Hawk 250 build in Va.

[bloverby]

My digital cluster finally showed up yesterday. Best upgrade so far.

I have a 16 tooth front sprocket, 45 tooth rear sprocket and Honda sprocket studs that I may install this weekend (17/50 installed now)

Also managed to convince my buddy that it was a Honda with the decals I put on it, lol (hey why not have fun with it, right)

I think I've pretty much reached the limit of the mods I will do to it with the exception of a possible x ring chain and removing the cat. I had a budget in mind for the purchase and upgrades to make this thing reliable and I'm on the verge of going into the "you should've bought a used Japanese bike" logic now.

So far it's running great with the carb dialed in and everything adjusted properly. Does 55 at 6,000 rpm with the 17/50 setup.

On a side note I ran into a really clean tt250 for sale close by for $1,150 that I really wish I had found before ordering the Hawk. Be a good deal for someone

[Weldangrind]

Looks like you have plenty of fun toys in the shop.

[paulsstag]

Originally Posted by bloverby

My digital cluster finally showed up yesterday. Best upgrade so far.

I have a 16 tooth front sprocket, 45 tooth rear sprocket and Honda sprocket studs that I may install this weekend (17/50 installed now)

Also managed to convince my buddy that it was a Honda with the decals I put on it, lol (hey why not have fun with it, right)

I think I've pretty much reached the limit of the mods I will do to it with the exception of a possible x ring chain and removing the cat. I had a budget in mind for the purchase and upgrades to make this thing reliable and I'm on the verge of going into the "you should've bought a used Japanese bike" logic now.

So far it's running great with the carb dialed in and everything adjusted properly. Does 55 at 6,000 rpm with the 17/50 setup.

On a side note I ran into a really clean tt250 for sale close by for $1,150 that I really wish I had found before ordering the Hawk. Be a good deal for someone

The stickers just look so right on this bike . I am not so sure you could pull it off with the other color hawks ? must be the red .

Also your car choice is great as most people are really brand loyal and will fight to the death to prove otherwise Not you it seems , way to go

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by OneLeggedRider

Rode mine for 600 km before the initial tune up and the oil was still honey colored and nothing in the screen. I figured it would be a gray color and I would find plenty of metal shavings like some jap bikes I've purchased new.

The question isn't whats caught in the screen, it's how much is in the centrifigal oil purifier. I would recommend cleaning that out at 1,000 miles, or 1700 kms. ..ARH

[bloverby]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Looks like you have plenty of fun toys in the shop.

Ha, yeah, I've been into anything with wheels my entire life. Was a paint and body guy in a former life......

[bloverby]

Originally Posted by paulsstag

The stickers just look so right on this bike . I am not so sure you could pull it off with the other color hawks ? must be the red .

Also your car choice is great as most people are really brand loyal and will fight to the death to prove otherwise Not you it seems , way to go

I know it's cheesy but so is the bike, why not.

I've done full resto's on just about every make there is. Not brand loyal at all. Just like what I like. The yellow 69 is my next project. Doing a full pro-touring build on that. I've had the Mustang since 94. Painted it 20 years ago. Finishing up a 68 Camaro for someone else right now.

[paulsstag]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

The question isn't whats caught in the screen, it's how much is in the centrifigal oil purifier. I would recommend cleaning that out at 1,000 miles, or 1700 kms. ..ARH

I remember the Duetz air cooled diesel engines had such a system ? Do the cg engines have such a thing? and if so how do we access it and clean it?

[paulsstag]

Originally Posted by jeffrey

Remove the right crankcase cover then remove three screws holding the cover on the oil slinger on the end of the crankshaft. Try not to tear the gasket.

Thanks again for the info. You have certainly been a wealth of information and i for one appreciate it, your not related to Dan and Jerry are you

[bloverby]

Played around with a few sprocket sizes over the past few days. I had been running a 17/50 on it for awhile and decided to try the 17/45 that seems to be what everyone likes. Installed the honda sprocket studs while I was at it.

The 17/45 just wasn't for me. Although it would hit highway speeds at a reasonable rpm it just robbed so much torque that the riding experience was just pitiful.

Running a 16/45 on it now which is very similar in feel to the 17/50, but with a little more wiggle room up front. Think I'll just roll with this combo until the bike has had a chance to break in.

If I keep this setup I will likely go to a 128 link chain when I upgrade.

Still need to address the chain guide. Mines so far off that the locating pin that is molded into it will need to be trimmed off and then rivet the rear to the swingarm. I've thought of making a metal bracket that I could glue and rivet the rubber guide to and not have to drill additional holes into the swingarm. Not sure which route I will go at this point. Probably order a spare chain guide to sort it all out. Also considered just shaving a few inches off the center ridge off of it and keep it positioned in the factory location. It's really more of a swingarm protector than a chain guide the way the factory installed it. This is one of the worst design flaws of the bike to me.

Bike is running good so far with the exception of an annoying rattle around 6000rpm that I can't pinpoint. I've used a lot of 3m rubber tape on things to get rid of most of the other rattles and buzzes.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by bloverby

Played around with a few sprocket sizes over the past few days. I had been running a 17/50 on it for awhile and decided to try the 17/45 that seems to be what everyone likes. Installed the honda sprocket studs while I was at it.

The 17/45 just wasn't for me. Although it would hit highway speeds at a reasonable rpm it just robbed so much torque that the riding experience was just pitiful.

Running a 16/45 on it now which is very similar in feel to the 17/50, but with a little more wiggle room up front. Think I'll just roll with this combo until the bike has had a chance to break in.

If I keep this setup I will likely go to a 128 link chain when I upgrade.

Still need to address the chain guide. Mines so far off that the locating pin that is molded into it will need to be trimmed off and then rivet the rear to the swingarm. I've thought of making a metal bracket that I could glue and rivet the rubber guide to and not have to drill additional holes into the swingarm. Not sure which route I will go at this point. Probably order a spare chain guide to sort it all out. Also considered just shaving a few inches off the center ridge off of it and keep it positioned in the factory location. It's really more of a swingarm protector than a chain guide the way the factory installed it. This is one of the worst design flaws of the bike to me.

Bike is running good so far with the exception of an annoying rattle around 6000rpm that I can't pinpoint. I've used a lot of 3m rubber tape on things to get rid of most of the other rattles and buzzes.

Just a suggestion, but don't judge the pull of the bike with the gearing combinations until you get a few hundred miles on the bike. They all feel almost anemic at first, even with the carb jetted properly until they seat the rings and everything "loosens" up/ wears in.

With that said, most of us are not running the taller gearing combinations on otherwise stock bikes.The original exhaust in particular really holds these things back, particularly in the middle and upper rpm range.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by paulsstag

I remember the Duetz air cooled diesel engines had such a system ? Do the cg engines have such a thing? and if so how do we access it and clean it?

Of course it has one. Otherwise, why would I recommend cleaning it?..ARH

[Azhule]

https://www.cscmotorcycles.com/check...ch-replacement

Shows everything you need to do for removal/installing the TT250 centrifugal oil cleaner... should be similar on HAWK and Bashan bikes/engines too

[bloverby]

Originally Posted by Megadan

Just a suggestion, but don't judge the pull of the bike with the gearing combinations until you get a few hundred miles on the bike. They all feel almost anemic at first, even with the carb jetted properly until they seat the rings and everything "loosens" up/ wears in.

With that said, most of us are not running the taller gearing combinations on otherwise stock bikes.The original exhaust in particular really holds these things back, particularly in the middle and upper rpm range.

I've only got around 300 miles on it so far. Plan to just roll with the 16/45 combo for awhile and see how the bike holds up. This gearing should suit my intended purpose for the bike. It isn't exactly confidence inspiring at highway speeds anyway so I'll just leave well enough alone.

As for the exhaust I may delete the cat and rejet accordingly at some point, but I've reached an age where I really don't want to make it louder than it already is.