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Calling Hawk riders! New rider in Georgia!
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Hey there! I just created an account here.
I recently picked up a 2015 Hawk 250 for cheap with pretty much no miles on it. I want to mainly use it to commute to and from work. Road it to work today. It worked great but I need to modify it to cruise comfortably at about 55. It has a hard time doing it right now. Would love some feedback from those who have tuned their Hawk to know what adjustments, upgrades and mods will help it run a little faster. I plan on switching the sprockets first, but don't know where to go after that. Is there a big bore option for it? :) Thanks in advance! (I live in Acworth, GA.) Attachment 7563 Attachment 7564 |
There is a ton of info on the hawk in the dual sports section of this site. One of the main things you can do is change the sprockets and adjust the carb. How hard was it to get tagged in GA? I'm In GA too.
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Welcome. Sprockets are good place to start. Lots of good info in the dual sport forum for the hawk.
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You are on the right track with the sprockets. I would suggest do those first, and see how it runs with just that mod. Many members have swapped out the carb, but I am one to try one mod at a time and leave it alone for a few weeks, before moving on to the next mod. |
Welcome!
I recommend that you set the valves before doing anything else. A big bore kit is not gonna happen, unless you go liquid cooled. |
I totally agree with burn&file. Valves before anything. Once those are good, the carb mod is wicked simple and cheap. Get a Mikuni VM26 off ebay for $39 and get a jet kit for $10-20. Start with a 110 main. Once you get the carb tuned get a 17 in front. See if that is enough on the top end. If not grab a 45 for the back. I like my low gearing but I'm mainly off road. I like wheelies too :)
The bike has it's quirks but for the money they are great! |
Thanks everyone for the feedback! I switched out the front sprocket with a 17 and it's already better. The rear 45 is on the way. I'm guessing that it will suck on hills after I switch it though, but that's alright. I'll do the valve tuning next. Not sure about doing the carb mod yet, several people seem to not have noticed a change. Have any of you noticed a difference after installing the Mikuni Carb?
Getting it tagged has been hell. After going 5 times to the DMV (and getting different answers each time) it finally got submitted. Had to get a title bond, fill out affidavits, get police inspection, etc. The lady at the DMV submitted the packet of paperwork and gave me a registered tag but said the state may deny it and then I'll have to go through salvage to get it approved for street use. All in all, I've spent $200 to get it finally tagged, and will probably have to spend more for the salvage crap. Hopefully they have a new intern at the state office that will overlook the fact that its a kit bike and unknowingly approve it... Also, where do I find this magical dual sport forum? |
The carb mod for me was very noticeable. Prior to the carb/jet mod the Hawk need 20 minutes of warm up time to take it off choke.
You can re jet it with the stock carb but it's a pain to dremmel the tamper proof screws. If the replacement Mikuni was $200 I would have cracked up the stock one. But it is only $39, and that is coming from a cheapo china bike rider. |
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I went from the stock 98 to a 110. |
Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably get the mizuno carb eventually.
Does anyone know of an engine swap that is possible with this bike frame? Any larger engines that could be ripped from an older bike and put on the Hawk? I'm thinking like a 300cc to 400cc engine. Thanks in advance for the help. |
Welcome to a Fellow GA Rider
Lester,
Welcome to the forum! I just placed the order for my Hawk this morning. I live out in Carrollton, and ride a DR650 now. I was a little hesitant to buy one because I absolutely wanted to get it tagged in GA, however everyone else says that it's not too hard at all. I'll post my D!!MV experience once I get the bike knocked together. I'm going to be doing a ton of upgrades and farkles to my bike because I ride year-round, and need everything to be able to take me wherever I need to go. Please continue to post about your upgrades and thoughts/experiences with your new Hawk! Cheers! -Emerikol 2015 Suzuki DR650 1987 Honda Rebel 250 |
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The only new upgrades I've done recently was install a new spark plug, which seems to help ignite past half throttle, and put all synthetic oil for the winter in the bike. Bike seems to run a little smoother now with both of those things. Once the back 45 tooth sprocket gets in I'll install it and then the Mikuni Carb will be the next upgrade. Any one have a suggestion for which jet size to put in it? I've heard between 100 and 120 from some. I may just need to swap them until one works best. |
Also, I've been putting in premium gas in my Hawk. Is that overkill? Does the manual say? I don't have the manual. Bought my Hawk used.
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Link to Manual http://www.therps.net/User%20Manual/Hawk%20HS250Y-A%20250cc%20dirt%20bike%20Owner's%20Manual.pdf |
Mid grade
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Thanks for the responses!I appreciate it. I'll put 90 octane in from now on.
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My Lifan and Zongshen owners manuals say 93 and 91 octane but they're using the European rating instead of the US rating. Equivalent in the US is about 87 octane regular. Using premium or mid grade won't hurt but regular 87 should be fine. If it doesn't ping, all is good.
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I've always used regular fuel without any trouble. These are low compression mills.
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Another question. Have any of you had the issue of the engine bogging down past half throttle? Like it's not able to ignite all the gas or something. Or maybe it's getting too little gas. Unsure, but there is definitely a loss of power if I roll the throttle hard past half. Thoughts? |
I believe there are some threads addressing that issue on the Hawk. Usually a matter of jetting and airflow that can be fixed without too much bother.
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Can't Sleep - Hawk Should Be Here Today!
So I can't sleep. Big surprise, considering the freight company called me on Wednesday and set up my delivery appointment for today between 2:00 and 5:00 pm. This is my excited face! I got the new 17t front sprocket and 39t rear sprocket (I may buy a larger rear sprocket if the 39t saps too much power), as well as a seat pad and carb jets in yesterday's mail. I also have digital cluster from Matt coming in today. I have parts already and don't even have the bike yet...
I was out in Vegas on vacation this past week, and had to reflect on the wonderful world we live in: I was in a casino with the wife I don't deserve, and my awesome inlaws, and ordered a new motorcycle using my cell phone while sitting in front of a blackjack game. I ordered from TXPowersports.com, and so far the experience has been adequate. There wasn't a ton of communication back and forth, just the routine order received and order shipped emails. The only minor complaint I have so far is that there wasn't any tracking info on the order. Not the end of the world, I just like being able to watch the package progress. I'll keep everyone posted once I get the bike unpacked and assembled. I have to go to the DMV to register the other vehicles, so I'll also update what has to happen out here in Carrollton to get a plate. Have a great day, everyone. |
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I'm interested to see what the DMV has you do. For me I got different answers every time I went in. I still haven't gotten my title back from the state. I'll see if they require something more to be done. |
A New Hawk Is Born!
IT'S ALIVE!! After a friday spent unexpectedly laying new tile in my kitchen (very long story), I have been able to spend today assembling the Hawk. First impressions:
1 - The hawk should really have a comprehensive manual for assembly. I have a bag of nuts, bolts and washers left over, as well as some grommets and wire keepers. 2 - TXPowersports did an excellent job with the order, however UPS Freight was a little lacking. I had to hook up my trailer and go meet the truck. He was in a full size rig, after I told the dispatcher that they would need a pup truck to get into my neighborhood. In any event, I did wind up getting the crate on the day it was scheduled, just had to go a little out of my way for it. 3 - Did I mention an assembly and instruction manual?? 4 - The bike starts and runs, but once you get past about 1/2 throttle it starts sputtering and bucking. I have the jets and some washers, I think I'm going to take the carb apart and start playing around. 5 - I installed the digital cluster from Matt (hawkClusters@Gmailcom) and I'm very impressed. I need to tinker with it a bit to get it to face me more directly, and it seems to be canted a little to the right. I have a hacksaw and a welding torch, what could possibly go wrong? :crazy: 6 - So, about that manual... 7 - The tires are super aggressive on the street, and you can count every knob as they roll over. Haven't decided if I'm going to burn these ones out and go with something a little more street friendly, or keep the bike set up for fun out in the woods. More to follow... 8 - SET THE VALVES!! My rig came from the factory with a valve clearance of 0.00. I set them for 0.05 and they seem to be happy. Noisy, but happy. 9 - I ran it for a few minutes with the oil from the factory to get it warm, and then changed it right away. I used Suzuki 10w40 because that's what I have for the DR. Seems to work well. 10 - Ten bullet points, really? Get on with it already and start a new thread! 11 - DMV will need to wait until Monday, but I'll get back about that. I'm going to heat cycle the engine one more time to finish the break in, then get new sprockets tossed on. Have a fantastic weekend everyone! |
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Saturday Night Update
As if assembling a motorcycle and getting it fired up isn't enough, there's more! I tore into the carb and loaded up a 110 jet and shimmed the needle up with a single#6 washer. Word to the wise: Be very careful with the needle retaining clip. I shot mine across the shop and never found it. I have a cut-down water bottle lid keeping my needle in for the time being. I do have to say that I'm very impressed with the way the bike runs after having reworked the carby. I also put on the 17t front sprocket and 39t rear. The bike has a grand total of 33 miles on it, and that sprocket combination let's me hang at about 60mph or so. After lurking on every site I could find about the Hawk, it seems that the engine will really start opening up around 200-300 miles. I should have the exhaust swapped out by then, too. All this back of the envelope math says I should be able to hit 70 or so comfortably. Honestly, I like this bike so much (granted, it's only been a day), that if I would have picked this up first, it's possible I wouldn't have even jumped on a DR650. I'll be hitting the DMV as soon as the paperwork comes. I'll keep everyone posted.
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Ya, it is a really fun bike. I'm sure enjoying mine. How's it do on hills with that sprocket combination? I'd love to be able to get up to 70 but I'm afraid some of the uphill streets I take to work would be a challenge.
Yes, I think it did open up more after the first several hundred miles. I'm around 600 now and it's doing great. I need to swap the carb and tune it cause I'm having that half-throttle problem too. Keep us updated! |
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Had all my paperwork already notarized from APCSUSA and my proof of insurance and was in and out in 15-20 minutes. |
Another Ride In The Books
I was able to take the Hawk out for another ride last night, albeit a short one. The gearing feels pretty good at 17/39. I had a slight hill I was going down and hit 72mph. It seems like the bike is unlocking a few mph every time I ride it. I think that once the new exhaust gets in I'll be set with a perfectly suited bike for around town jaunts and short adventure rides. I got the MCO in the mail yesterday from TXPowersports. I called my insurance broker and got the insurance started on it. She had to add it to my progressive policy, and she said that it took, but it might not stick when a human actually reviews it. It cost me a whopping $6 from now to the end of my policy, and next year when it renews it will be $62/year. I have to travel to SC today for work, and then I'm flying to Mississippi Wednesday, so it looks like Thursday is the soonest I'm going to be able to hit the DMV. I have about 50 miles on the bike so far, and I've noticed that the seat is very comfortable (the seat pad I bought my find it's way onto the DR instead of the Hawk), the mirrors are about useless, the bike doesn't buzz or vibrate as bad as everyone said, the brakes are as effective as dragging a stick on the ground, and the headlight could use some improvement. Did I miss anything? I'll keep everyone posted as the week unfolds and I find out about the DMV. That's the biggest piece of the puzzle I have left.
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If Progressive turns it down you can always get it through Geico online. Quick and easy. punched in the Vin# and all the correct information on the bike came up. $99 a year. Allstate wouldn't add it to my policy because it would come up in there system.
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Totally agree on the mirrors..... useless. |
Thanks for all the updates Emerikol. I'm amazed that you've been able to get it going that fast already. Would you mind sharing all the mods you've done already? And links to the products. Thanks! Safe travels!
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Why do the stock mirrors suck?
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First DMV Visit is a Bust - No Help From TXPowersports
First visit the DMV has been a bust. They refused to register, title, or do anything with my Hawk because the MCO didn't say that the vehicle was legal for street use. They gave me a couple of forms to fill out and take the bike up to the Sheriff's office so they can inspect and verify the (non-existent) vehicle data plate that's supposed to be on the steering stem. I reached out to TXPowersports for some help and haven't heard back yet, however I noticed they updated the website after I bought my bike and they posted a disclaimer that the bike might not be legal in all 50 states... If they're marketing a vehicle as being street legal, it damn well ought to be street legal. The DMV even went so far as to dig into the registration of my DR, claiming that since it only had one cylinder it couldn't possibly be street legal. >:( Needless to say, things were tense at the local DMV. They finally sorted out the DR, and I got it and the wife's daily driver renewed, but that was certainly not the best way to spend an hour and a half of my time this morning. I'll give the guys at TXPowersports until close of business tomorrow toget back with me before I get too bent out of shape. After that I'll call AmEx and see about reversing charges and TXPowersports can send someone to my place to pick up a fully assembled and modified Hawk 250...>: So to recap, insurance was fairly straightforward (still haven't heard anything from my broker about adding it, so no news is good news), but the DMV was less than cooperative. It seems that the red tape strikes again. The bike is running great, and i got the new exhaust and iridium spark plug in yesterday's mail. No sure how much sense it makes to spend some time continuing to mod out the Hawk when it doesn't look like I'm going to get to ride it anyways...
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The Upgrade List!!
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2. HawkCluters.com digital gauges. 3. 17t front sprocket and 39t rear sprocket with o-ring chain. 4. Valve adjustment 0.05 on both Intake and Exhaust. 5. Oil change to Suzuki 10-40 oil. 6. Iridium Spark Plug (Pending response from TXPowersports.com) 7. Aluminum high flow exhaust (also pending response from TXPowersports.com. 8. Airbox mod for improved breathing. 9. A lot of swearing at the GA DMV. Everything came from MotoCheez's website: https://sites.google.com/site/motoch...-250-resources |
Dang man, I'm sorry it's been so disappointing. I still am unsure if I'll get a title from the state. They may deny it. I've also heard that there is a way to register it in another state to get the title and then bring it in after the fact to register it here, if nothing else works.
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