Hawk Questions - Beginner bike?

[scgstuff]

Hello,

My name is Shawn and I am trying to get some information on the Honda Hawk. My wife is in the process of getting her license, and we are trying to find the right bike for her. She saw a pictture of a Hawk on e-bay (too far away though), and likes the look of it. I currently ride a Speed Triple, and have posted over in the Triumph forums, and had some good feedback on the Hawk. I was hoping I could get some additional feedback here.

Our questions are:

Does the Hawk make a good beginner bike? We want something where she can ride with me, and many of the roads around here are 70mph. We would need something that could get up to 70 for short stints while we get to other nice roads. We still want it to be beginner friendly, though.

She is 5'3" and is concerned about seat height. She has been leaning towards cruisers because the seats are lower (Shadow VLX or VStar 650) but I have been told that a standard style bike is easier and better to learn on.

Is there anyone in the central Texas area (Killeen, Temple, Copperas Cove) that would allow us to look at their bike in person, so she can see it up close and possible swing a leg over it to see what the riding position is like.

How much of a forward lean is there? She does not like the sportbike lean to the bars, and would like a more upright standard position. This bike looks like it is fairly upright in the pictures we have seen.

Thanks for any info you can give,

Shawn

[bk94si]

Makes a great beginner bike and beyond. I've been riding mine since 1992. A little buzzy at 70 mph but not too bad (it has no trouble going that fast). The seat height is fine for 5'3", you can't go flat footed at that height but the bike is very light for a 650. There is just a slight forward tilt no where near a regular sport bike (unless you get one with non-stock bars).

[MasterBates]

its a great beginner bike IMO, you cant buy a brand new one, only used, so youre looking at 2500-3500 $ for one which is pretty decent, and its a honda, so as long as the previous owner didnt demolition dirby it, it should be in good condition and last a long time with a tune up. plus if you drop a used bike its no big deal, and i only know a few people who have NEVER dropped their first bike (lucky people )

[MCOM_RC31]

lower center of gravity makes it feel lighter than it really is...... i think its a great beginner bike and has lots of potential for improvements..... bores, forks, wheels conversions, cams... the whole 9...... its a fun bike to own and it just looks soooo damn sexy.... one thing i love... is the fact that theyre 17-20 years old and they STILL look so damn good... id say...... DO IT!!!... get one.. u might end up stealing it from her for a ride into the twisties............. although her top end is low... she can apex turns like no other. very forgiving and as my girl would put it... User Friendly

[Dash]

The replies here are slightly biased, but true none the less.

It`s a great beginners bike, and unlike so many other beginner bikes, it won`t get boring. A Hawk just makes a fine rashing machine. it`s not powerful, but a Hawk has it where it counts.

[joshshsu]

hello

Shawn

I think the Hawk would make a great beginner bike for her. I live in Bryan and would be happy more than happy to let you check out my bike.
Hell bring yours and we can go ride so you can get an idea of how the Hawk behaves on the road. You can private message me and I'll give you my contact info.

Josh

[Dash]

Re: hello

Shawn

I think the Hawk would make a great beginner bike for her. I live in Bryan and would be happy more than happy to let you check out my bike.
Hell bring yours and we can go ride so you can get an idea of how the Hawk behaves on the road. You can private message me and I'll give you my contact info.

Josh

[scgstuff]

Man that was fast for the replies!!

Thanks for the great info. Josh, I will be PMing you soon. It sounds like it will be a good bike to look into. I will be keeping an eye on e-bay and cycletrader. So far, the only concern I have heard to look out for engines that have been raced bacuse there are only 2 main bearings that tend to break at high speeds on the track, or something along those lines. With the following the Hawk has and the limited number of years they were produced, how hard is it to find a bike for sale? Not ready to buy yet, probably wait until after Christmas to beginning of Spring, but like to be an educated buyer and know what the market is going for, so we are trying to narrow the choices down now so we can start watching for them. With the limited availability, we might need to snatch one of these jewels when it goes on sale instead of waiting though if she decides it fits her.

Thanks again for the great info!!

Shawn

[MrDude_1]

Man that was fast for the replies!!

Thanks for the great info. Josh, I will be PMing you soon. It sounds like it will be a good bike to look into. I will be keeping an eye on e-bay and cycletrader. So far, the only concern I have heard to look out for engines that have been raced bacuse there are only 2 main bearings that tend to break at high speeds on the track, or something along those lines. With the following the Hawk has and the limited number of years they were produced, how hard is it to find a bike for sale? Not ready to buy yet, probably wait until after Christmas to beginning of Spring, but like to be an educated buyer and know what the market is going for, so we are trying to narrow the choices down now so we can start watching for them. With the limited availability, we might need to snatch one of these jewels when it goes on sale instead of waiting though if she decides it fits her.

Thanks again for the great info!!

Shawn

if the engines been HEAVILY modified, that can happen.

if the engine is mostly stock, you can run it at redline, for hours on end, for years.
and just change the oil..... you're supposed to check the valves, but to be honest, only one exhaust valve on mine ever REALLY needs adjustment.. if you were to forget about it, the bike wouldnt be damaged or anything.

in stock form, its bulletproof. its easy to ride, and its still enjoyable.

from there, you can modify it however you wish.

[KDNYC]

My Hawk is my first bike and it's pretty easy to ride. The stock seat height is 30.5", about as low as you can get in a seat height for a non-cruiser.

One caveat: the Hawk's footpegs are a bit sportier than a true standard. It's not a crouch-style posture, though, because of the high stock bars.

If you're looking for good mid-cc standards, include the EX500 and EX250 along with the Hawk. A first bike should be simple bang-for-buck, easy to ride, and not so new that you'll break your heart if you drop it. Have her sit on these bikes and let her decide what's comfortable.

The Hawk has slightly more torque than the EXs (but not so much that it would be a problem) and no fairing to break.

[KDNYC]

My bike is mostly stock except for a Corbin seat and SS brake lines, which are a nice upgrade--especially for the front. I paid $1900 in NYC. 2 grand is really the max you should pay for a first bike, IMHO.

[raul507]

First, welcome to the forum. You're probably asking the wrong group of people on whether or not to get a hawk.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

The Bros/Hawk is the ideal first bike. Has enough power to be fun, but not enough to get you in big trouble quickly. Good brakes, good engine and superb handling. I had one for my first bike back in 1992, and I've just got myself another this year. Thats how much of an impression it left on me

Fo

[Foghorn Leghorn]

...g

[butterflymethane]

Speaking from a female's perspective, this is definitely a great bike for a beginner. I have an inseam of 29" and I can more than comfortably flat foot the bike. This is the bike where I really "learned" how to ride. It corners well, you can flick it around very easily and it's just a lot of fun to be on.

I still have the hawk, but I also have an R6 and I have a hard time deciding which bike to take out on rides b/c they're both so much fun!!!