Can someone help me pick which bike to get?
 

Hi everyone, great forum.

I was looking to buy a bike mainly for dirt roads/2 lane roads sometimes trails in the woods but nothing very intense. I might take it fishing etc. I live in WV.

Here are the 2 bikes I was considering: the rps hawk and another bike (Fleetwood or lancer) 250 that has a rack and rectangular headlight. Here are links.

****** 1 *******
https://www.txpowersports.com/New_ha...bike-250cc.htm

****** 2 *******
https://www.motobuys.com/fleetwood-2...ro-db07-k.html

As I see it, the rps hawk advantages are: lots of them around, more support, parts easier to get, more online help and videos etc, just more popular.

The advantages of the "Fleetwood" or "lancer" is at least for me the rack on the back. Also I think the tires might suit me better. I am a little concerned about finding parts.

For me, at least a rear rack is essential, but maybe that could be added on to the hawk without too much trouble.

Does anyone have any advise regarding this decision?

Thanks everyone for taking the time to look at my post and any advice.

Don't be thrown by all of the different names. Most of these bikes share many of the same parts and can be purchased in many places. The blanket name for them is 'Hondoid". Just steer clear of the old gen Hondoids and you should be good with any. That said, steer clear of TXPS also.
The other question is can you register a Hawk for the street in your state?

Some people have had problems with txps. I did not. It was a good transaction.

I really like the look of the one from Motobuys. Looks like it comes with all the proper paperwork for registration too. 48 state legal.

I should have opened the link. The one at motobuys looks nice but it's old gen Hondoid. Sketchy rims and spokes, hard plastics that like to crack..

I've bought from these guys and have had decent luck, some others have not.
They have a lot of the new generation CB's including the Hawk, Storm, Shark, Brozz, etc... All safe bets.

https://www.superiorpowersports.com/category_s/145.htm

If it is within your budget, then get the CSC TT250 and then buy and install their rear rack. It comes with less aggressive tires tnan the Hawk, and a bunch of improvements.

If it is not within your budget then get the Hawk, install the TT250 rear rack - it bolts right on, and then install whatever tires suit your fancy. Shinko 700 or 244 tires are both great choices and not very expensive. This will also give you a chance to upgrade the tubes, because the stock tubes suck.

I got the Storm for the counter balanced engine and front and rear disk brakes.
It also has a sweet rack that I have not used yet.

Thanks
 

Ok thank you for the advise. I’m sure i can get some help finding parts if needed then. What are the most common ‘wear parts’ like brake shoes sprockets etc people buy. Or do most parts outlive the bike?

Here are some other examples of bikes i ran across:

https://www.superiorpowersports.com/...50mc-rte-r.htm

https://www.superiorpowersports.com/...50db-shark.htm

http://www.saferwholesale.com/Hawk-4.../gsi-hawk4.htm

As popular as the hawks are you’d think someone would have a rear rack for sale for them. That would be helpful. (update: CSC TT250 rack was recommended earlier in thread)

With this additional advice I’m going to do a little more searching and post back soon. Looking to buy in next week or 2.

And if anyone has advise about delivery i live in a residential area. If needed i could have crate loaded onto a 4x8 trailer i have and pull into garage. Not sure how cumbersome delivery to home is.

I second the suggestion of a CSC TT250. Got one a few weeks back and really happy with it so far. First CB so I can't really make a fair comparison, but customer service so far has been A+ with CSC.

I'm not sure if this is older or newer generation. What is the best way to tell?

http://www.saferwholesale.com/DF-250...-df-250rte.htm

I noticed that some of the older one's had rear drum brakes. And how bad are the older generation bikes? Do the rims fail frequently, do the engines tend to fail more frequently? I guess if I found an old gen I really liked for a good price, how strong would the recommendation be to not buy. I definitely don't want a lemon that doesn't run well or breaks down very easily. But if a rim failed, I could replace.

Another member had a similar question regarding delivery. Here is a youtube video.
https://youtu.be/Hcnx2uo65TA

I looked at them all and decided on the CSC TT250. It’s a few hundred dollars more but you get a far superior bike with exceptional dealer support. I have mine just over a month and already have over 1000 miles on it with not a single problem. 60 mph, 60 mpg and 60 smiles per day. It’s wayyyyyy fun.

Maybe check out the RPS Magician. It has a rack, less aggressive tires, lower height. Still a dual sport but more road then trail. Small gas tank.

My wife's doesn't arrive until Monday so no 1st hand experience yet.

It's more like $1000 more than a Hawk, but you get some nice improvements for your money. Upgraded charging system, better factory carb tuning, adjustable suspension, better quality control, assembly is included in their price and is actually assembled well instead of just slapped together.

Most importantly, as mentioned, is the dealer support. That can be worth the increased cost all on its own.

I would argue that you get a "far superior" bike. It is still a Chinese made motorcycle. I think it would be more fair to say that you definitely get a better finished product. The Hawk requires a little more attention and effort on the end users part, but when done right can be every bit as reliable and capable as the TT250.

Choice on bike will also depend on you height or inseam measurement. The Hawk/TT250/Enforcer with 21/18" wheels is tall and more for the 5'10" and taller. Storm and Magician with 19/17" wheels is more for the vertically challenged.

The Seat Concepts seat for the TT250 drops the seat height down to a manageable 32-33 inches. Plus, with rider sag setup properly, once the rider weight is on the bike, anybody with a 30" inseam should be able to comfortably put their feet on the ground, or at least get the front of both feet down. It bolts right up to all 3 of the 21/18 bikes Hawk/TT/Enforcer.

Weirdly, the Magician has the second highest seat height at 32 inches, while the specs for the Storm show it to be the ultimate bike for the short legged at just under 29". Personally, I would get a Storm over a Magician for multiple reasons, especially for off-road use.

I'm 5'10 and cant put my feet flat on my Storm, I feel it would be real close to the same on the Hawk.

My question is do you feel comfortable putting it together, if not spend the extra on the CSC because they at least ship it complete with it packed properly and customer service to take care of the small problems that arise with shipping.

If your good with assembly save the cash and get it in a create...it seems to be the safest way to get an undamaged bike with the other dealers.

no matter who you buy from hope it goes well i found the worse one to be saferwholsale research the issues ,i had a hicup with txmotorsports ,but had my mco in 3 days an the bike in 7 days from the day i paid an they made one mistake right an refunded me for it ,they all have issues but not everyone has problems, get the hawk an make it what you want ,if your not very tall get the storm or the magiean

I'm 5'10"
 

Hi everyone, thanks for helping here. I'm 5'10". The magician looks like a nice bike, but looks a little odd to me, I just kind of like the look of the csc tt250 or hawk better than the magician.

As far as working on the bike, I would not mind this, in fact I can to keep the bike indefinitely so I'd like to learn the machine very well. I haven't really worked on motorcycles, but I have a 1969 vw bus and every year I set the points (I know these bikes dont have points), time it with light adjust valves etc so I would enjoy learning the motor to work on it. I can weld but don't do it often, I've only rarely broken down an engine. I'm just mentioning these things to give you an idea of my overall skill level.

I think the csc is a nicer bike, but seems like the Hawk would do fine for me. Its about $800 less so it makes it an easier buy to justify as a fun purchase. So it seems like I'm leaning toward just buying a hawk. As far as the rack goes, after seeing the csc tt250 rack for sale on csc website, I am very confident I can put a rack on the hawk very easily. If I do I will post some pics or a video.

I know people have said to steer clear of the old generation bike also, but so far I have not totally ruled one out. In part, this is because I like the look of the enduro with the square headlight and older style console. I grew up as an 80's kid and the more aggressive angulated plastic headlight and fenders look a little too modern for my taste. The hawk /csc tt250 are starting to grow on me though.

The other reason I've thought about getting something like this (https://www.superiorpowersports.com/...50mc-rte-r.htm) is they are apparently getting a little harder to find and being phased out, at least it seems that way. So I think to myself, I should buy this cool looking bike while I still can? I don't mind taking a little calculated risk as far as quality goes. I would not be terribly upset if a rim failed or if grazed a tree and had to mend some plastic. I would just fix these things.

But I wouldn't want to buy a machine I could not find parts for to fix if needed, or buy something that despite maintaining, treating and tuning up properly just runs poorly or fails.

So in summary, it seems like I would probably buy a hawk and add the rack (due to being $800 less than the CSC tt250, but if I thought the old generation enduro would more than likely be reliable and finding parts was not an issue, I think I would go for that.

If you truly want to get to know your bike then get the crate Hawk and start building that special understanding that only comes from wrenching on your own. I respect all riders but am admittedly biased when it comes to turn key jokers whose only mechanical connection to their rides is in fact turning the damn key.

im 5'9" and hawk is fine for me. my heels not down at the red lights but most of the foot is.

Tge TT250 literally bolts straight on to the Hawk. 4 bolts on the back come out, rack goes over the holes, rack bolts in place. Just need bolts for it.

Im leaning toward just buying a hawk which has been suggested. Its find as is but if i decide to do some cosmetic stuff i have a few questions.

1) what is the function of the gas tank covers? Can the bike be used without them? Do they aid in air cooling at all or more just physicsl protection.

2) Has anyone switched out to round or square headlights. I see round universal type headlights 6 or 7” mentioned. Looks like a switch out would not be hard but I wasn’t sure if the wiring behind that plastic housing was needed to tuck/ protect wires etc.

3) are there any bike plastic kits you can modify to fit easily on the hawk.

I think lowering/cutting back the front fender, removing gas tank covers, placing vintage style round headlight, 1 or 2 round mirrors, and black tubular style rack would change the look quite a bit. Cost of those mods could be very low.

In summary is it a bad idea to switch out headlight to one with no housing (like magician). Or removing gas tank covers?

[QUOTE=GaryBD;283666]Hi everyone, thanks for helping here. I'm 5'10". The magician looks like a nice bike,





After i bought the hawk i seen some nice videos on the magician an if you like to be flat footed ,that would be a good choice too,if your going to ride more on the street ,its better set up for the road ,an a bit of the off ,you may wan to wait for the DLX hawk comeing this year said to be more dual purpose bike ,with efi too

dont need the covers ,if you like your legs to hug the bike there kinda there for that, headlight stock
one works for me,other then replace with better bulb,seen a guy who cut the rear fender right out youtube video , stock mirrors work great for me but lots of guys replace them ,there is a rack that fits ,i think from like the storm 250,i see a few guys with no covers from dumping the bike ,but guess its fine without for them ,i like the bike covers,but i can see how they could break real easy when dirt bikeing with it or dumping it

Dont know about the plastics kits i would like to know if they have replacements for the 2 front ones though ,for me when my legs hug the bike they do seem to be in the right spot to feel like one with the bike ,but dont need to do it either ,i would think for most just for looks

Thanks everyone for helping. I have a few questions about the magician.

1) is it the same engine as hawk? Same horsepower torque etc

2) can i just change a sprocket to get a higher top speed? (Related to question 1 im sure)

3) any easy fixes on that front fender to raise it? Am i the only one that thinks its odd looking?

The magician has the same engine as the HAWK. But I think you will be happier with the HAWK. The hawk has a larger fuel tank. More off road friendly. Easier to find parts for the HAWK and lots of technical support here.

Thanks everyone, I'm buying a Hawk.
 

Thanks everyone for the advice. And I really appreciate the CSC TT250 enthusiasm I think CSC is a great company.

I chose the Hawk because of owner support from other owners, parts easy to find, good reputation for reliability. Its also easier to get the wife on board for $1400. It looks easy to modify if I want.

I am buying from Q9Powersports

https://q9powersportsusa.com/collect...owersports-usa

Seems like they had good reviews on this site, lay away was available, and customer interaction was very good so far.

I will repost to let everyone know how the buying process goes ...

*****************************************
I still remain curious about this bike and others like it:
https://www.motobuys.com/fleetwood-2...ro-db07-k.html

Over the last few weeks, I've done a lot of "window shopping" on these bikes, and in part I didn't get this one because I didn't know what I would actually receive.
1) the engine is listed as a "229" but look substantially different from hawk
2) sometimes they list disk brake but have drum
3) they are mostly photo shopped as far as color goes
4) the specs are not correct frequently or questionable, for example the "hawk 4" from safer wholesale looks like a great deal but has a lower top speed around 55mph. The "lancer" from motobuys is something like 70+mph.
5) sometimes the pics have different rear view mirrors.

In short these bikes look nice. Its hard for me to commit to a buy if I don't actually know what I'm getting.

Still, if I had a few extra k and and extra garage space I might order one just to see what I get.

It is hard to go wrong with a Hawk with this site and if you have the wrenching ability. It isn't a perfect bike, but it isn't hard to iron out the kinks and turn it into the perfect bike for you.

Gary I noticed these things too when helping my dad get the Bashan Storm 250. Same as Fleetwood except smaller rims and street-type tires.

1) The engine is different. It's counterbalanced. Also seems to have some cooling fins at the bottom Hawks don't have.
2) Newer models have discs.
3) Yeah the pics suck on most sites.
4) Gearing. The Hawk has 15/50 sprockets whereas the Storm has 17/46. My hawk with a tuned carb and eBay exhaust does 62mph at 400 miles of break-in while the storm completely stock right after assembly did 58mph (GPS speedo because the stock one reads 6mph faster). That's me riding both at 265lbs. Ngk plugs.
5) Some of those pics where really, really old. I can say the storm came with the same mirrors as my hawk. Only difference is they're DOT stamped.

Congrats on the Hawk! That would be my pick if I did it all over again. The Storm is also a really good value. Probably wins on looks. Could use a little more travel in the rear suspension though.

Fleetwood looked like the older gen Storm 250 actually. We got it $1625 to the door and that was definitely the cheapest possible. Has the inverted forks, rear disc and slightly different/better headlight and farings. Didn't look close enough last night.

You can't go wrong with the Hawk. It's been proven a reliable bike when properly assembled and maintained. What I liked about mine was it was like buying a kit bike and customizing it to my liking. While waiting for your bike to come in I would read through Megadan's thread to familiarize yourself with what to look for while assembling the bike. Just take your time and go through the whole bike and it will last a long time.

Still no Hawk, lost or missing.
 

Here is my experience so far:

I ordered a Red Hawk from Q9 Powersports.
They were pretty easy to get a hold of and knowledgeable.
The told me to call for a tracking number in 2 days and I called back and got it.

Road Runner is the carrier. It was shipped from Texas went to Indiana, then to Chicago. It was unloaded on July 1st from carrier truck, and supposed to be reloaded onto new carrier truck headed towards me.

After calling road runner a few times, they basically said it was unloaded, but not reloaded/transferred onto the new truck and is more or less missing. They are requesting a search for the box at the Chicago location and if they do not find in a few days I have to report it stolen or lost and request a refund.

So overall decent experience with Q9 Powersports so far, but shipping not going so well currently.

Typical shipping problem with most of these companies. Only trucking company I know that has there stuff together is Saia motor freight. Most of the rest of them will screw it up one way or another. Good luck.

It is really unbelievable how these companies stay in business. Do they do this with every kind of package or just China bikes? I know they don't pay the people doing the actual work very good. That would make them not give a crap about how or when they get to the packages.But the bad business should make people not use their services. If I was selling something, I would use only the best shipping company.

Not to dishearten you, but that right there is the problem.

Roadrunner Transportation is a terrible company. Massive debt combined with poor management. They have a reputation of losing or damaging freight and are in serious financial trouble because of it.

If they do happen to find it, do NOT sign the paperwork until you inspect the bike for damage. If it is damaged, refuse delivery.

It may sound like a silly reason to some people, but the specific reason I bought BOTH of my Hawks from Killermotorsports was because they ship with SAIA. I probably sound like a broken record, but SAIA is THE best LTL carrier out there. Evidenced by the fact that both of my Hawks arrived on time and in perfect working order.

If you do have to get a refund and re-order, ask them if they can ship through SAIA. R&L Carriers would be my second pick.

R&L Carriers did some major damage on my daughter UTV. Destroyed the pallet it was sitting on, busted one of the front tires, completely destroyed the KC lights, and ripped the canvas top. Luckily Don with APSCUSA sent out replacement parts so I wouldn't have to deal with a damage claim with the trucking company.

That is why they would be my second pick. I have had better luck with R&L than many others, but they aren't perfect either. SAIA isn't without fault from time to time, but they definitely have a better overall success rate with not damaging things. My pallet on my new Hawk was falling apart, and the box had a couple of holes in it that scared me a little, but the bike was unscathed.

i got the hawk ,i went with tx they would have had my bike from texas to Nh from a monday ship friday i got my mco shipped out on wed like 3 days for paper work has to be good ,my problem came with upc frieght ,then a crated bike ,but the ups guy was a total ass ,i should have made hime pull right up to the bridge closest to my house ,good thing i had some good 2 4 wheel dollys ,thinking back an tar road otherwise i did get the bike in the 6 buseness day or 7 day,

we have bridge drivers dont wont to cross some will some wont ,but if they back right up to the bridge the 2x closer to my house like an 1/8th instead of 1/4th mile,it was blish down an up a few slopes ,this was the only reason i wanted full assembley wich one still needs to do pdi on

it was 115.00 more at the time most get 200.00 an more ,just to make pushing the bike home ,other then the ups being a dik, tx was supportive answered the phone right there an refunded the amounts or near 200.00 for some reason its al that matters it i got mine for 1259.00 something like that

Hopefully good news
 

I talked to roadrunner today and they say they located the crate. They say its now loaded and ready to go on its next leg of trip soon. It’s Friday so they say it will probably leave Monday. So it looks like it will have sat in one spot for 15 days.

When i saw it sit for over 10 days i thought i should inquire and so they looked for it and found it. I don’t know if they would have looked if I didn’t call.

I wonder if they wait for a truck to fill untol its moved. If so I would much rather hear the truth,” its going to be a while this is economy shipping and truck not full yet.”

Either way it sounds unusual for it to sit for what looks like will be 15 days in one spot. I’m just glad they found it. Summer’s passing by...