Operation: Red Hawk - Skyd's Build thread
 

Hey Everyone! So I ordered my new Hawk 250 from TxPowersports Saturday night. I figured while I wait, I'd start a build thread to track my progress, mods, and misfortunes.

They provided me a tracking number but it's not working yet.....maybe I'm just impatient and I need to wait and check tomorrow. It's for Saia, which I've never heard of here in the North East.

Anyway, onto the fun stuff. I tend to get a bit wordy, so I'll try and section this off for both my own benefit and anyone who might be trying to follow along.

I ordered the standard carbureted hawk, no gimmicky Bluetooth speaker or anything like that. It's still chilly here in NH and a little snow on the ground so I have a good month before any type of riding weather hits. I plan to take my time assembling the bike, going over it well and making a few upgrades before it's even started.

At first I was thinking I wanted to run it stock and then upgrade just to see the difference, but naaaaaah.

So here's the plan:

General Assembly will include the following (in addition to the obvious)

1. Checking and Loctite/lock washers on fasteners
2. Drain shipping oil from forks and refill with 210ml of 15w fork oil
3. Drain the engine oil and refill with T4 Rotella 15W40
4. Check and grease wheel bearings (marine grade)
5. Install zerk fittings to swingarm and steering and grease (marine grade)
6. Lube all cables after checking for proper routing/binding etc.
7. Throw old spark plug in the trash and put in a fresh NGK D8EA
8. Check electrical connections and apply dielectric grease
9. Flush brake fluid and replace with Synthetic DOT3 or 4


Fuel/Air

1. Airbox mod
2. Swap in a PZ30B carb
3. Rejet carb as needed

Drive

1. Regear with 16 tooth front & 45 tooth rear sprockets
2. Install new Niche X-Ring 130 link chain
3. Replace Wheel Bearings with quality ones


Controls

1. Quick Turn Throttle
2. New Grips

Engine

1. Swap head gasket for TT250 head gasket
2. Magnetize Drain plug with a rare earth magnet

Suspension

1. Once the bike is assembled I’ll check rider sag and I’m expecting to have to make spacers (I’m about 220lbs without gear)






Ok, so those are my top priority items for the assembly process before the starter button is ever pressed. I’ll let this marinate for a bit, and then I’ll come back to talk about other considerations and secondary “priorities” and undoubtedly I’ll ask for input and opinions from you guys!

Feel free to jump in with anything I may have forgotten here. I’m a shade tree mechanic and ex CNC machinist so I’m pretty handy but I don’t have all the answers for sure, and most of the time I wing it and figure stuff out as I go.

I’m also planning to take pics and video during this process and I’m kicking around the idea of building my youtube channel that’s been mostly idle, we’ll see.

If you hung in til the end of this post, congrats you get a gold star, Thanks for the interest!!

Keep us posted!

Quick Turn Throttle.. is this something you're fabricating or buying?

This isn't the one I'll get, just happened to be the one that was easily accessible at the moment but have a look.....
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...im/refuge08-20

I would say you have a solid plan to start with. Now the fun part of waiting around for the bike to arrive.

Aka a quarter turn throttle. Something that is somewhat necessary when running the pumper carbs in order to actuate the accelerator pump with enough speed/gusto to get the AP to squirt its fuel when needed.

Also useful for a non-AP carb if you just dislike the ridiculous throttle sweep of the stock throttle housings.

Which I do, this was a planned upgrade no matter which carb I went with.

Check this out:

https://www.chinariders.net/showthre...ht=quick+twist

That's great if you are just wanting to run the stock carb. The issue with the AP carbs is the cable itself that comes with them is designed around the quick turn roller guide throttle like he linked above and will likely be way too long for the stock throttle as well.

For the price, might as well just do it right anyway, they aren't all that much on eBay

Good plan. The one thing I might consider is upgrading the wheel bearings while you have it apart. For $20 or so total at build up something to consider. Once you get it together its hard to take it apart later. LOL.

Hmm good point, I'll have to look into that that's a pretty good idea. I keep kicking around the idea of replacing the studs for the sprocket also but I know these things keep getting small upgrades year to year so I don't wanna get ahead of myself and spend money I don't have for stuff I maybe don't need.


Bearings may be a great idea though, thanks!


(updated my plan above)

As an All Balls distributor I will be working with my rep to put together some bearing kits for these bikes. Also will be doing a tapered bearing swap kit for the steering heads.

If that happens anytime in the near future I'd gladly buy a set of wheel bearings. Keep us posted on how you make out.

What up china bikers......


Just a little update - my tracking number for Saia kicked on last night as the bike was picked up from TXPowersports. For reference I ordered the bike late Saturday night (like midnight) and it left their dock yesterday (thursday). I already got a notification that it left the shipping depot in Dallas and it's headed east.


So while I anxiously await the phone call to setup delivery, I'll be collecting parts and tools and what not.


I also have the PZ30B clone carb on the way and a set of main and pilot jets.


I'll be doing some serious shopping this weekend and expect to drop a few more Benjamins in the process.


I ammended my original post above to include brake fluid change and new wheel bearings. I could get crazy with this but then I might as well have built the bike from scratch myself. So I think this is my starting point, let it be written, let it be done. That is my plan of attack, and then I'll throw a leg over it and start the break in process.


I'll be back with some more ideas and questions I've been kicking around but thought I'd give an update this morning and break up my posts so maybe they're not novels. Catch ya soon!

I already have the numbers posted for both the wheel bearings and the All Balls steering stem bearing and seal kit. Just saying...

Are you always so emotionally over reactive? I don't care if you offer it or not,

I was posting it out there just so people are even aware of it instead of sitting around waiting for some kit that already exists. That's all. Chill out.

Ya I found the numbers, was thinking maybe he meant a kit that included everything for a package price, but the prices are already pretty decent. But, unfortunely they are out of stock.



Looking at some Nachi ones now.



PS - I'm not dignifying his response with a response. You're all good here

Yeah, that's the one downside. Thankfully, you can also find said bearings and seals through other suppliers. The stem bearings are pretty universal across a large number of Honda dirt bikes, so there isn't anything fancy or mysterious about them.

Wheel bearings and wheel seals are even easier to source, so take your pick as they say.

Ya, they appear to be incredibly popular bearings in multiple industries. I totally forgot about the seals, I don't think the Nachi's come with seals so I'll have to find the part number for those separately. Glad you said that :tup:

Wheel Seal dimensions.

Rear
25x47x10 1 each.

28x42x7 1 each.

Front.
23x37x7 1 each.

Happy Saturday morning from NH. So I thought I would expand on my plans and get some ideas and feedback.

I'm going to consider these things "Stage 2". So that means they're probably not going to happen before I start to ride the Hawk.

So here we go, in no particular order.....

Some Fat bars: here's 2 I'm considering
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3295...816c2e0er9KZ4Z
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3278...816c2e0er9KZ4Z

I'd also like some bar risers to go with them so I'll need to locate some of those. My DRZ had some that raised and moved the bars forward and it made a huge difference me.

Handguards
Not sure what I want....just something to keep the brush and bugs off my knuckles. open to suggestions for cheap/reasonable options here

Rear Shock
This one's a biggy and I'm wondering if I should get one on the way. I feel like with my size and wanting to use this more off road than on this would be a worth while upgrade. I also wouldn't mind raising the seat height an 1". So I need to look at options for this....suggestions are welcomed

Exhaust
This one I keep going back and forth on. I dont' want to draw unwanted attention or have a "loud" bike but I'd like the performance upgrade and a nicer tone. I could gut the cat, and I might go that route but I'm seriously considering this system....
https://carcustomonline.com/direct-b...al-sport-bike/

If anyone has this can you speak to it's sound level and just overall how you like it? It appeals to me more than some of the others I've seen because it looks stock, not racy, and word is it's an easier install.

So here's just a few other things to throw out there:

LED Headlight bulb (H4 right?)
LED Tail/Brake light (anyone know what one to get?)
Footpegs (maybe we'll see)
IMS or MSR Shifter
Adjustable CDI
TT250 Seat (will see how I like the stock hawk seat)

I'm sure I'll think of more, HAHA. I want to figure out some sort of rear rack so I can mount a bag or small hard case without spending a fortune.

Till next time - Keep the shiny side up.

I have that same exhaust - Stonemen exhaust - got on Amazon at the time for $85.. fitment wasnt bad, had to notch out the header flange with angle grinder and drill one mounting hole.. nice jump in power.. sound is tame at idle but on the loud side when getting on it.. i felt the stock exhaust was way too quiet so this was great for me

SKyd,

I have the second set of bars on my Hawk, had the same ones on my last Hawk as well. Amazingly good quality for the price. I often think they are from the same plant as the actual Renthal bars as the strength and finish quality are just that good. I doubt either set will do you any wrong.

As far as the exhaust, many of us have that style if not that exact version with the CG flanges. How loud it is will be subjective to the person. They are definitely loud enough that it will get peoples attention when you have the throttle cranked, but puttering around and part throttle and idle it isn't too bad. If you want to take the edge off the noise you can always install a quiet insert for a Pro Circuit T4 (4" can) that will help tame it a little without too much affect on the overall flow of the system. They come in a few sizes to allow you to choose how great the baffle effect is. https://www.procircuit.com/stainless-quiet-inserts.html

Yes, the headlight is H4.
As far as tail light, I would link the one I have but they stopped selling it. I tend to use SuperbrightLED stuff, but take your pick of 1157 LED lights, just make sure to get red color to avoid pink lens.

The shifter is worth it, especially if you have big feet. It also moves the peg more inboard to get it out of harms way. The stock shifter is... silly.

You could probably skip the adjustable CDI and just stick to the timing key and be happy.

The TT250 seat is definitely an upgrade over the stock seat, but you could also look into having a shop put better foam and covering on your original seat. Might cost more, but you will also end up with something much better overall.



The difference here is, the one he linked, which is the one I often link to people, has a CG250 specific header flange on it. No cutting, notching, or drilling required.

Great info as always - I think I might just pull the trigger on the exhaust, the thing is this is the "Live free or die" state and they're pretty lenient.....you should hear the Harley's around here that are straight piped.

Good to have some feedback on the bars too.

Thoughts on a rear shock? I go back and forth wondering if it's a smart idea to just do it up front.

I think I'll just order the shifter also - sounds like I'm gonna want it. I wear a 13.

Also I was thinking of doing the adjustable CDI in place of the timing key, but either one will be a down the road item I think. I've heard of some of those timing keys on bikes shearing off before, not necessarily the hawk but just in general.

And the seat, I'll see what I think of the stock one before making any rash decisions to throw more money at this....haha

Somewhere in your list you need to include "Check tightness of front and rear wheel spokes". I say this because I have now put together one Chinese bike for myself plus 2 bikes for others, and in all three cases one wheel had spokes as tight as banjo strings while the other's spokes were so loose they were barely staying in place when the bike was standing still. Fail to do this one and all of your other upgrades will be for naught...

Ya, that's sorta included in my (besides the obvious). Check and tighten everything loctite, lock washers, etc. I'll check the rims for true as best I can also. I'd like to upgrade spokes and rims at some point as they seem to be a weak point on these bikes but that'll be maybe next year

Ha. You might want to watch that if your bike is being shipped by Saia...


I got an LTL shipment from them at work just the other week. These guys turned up with a large and expensive piece of our equipment upside down on its pallet. This thing is shipped as an assembly... three boxes on one pallet, strapped together and to the pallet. My best guess is some genius in their division cut the straps and tried to rearrange the boxes to make more room, knocked over the main box (which was also completely exploded) or it tipped over while driving, and he and just scooched it back onto the pallet real quick without, y'know, looking at it first.



I rejected it and these idiots had the gall to show up a couple of days later with the same unit, but they had taken it back to their dock, flipped the box over, and tried to pretend like nothing happened. Also tried to say I could not refuse the shipment now because there was "no damage." Uh-huh, I had pictures of the same serial number on the same box for the same unit, upside down, with a picture of the inside of the blown out box they'd since taped up for said item showing the unit inside... damaged.


Inspect your bike very carefully before you allow that truck to pull away, is all I'm saying.

Good to know - It is being shipped by Saia, I actually had never heard of them before. Their closest depot is a 2 hour drive from me. Alot of times it depends on the driver too, they don't wanna do the paperwork for damaged items. I've seen that before, but I've seen good drivers that'll help you inspect the stuff and even point out damages working for the same trucking company.

Good tip though, I'll be sure to check it over

Tracking update - My hawk has made it's way to New York, so I suspect I shall see it before the weekend! WOOHOO

bought my hawk the same day as you, hasnt left the dealer yet. currently living my hawk tales through you

Oh really? Where'd you order from? I got mine through TXPowersports, I used my friends code - MOTOCHEEZ "maybe you've seen his videos". It's supposed to get me better service, which maybe includes priority over other orders, I dunno.


I emailed them last Tuesday for a tracking number and the gave me one, the bike left the dock the next day. So if you haven't already, you might contact your dealer for tracking...could prompt them to get it out. I feel like all of these places are a bit willy nilly with the shipping process.


With any luck I'll have mine sitting in my Dining room this weekend (that's where everyone works on motorcycles right?)

Well - it appears my bike did not move at all yesterday. My guess is they're taking turns riding it around the depot, LOL. Hoping today I get a call for delivery tomorrow, that would be ideal but Friday would be ok too.

So - after the bike sitting in NY for two days, it moved at 2am this morning and arrived in Burlington early. It was then put right onto a delivery truck and now it's out for delivery marked as between 2p-6p. I got no call, if I didn't check the tracking I wouldn't know. I'm at work because, well I wasn't expecting them to just bring it. So hopefully I can take the afternoon off, but looks like I'll have a Hawk on my porch tonight.

Skyd, I'm waiting on my Hawk from Texas Power Sports as well. My shipping tracking info started working a few days after my order. I'm a fair mechanic and don't have many modification plans yet but I do value the info on this site. I have also attached a YouTube build video that seemed to be one of the better unboxing/build videos I have seen so far. Have fun with your new Hawk.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTdH...index=16&t=50s

Hey Tom! Thanks for the input. I'll check that out just as some added info. Never hurts. I considered doing my own unbox and assembly video but there's plenty of those out there and I'm actually going to be disassembling it further before assembling so, we'll see.

So my bike arrived yesterday around 1pm via Saia and the driver was awesome. The shipping crate and pallet were in pretty decent shape and aside from a chinese birthmark on the left side engine case I haven't found any damage.


I didn't get that far with it because I had some other crap going on, but got the crate dissambled and all the packaging off, mounted the handle bars, and thumbed through the manual which was mostly useless. LOL


Tonight I'll probably get the bike fully upright so I can easily wheel it into my dining room an put it on a stand. Temporary workshop. I dragged that thing up onto my porch in the crate by myself...that was a workout. I'm getting too old for that shit.


Pics to come soon

Took me a minute to get the pictures on here - that file size limit is a pita.

Anyway here's a few pictures so far. It's currently in partial built/tear down on a stand in my dining room. HEHE, waiting on lots of parts that I'm hoping start showing up. Need my head gasket first, that's my deepest mod and then I'll work my way out from there.

SOOOOO, some of you might have seen my other thread on Digital clusters. I've found one I like on aliexpress and I think I'll order it.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...33c72e0eeqop0c

My issue is figuring out a wheel speed sensor that will work....there's a few different sizes/styles.

So I took some measurements of the stock unit. So far, I'm thinking that this speed sensor MAY work (of course it has to be the most expensive one I came across)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000...816c2e0eecpP6z

And here's a few measurements of the hub where the sensor sits. I'm thinking that the thickness of the sensor is quite important so that it all fits together nice and snug, no wobble, etc.

The "axle hole" could be slightly larger and I don't think that's going to matter, as long as the tabs that spin for the actual sensor fit into the notches in the hub. Is this making sense?

Ok well I went ahead and ordered the speedo and sensor I linked to in my last post...so those will be here in like a month and I'll let everyone know how they work out.

I also flushed all my brake fluid today and futzed around with a few other small things. Hoping to see my head gasket tomorrow so I can start in on that!

I was going to pull the bolts that mount the engine to the frame and loctite them but it almost looks like they have red colored loctite on them already so maybe I'll just leave them alone?