Why is everyone all egar to add more weight to the hawk? RC51 fork ot the like, dual brakes(do you realy need to have that much braking?), VFR rear wheel? Seems all of these mods weight the bike down and dont give that great of a return over the stock. Whats your thinkings on this?
Well, it's not only Hawks that these mods pertain to. RZ350s, Bandit 400s, CB-1s, etc have fanatic owners that just want to upgrade.
As for the Hawk, yes a VFR wheel, RC front end, etc will add weight but the benefit is that you get much more modern suspension/brakes/contact patch/etc. The Hawk was never a powerhouse to begin with so its deceptive speed was based on handling, nimbleness, and usability of powerband. And the stock brakes won't hold up much on track days - fyi. Also, as any good rider will tell you, upgrading the suspension alone is worth more than any pipe or intake mod. And undeniably, the mods you mention also do make the Hawk look sweeter. Oh, and it is also nice that the Hawk is very easy to mod/upgrade. The hardest part is finding items on ebay. Almost everything is an easy bolt-on.
Hope that helps you to start understanding. You really won't until you own a Hawk...
the bike 100% stock doesnt lend it self to hard riding
breakes will go soft on you
suspention will bottom out
limited on tire choices
honda went cheap to keep the cost down below the cbr
but when you fix all that stuff with a modern front end and rear suspention the bike is then hard to keep up with in the hands of a experanced rider
yesterday i compared the diffrence between a f2 fork and a 05 cbr 1000 USD fork and it feels like half the weight
and the vfr rear rim mod is just for looks
I couldn't have said it better my self PekingDuc! Like the old saying goes, "to each thier own". Somethings are just not for everybody. Personal CHOICE is what makes the world go round. Besides, if we didn't buy crap for our scoots, the aftermarket industry would go belly up!!!
Why do they sell hop-ups for Ferrari, Porshe, Lambo's and other exotics???? Do they really need them???? Maybe, Maybe not. PERSONAL CHOICE! Do you really need a bigger house, SUV, or pool? Maybe, Maybe not. PERSONAL CHOICE! The only things you NEED in this world is food, water, and shelter. Some of us choose to have a better quality of life and if I WANT TO PUT 3-4 GRAND INTO MY HAWK, I WILL!!!
There is an ASSfor every seat, just stay out of mine!!
First I've had my hawk since 1995. So I've been around a bit. Its not stock. Ok, Maybe I should have rephrased my question.
1. Tires/wheels
The reason people use to change the wheels out was caus no one made good tires that fit. the front rim. Michelin makes tires in propper sizes now to fit the stock rims. Pilots Power problem solved. Weight saved.
2. Suspension.
This is a given. But I do not believe adding a fork from a bike that weighs 100 lbs more than the bike it was intended is going to help. You want an up grade why not track down a f3/f4 cartridge unit and new springs? You can add the inturnals to the hawks stock forks and have a beautiful front and alot less weight than a rc51 front. The rc front would need to be resprung anyway to work with the have. I had to respring my rc front to get it to work for me on the RC. Rear is junk and so is the 900rr shock. Here an aftermarket is needed fo sho no question.
3.Brakes
The rc51/1000rr/whatever dual brake set up is too much for the stock bikes much less a bike that is alot lighter. A single rotor with a nice 4/6 piston caliper and adapter is perfect and does not add too much weight.
I just dont understand. The bike makes 40 horse and weighs 400 lbs. You have a lightweight bikie that makes you use the power to the edge and yopur going to add 50lbs with a huge front end,dual rotors, dual calipers, hevier rims and tires. Remember the weight you add to the wheel alone is unsprung weight. This means slower to accelerate and slower to turn. Why would you want that? Sure all that other crap looks cool but the weight vs. performance would be equal to me putting the hawk front end on my bicycle
While everything you said makes technical sense, people mod their bikes for different reasons. People don't usually buy Hawks to beat their friends on gixxers on a track - well, not at big tracks anyway. And not everyone is counting lbs for every mod they do. Some mods are purely aesthetic, some are purely for performance, and some are for both.
As of now, I have a stock front end with race tech constant rate springs with a F2 front rim. I chose to go with the F2 rim because of the ability to mount a 120 series tire. I'm sure a 110 stock profile is plenty sticky but I'm accustomed to the profiles I use on my RC. So yes, my F2 rim is heavier but I'll suck that up for the benefit in tire choices.
In regards to suspension; The RC front end is heavier but swapping out springs/internals on that vs getting a stock Hawk front end up to standards is actually better in the long run and possibly cheaper depending on how much you pay for used RC front end.
For brakes; any modern dual-disk sportbike will be more than enough for the Hawk but I would never deem this a overkill mod. I say this because most overzealous riders who end up crashing are usually only concerned about hp and not suspension/brakes. I've yet to run into some hot-headed rider who mods brakes/suspension before touching their engine. The Steve Leniak Hawk brake upgrade is nice too but you have to keep your stock forks. I'm still deciding on which option I'm taking.
If you look around, most if not all the sportbikes that are currently out are overkill for most riders. Wether you have only 40hp or 101, do we all really need upside down forks and radial brakes? Extruded beam frames and single-sided swingarms? Probably not but it sure is nice to have em...
Like Juicedstang999 said, "to each his own". I love all Hawks, even stock ones so there will probably never be a "bad" Hawk in my mind. Unless we're talking neon lights and stunt cages.
First I've had my hawk since 1995. So I've been around a bit. Its not stock. Ok, Maybe I should have rephrased my question.
1. Tires/wheels
The reason people use to change the wheels out was caus no one made good tires that fit. the front rim. Michelin makes tires in propper sizes now to fit the stock rims. Pilots Power problem solved. Weight saved.
2. Suspension.
This is a given. But I do not believe adding a fork from a bike that weighs 100 lbs more than the bike it was intended is going to help. You want an up grade why not track down a f3/f4 cartridge unit and new springs? You can add the inturnals to the hawks stock forks and have a beautiful front and alot less weight than a rc51 front. The rc front would need to be resprung anyway to work with the have. I had to respring my rc front to get it to work for me on the RC. Rear is junk and so is the 900rr shock. Here an aftermarket is needed fo sho no question.
3.Brakes
The rc51/1000rr/whatever dual brake set up is too much for the stock bikes much less a bike that is alot lighter. A single rotor with a nice 4/6 piston caliper and adapter is perfect and does not add too much weight.
I just dont understand. The bike makes 40 horse and weighs 400 lbs. You have a lightweight bikie that makes you use the power to the edge and yopur going to add 50lbs with a huge front end,dual rotors, dual calipers, hevier rims and tires. Remember the weight you add to the wheel alone is unsprung weight. This means slower to accelerate and slower to turn. Why would you want that? Sure all that other crap looks cool but the weight vs. performance would be equal to me putting the hawk front end on my bicycle
Guess you don't have the CR500 mod, huh?
Chris, how the hell have you been? Good to hear you still have the Hawk. Last time we met up in Schaumburg and headed to Wisconsin....it's been a few years.
Charles, I'd get rid of the rc before the hawk. Yeah, Shaumberg. Good ride. You and that other guy were fast. We should do it again. You still have your rc31?
CT
CR500 modified by Service Honda I wish my motor woulod blow so I could justify some motor work. Going to have some nicetys i'm adding for this summer. That should hold me for a while.
The rc51/1000rr/whatever dual brake set up is too much for the stock bikes much less a bike that is alot lighter. A single rotor with a nice 4/6 piston caliper and adapter is perfect and does not add too much weight.
The only thing I can say is that you must love the hawk quite a bit, when upgrades hurt its performance.
You sound like a purist.
The rc51/1000rr/whatever dual brake set up is too much for the stock bikes much less a bike that is alot lighter.
Ok maybe the rc could use more brakes but the stock brakes are awsome with the hrc soft bite pads. Even with the stock lines! I have an r6 4 piston caliper with the stock rotor and steel lines on the hawk. Even with stock yamma pads this thing wants to lift the rear with 2 fingers on the lever. More than enough for me. If I still needed more braking I'd go to a cast iron rotor before I went to a dual set up. I might think different if I were tracking the hawk.
Charles, I'd get rid of the rc before the hawk. Yeah, Shaumberg. Good ride. You and that other guy were fast. We should do it again. You still have your rc31?
CT
Shhhh....I have a reputation for being an up-standing law biding citizen on this board.
We should definately do it again this year. We can plan to head out earlier so we don't have to rush. My cell phone is 773-716-7872, I will have the RC51 back together and ready to ride by the end of April, then I am taking it to Texas for a week. We should plan a ride when I get back.
Yes, I do still have the Hawk. The Hawk is a keeper.
I know how you feel regarding this original thread since I am contemplating the same decisions. My plan is to re-do the Hawk with weight savings as the #1 priority besides Hord rebuilding the motor.
I'm Much better in real life.
It seem form wins over function.
I just wanted to see what others reasoning was in going their routes they did with the hawk. The hawk is a wonderful bike even in its stock form. It just some folks (in my opinon) go over board and miss the point to this little light weight twin. I love the way the hawk looks with the rc51 front and the f2/vfr wheels. rs250 faring finishes it quite nice too. Same reason I put a left exit tbr pipe on my bike. Makes it look like an rc30. Esthetics. Not power. Its now gettion replaced with a proper fitting system that takes advantage of a better routing.
Sorry if I came across as opinionated and a bad speller. But?
Curious if anyone here has actually weighed the two front ends (RC and GT) for comparison sakes???
I remember reading somewhere how they're a lot closer in weight than most would believe, since the GT had steel triple tree vs the aluminum. I actually did the conversion back in '02 but decided I was too busy for the project so I sold everything. I wish I had weighed them just to have some hard numbers.
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'12 Tri Explorer
'05 GSXR1k (4Sale)
'00 RC51 (4Sale)
Hord would know the exact numbers i'm sure. He's had both bikes and I'm sure they have been apart in his shop. I had an extra rc front complete minus the fender and a complete hawk/cb1 fork with a f2 wheel and 2 hawk rotors. Both had the brakes and no rubber on the wheels. Just lifting them I knew, the later was a bit lighter. Plus i had the head bearings so it went on the hawk for a while. In the end I went back to stock. Wish I had a scale then. Could have weighed all three. The 91 gsxr 41mm fork from what I remember was about the same weight as the current cbr 600 f-whatever it was back then.
Either way I commend youse who are going against the grain of the current trend of making a bike as light as possible. Enjoy
I personally enjoy getting to work in my garage or basement on something. This yr it was my Hawk... next yr... maybe a ratrod.
I think it's awesome that a older bike like the Hawk can be moded with stock items right off the shelf. Why not... I'm not out to win a race down a straight away with a GSXR750 cause I know who's gonna win that race... I will find him in the S's and pass his ass there...
I think it's also a personal thing too. I am creating a bike thats mine... no one elses and will never see another like it.
Why are so many people into overkill on the hawk?
I wish my motor woulod blow so I could justify some motor work. Going to have some nicetys i'm adding for this summer. That should hold me for a while.
Thank you! 
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