on this board. The bike will last a very,very long time,
I love mine. and just so you know...w the 16/45 gearing I can easily cruise 50-55 day after day after day while also banging around the dirt, mud, gravel, water, and rock we have round the hills here.
mine will pull up a slight grade fully loaded, at a bit over 55 with that gearing and touch 70 on the flat if I crouch down over the tank. My bro's bike does a bit better but his is abnormally strong and he weighs about 90 lbs. less (I'm about 270).

I've had a lot of bikes in my life, >old guy and consider the Hawk to be near the top of the 'bang for buck fun" scale. good luck.

[wilserchinarider]

If you want a little project, i would make an offer on the Hawk with a bent wheel. Offer $500 and see where you go, of course I wouldn't go beyond 6-700 as you can get one new in a crate for $1350 delivered...

New parts are expensive, used parts may be available. Really depends on the extent of the damage. I believe that front wheel is typical china bike and not specific to the Hawk.

[Weldangrind]

Welcome, 95C1500! These guys have given you excellent guidance, so I'll just add that I'd love to see pics of your truck.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by wilserchinarider

If you want a little project, i would make an offer on the Hawk with a bent wheel. Offer $500 and see where you go, of course I wouldn't go beyond 6-700 as you can get one new in a crate for $1350 delivered...

New parts are expensive, used parts may be available. Really depends on the extent of the damage. I believe that front wheel is typical china bike and not specific to the Hawk.

That is an opportunity to upgrade to an aluminum rim. Lacing wheels seems difficult, but that's why God created Youtube.

[95C1500]

Originally Posted by Adjuster

I say no on the above bike for $1000 is my personal opinion. A brand new one delivered to your front door that you know the history of can be had for less than $1400.00.
/

I'm leaning towards new anyways, I actually just found another on Craigslist for $1400 already tagged. It looks to be in perfect shape. Only 700 miles too.

Originally Posted by jaymalmat

Yeah. I also say no to the "used" one. I bought mine off Harry Hines about a year ago for like $1680 TTL soooo. If you are close to Garland or can be and want an up close and personal look or maybe even a quick test ride to help your decision along, I can meet up with you. Or in between here and Love Field (area where I work), that'll work too. Just lemme know. It really is a great bike once you figure out the quirks if it has any.

That would be great actually. I'm getting my motorcycle endorsement at the end of the month so I will keep your offer in mind.

Originally Posted by Republic

The only way a Chinese bike made sense to me was to buy it new so that I could be sure it was taken care of. I'm not expecting Japanese reliability because I'm not paying Japanese prices, so the best way to get a reliable machine is if I'm sure of all maintenance, etc.

I have thought about that a lot. Every time j get the "I'll just go look at it" feeling, I think about how the bike probably wasn't cared for.

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

I would reccomend buying a new one, sent to your home so you can assemble it yourself. That way, you know who to blame if it is assembled wrong. I wrote a bunch of stuff under "Hawk Talk" that should help you. And there are plenty of other threads also to help you. The Hawk is in the enviable position of being the most bang for the buck, motorcycle wise. The engine is one of the most reliable ever made.

I was actually thinking about ordering one and having it built then picking it up. I hadn't even considered putting it together myself. I've read through that thread, lots f useful info that I'll be using

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Reliability: The CG motor will run a very long time, especially if it's maintained. They were designed to deal with the worst of conditions. There's a member here who has 50k on his Lifan CG motor before the oil pump chain got to slack (counter balanced motor). I believe the motor still runs. There is no oil pump chain in a Hawk since it's not counter balanced. One less thing to go wrong.

Parts: There's many options including RPS and CSC for starters. Most generic Hondoid parts can also be found on Amazon or EBay.

That's great to hear! I believe there is an RPS place here in dfw so that works out good.

Originally Posted by SeerAtlas

I have two Hawks which are not just ridden, but ridden HARD pretty much every day the weather doesn't intervene. If you wait till the perceived 'end of mc season' the prices will plummet, I believe someone was selling them for 1050.00 last fall. Paid 1300 for mine, could have done a bit better but liked the seller.
Now, since you're in texas, you should be able to get a serious deal cause the importer is there, grab a friend w a pickup and take a road trip. i.e., forget shipping.
Assuming you get a get a good one (problems have been really, really rare) order up an 45 rear sprocket, maybe a 16 front if you want more than you're 50mph comfortably, and a unibear chain (you'll need it eventually as the stock chains stretch like crazy). With the money you save from shipping, get our board members hawk version of his digital speedo / tach) change the fluids, and smile/ridee like a bandit .
These things are serious fun, JUST MAKE SURE you read and follow the xcellent setup and maintenance threads on this board. The bike will last a very,very long time,
I love mine. and just so you know...w the 16/45 gearing I can easily cruise 50-55 day after day after day while also banging around the dirt, mud, gravel, water, and rock we have round the hills here.
mine will pull up a slight grade fully loaded, at a bit over 55 with that gearing and touch 70 on the flat if I crouch down over the tank. My bro's bike does a bit better but his is abnormally strong and he weighs about 90 lbs. less (I'm about 270).

I've had a lot of bikes in my life, >old guy and consider the Hawk to be near the top of the 'bang for buck fun" scale. good luck.

I've got the truck part covered and I believe the place you're talking about is right here in Dallas. The speedo/tach is one of things on my mod list as well. I'm a 270 pound guy as well so that's great to hear. What kind of gas mileage are you getting out of your bike?

Originally Posted by wilserchinarider

If you want a little project, i would make an offer on the Hawk with a bent wheel. Offer $500 and see where you go, of course I wouldn't go beyond 6-700 as you can get one new in a crate for $1350 delivered...

New parts are expensive, used parts may be available. Really depends on the extent of the damage. I believe that front wheel is typical china bike and not specific to the Hawk.

I may consider going to look at it jus for the hell of it. The dealerships I've gone to have rushed me when I told them I was just looking for the time being. Understandable since they won't be making any money off of me but I still haven't gotten much time to really look at them.

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Welcome, 95C1500! These guys have given you excellent guidance, so I'll just add that I'd love to see pics of your truck.

It's just an old Chevrolet pickup. My grandpa ordered it brand new in 1994 (1995 model). It was a Silverado package 2wd with the 350 and the POS 4 speed 4l60e and a 10 bolt rear. I got the truck in April 2012 with 71,000 miles on it. It currently has 124,000 miles. It's been through a couple stages since I got it.

The most recent version has a 14 bolt in the rear, 6 lug rotors up front, and 18" stock wheels from an 08 Silverado. It's nothing special but it's my pride and joy
4 years ago - stock - 71,000 miles


My high school phase


Beginning of last summer (and my old 91 KDX200 that I regret selling)



Now



Sorry for all of the truck pictures on a bike forum, I'll keep them to a minimum from now on haha

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

That is an opportunity to upgrade to an aluminum rim. Lacing wheels seems difficult, but that's why God created Youtube.

I've watched countless YouTube videos on these bikes so far haha

[Republic]

You may want to follow this guy over at Advrider: http://advrider.com/index.php?thread...#post-29745172

He has 3k miles on his Hawk and it taking it to South America soon.

[95C1500]

Okay I went ahead and contacted both guys on Craigslist. The bike with the bent wheel has 44 miles on and he said he already had the wheel and tire replaced and forgot to update the ad.he said it runs and rides perfect. I'm not saying I'm buying it, but it has definitely peaked my interest. I'm going to go look at it just to see what kind of shape it's in.

The guy with the red 700 mile hawk said he's kept it completely stock, never been dropped, and has kept up with all maintenance. It's currently tagged. He's selling because he upgraded to a bigger bike. He wants $1400. Which is ~$200 less than a brand new from a dealer.


I'm not saying I'm going to buy used for sure, but if they're in good enough shape and I can get a used one cheaper, it is definitely an option. I'm just going to go check them out

[95C1500]

Originally Posted by Republic

You may want to follow this guy over at Advrider: http://advrider.com/index.php?thread...#post-29745172

He has 3k miles on his Hawk and it taking it to South America soon.

Thank you for the link. The bikes seem to be really popular and hold up well. I may have to buy one

[Fame28]

Make sure if you go check out the black bike, see if he will let you ride it. If your skill of riding is good, get it up to a reasonable speed and relieve pressure from the handlebar or let go completely and see if it pulls hard to one side or the other. Check the front forks to ensure they aren't bent also and above them on the triple tree area check the neck and the welded seems over carefully to see if it's cracked on either. I would also recommend check the rear wheel over twice on both sides to see if it got slightly bent also. They are very durable motors on these bikes, just have to do the few starter kit upgrades like the threads recommend and of course follow up here with us and photo's when you buy something!