Apparently a Hawk GT can keep up with modern superbikes

[isaac]

I went on my first "real" group ride today. It was with nine people (including me) from sportbikes.net. I'd only been on two kinds of group rides before: cop chaperoned charity rides with 100% cruiserbikes, and small 3-4 bike group rides with my brother and a friend or two. I had always led the rides with my brother and friends.

I told everybody at today's ride that I'd always been the fastest on my own group rides, but that was a pretty slow group.

Half the riders had trackday experience. Ryan on the yellow gixxer 600 said he wasn't passed once at the last Jennings GP track day he'd been to.

Apparently, my definition of slow was in fact very fast.

The group I was with consisted of:

Two Yamaha R1s
One Suzuki GSXR1000
One Kawasaki ZX10R
Two Suzuki GSXR600s, both modified
One Yamaha R6
One Yamaha FZ6

Not one of the bikes was more than 3 years old.

...and then there was my Hawk

We set out westbound to hilly, windy country west of Orlando, then headed north through rural Lake County toward the Ocala national forest. I'd never seen these roads before. I had no idea such awesome roads existed.

We turned left onto a tree lined undulating road and then the six bikes in front of me just took off. I immediately gave chase, and was on the back end of Ryan's yellow gixxer 600 as we made our way through 60-70mph sweepers as I traced arcs from entry to apex then outward, pushing at what I'd call my personal 90% effort.

All of the roads would be faster than 60mph, as we rocketed across the hill country averaging more than 90mph through broad sweepers and esses in a mad dash north. We quickly left the FZ6 and R6, but I kept on the 600's tail and found him holding me up, though he was keeping with the faster group. I had a raven R1 on my tail, falling back on each curve, gaining on each straight.

We got to our first stop when the ZX10 got a flat (which he patched at the scene with a handy toolkit). The guy on the R1, who'd been riding for more than 30 years, walks up to me and says "man you were riding the HELL out of that thing! I was having a lot of fun just watching you from behind." That made me grin from ear to ear.

The guy on the yellow gixxer in front of me was less complimentary. "You really beat on that thing. Would you mind not riding so close behind me next time?"

I complied, taking off ahead of him and leaving him within the first turn as I chased three of the four literbikes and the lone 600 that stayed ahead of me, the pace moving ever higher as we moved north to near the forest.

We were sweeping through long bends at more than 100 screaming mph now, with my bike frequently topping 110mph and holding it there as I tucked down on the straights to try to catch up, or at least not lose ground.

The raven R1 took off ahead of me, and I found myself on his tail on every curve, knee out, as we tried to hold onto the other literbikes.

We passed a few scary looking potholes midcurve, and I stood the bike up over some dirt, but my eyes had been sweeping ahead, so no biggie (at least after I'd made it through cleanly).

We pressed northward for more than five hours as we chased each other through incredible switchbacks and then cruised (at very high speed) to the next set of curves, sometimes 20 minutes apart. These guys knew their roads well. I just wish I could remember them all.

It was a great experience overall, marred only slightly after I turned back with a few other riders, and after I'd split off by my own, half an hour from home, I pulled a wheelie just as a cop came the other way, and I had to take very fast evasive maneuvers to get away unscathed.

Overall, it was a great day, and nobody rode beyond their limits.

So yeah, if anybody tells you that a Hawk GT with stock suspension can't keep up with a modern sportbike, they's lyin.

[JeffL]

I'll clue you in on a little something;

Its the rider, not the bike.

[isaac]

I'll clue you in on a little something;

Its the rider, not the bike.

Already well aware of that, I got that clue reinforced loudly and clearly today, given what happened. But it's not like I expected my 50hp hawk with worn stock suspension and 110 front and 150 rear supermax tires was gonna win the MotoGP on its own.

[Hawk GT]

Its inevitable that someone would say this, might as well be me -

Don't judge your skills or bike against others on the street. It is absolutely no t the place to test your limits, or show others what you and you bike are capable of. I am not sharing this to try and say I know better than anyone else, its just that I have learned the hard way. Take that to the track, and then you'll know the real deal. What happens on a street is not a reflection of bike or skill, but more one's ability to suspend belief of what could actually happen. If a guy was riding "hard" to keep up with me, I would ask him to get away from me too. Pedrosa is all to easy to repeat on a public road in a group -

[jaysun0ne]

man that sounds just like a few storys i have

its always fun to make belivers out hawk nonbelfers
im 6' 5" 260 or so and people have literaly look at me, then look at the bike, then look at me and laugh in my face but sure enough by the end of the day that same person is showing me respect because i showed him what this little toy can do. (about the time he realizes he can only keep up because of the straitaways he also realizes he mad a mistake calling a hawk a toy) hawks are one of a kind and im glad i know about them.

but hawk has a point and i am always having fun doing it my rule is when its not fun anymore i pull over and wait till its going to be fun again (wich never takes very long) and i go make belivers out of other nonbelivers.

i miss riding my hawk

[isaac]

What happens on a street is not a reflection of bike or skill, but more one's ability to suspend belief of what could actually happen.-

Very well written, sage advice.

[dagus]

Isaac, that was a great ride report! I enjoyed it!
We need more posts like that! Ride reports are the best!

Hey, did you get hit with that storm where you are? My friend used to live in Daytona, and moved to Oregon 2 just days before the roof was completely blown off his old apartment (as I heard the story, his roommate was on the toilet and suddenly -whoops- no roof)... you didn't get caught in that mess, did you?

[dagus]

And hey, Jausun0ne... nice piece there, in your signature line. Is that your own artwork?

[Doc]

Hey Issac, that was a great ride report. It sounds like you have some skills on that bike.

I absolutely FRIGGIN LOVE smoking punks on an older "slower" bike. Especially since I am riding well withing my limits on the street. I always go slow on the straights and let them "catch up".

BUt you need to get your butt to the track. No excuses now buddy!

[Stevenjhow]

GREAT REPORT! That always makes me feel good. In Seattle we have a big Island in the middle of Lake Washington called Mercer Island. The east side of the island has some of the sickist curves I have ever been on. It's probably only a few miles long but all of the curves are 10-15mph hairpins. My Hawk is bone stock and I was staying right on the tail of a new gsxr600. After going back and forth on that road he finally pulled over and was very impressed that my 18 yr old bike was sticking with his brand new bike. For me, just knowing that makes me smile everytime I look at my Hawk.

[a13x]

Hey man rock on! Great to hear, love when dudes on new machines get all miffed. They are like WHAT IS THAT THING!!

Street is street.. but the Hawk's can do it on the track too.. see....

1st Daniel Martin SUZ GSXR 750 NV-HWSS
2nd Jonathan Gosselin YAM YZF 450 NV-HWSS
3rd Zachary Stine KAW ZX 600 NV-HWSS
4th Steven Conly SUZ TL 996 NV-HWSS
5th Zsolt Veres YAM R6 600 NV-HWSS
6th Allan Jones SUZ GSXR 750 NV-HWSS
7th Mark Yeldham YAM FZR 600 NV-HWSS
8th Jay Holland HON CBR 600 NV-HWSS
9th John Bunce SUZ GSXR 600 NV-HWSS
10th Lorenzo Pecora SUZ GSXR 600 NV-HWSS
11th thru 29th (more of the same)

Where was the Hawk? oh I had to pull off the track on the last lap cause my exhaust fell off. Where WAS the Hawk on the last lap.. 2nd


Keep up the good work bro and hit up a trackday, cause trackdays.. are good days..

[canyonchaser]

One thing I love about street riding, is that Hawks can ride with ZX10's. Speed limits and self preservation are the leading factors in forward velocity.

But the Hawk is a venerable little bike with great handling traits. But I assure you, go to the track, and your little Hawk, no matter how fast the rider, will always be a back-marker. There are some seriously skilled riders out there, that when let loose on the track, are mad-fast.

Please be careful of allowing your street riding to turn into any kind of speed/skill competition. It doesn't end well.

dp

[canyonchaser]

For street riding reference, read this thread from today on ST.N

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,2436.0.html

Read, response number 19.

Cheers,
dp

[Stevenjhow]

very well said. I never ride outside of my limits, I have seen my brother go down and I still get sick to my stomach when I think of it. For anyone who has not seen someone go down, especaily someone close, it is not pretty, you really think twice before dipping into a corner after that. CanyonChaser, you said it perfect when you said not to let you street riding turn into a competition.......very good advice!

[Doc]

For street riding reference, read this thread from today on ST.N

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,2436.0.html

Read, response number 19.

Cheers,
dp

Posted here for ease.

To All the Riders I Haven't Met:


I REALLY hope you will stick with motorcycling; I think that, as a group, bikers are some of the nicer folks I've had the opportunity to meet. I spent a lot of years riding alone, and in the last few years I've hooked up with a number of like-minded riders, and found the enjoyment I've gotten from riding to be multiplied. I look forward to another riding season, and the opportunity to meet many of you.

That being said, some of you scare the beejesus out of me, and I probably won't ride with you more than once, if at all.

I won't ride with you IF you:

A......Think a good day of riding includes a couple of stops at the local watering holes, and your attitiude is "It's only BEER, man."

B......Don't wear basic gear. I know, I know.....free choice and all that crap. But I too have a free choice, and I choose NOT to ride with people that can't or won't exercise good judgement about something so basic. If you REALLY do believe that helmets are bad for you, well, I hope you survive long enough to change your mind. If you don't have enough respect for yourself to take basic precautions, it's doubtful you'll care enough about me and my friends to avoid endangering us. I never understood how someone could spend $10-12,000 on a new 1000 cc sportbike and not have enough money for a set of basic gear (Helmet, Jacket, gloves and boots).

C.....Don't maintain your bike........few things are more annoying than planning a ride, only to have to wait while you run around at the last minute looking for parts, or spend the better part of a beautiful afternoon sitting on the side of the road waiting for your tow, cause your bike broke down, AGAIN.

D.....Ride over your head....many a nice ride has been marred by the tragedy of crashers, who lie about their experience level, and then make the rest of us literally pick up the pieces. Nobody wants to see you down, and nobody wants to do CPR, but we will if we have to. Nobody wants to have to call your parents or girl friend or wife and kids and tell 'em you're on a helicopter to Shock-Trauma 'cause you didn't know how to counter steer, or that braking in the middle of a turn was a bad thing. We didn't sign up for that. Be honest about your skill level, we'll be happy to give you some pointers. Some of us are even licensed, skilled racers and instructors; all you have to do is ask and we'll show you all we know.

E.....Dis my ride....I don't care if you have the latest, greatest 160 hp monster Japan can crank out; I ride what I ride 'cause it suits me, or mebbe 'cause it's what I can afford, what with a mortgage, two kids in college, and building for my retirement. I often wear out a bike before I get another one. If I pull away from you at every corner on my sub-100hp, high milage, 8 year old sport-touring bike WITH saddlebags, maybe horsepower isn't the most important part of the equation.

F.....Endanger me or my friends with your show-off manuevers. You KNOW what I'm talkin' about: passing on the inside of corners (some a-hole wrecked a good buddies NEW SV1000, when he decided to stuff his clapped out fur-bike underneath in a turn and then couldn't hold the line), passing the group up the middle in a 12 o'clock wheelie IN TRAFFIC, and in general, acting like the road is a track and your ego fulfillment is the most important thing in the world.

G.....Ask my advice about the wisdom of trading in your 2 month old 250cc Ninja and buying the latest and greatest 1400cc 200mph monster bike, and then dismissing me with a wave of the hand and a "ya, but........". If you already have your mind made up...don't ask! But don't call me up when you wreck it and ask to borrow my truck to take it to the dealer, either.