Which top yoke?

[cjp377]

Hi all,

Have had brilliant responses to my previous questions, so am going to ask another.

Does anyone have a standard top yoke for sale, alternatively, does anyone know if any other top yokes are the same, still retaining the clock mounts? It looks like the CB-1 is the same, but I'm not sure and can't find one of them either.

My bike came with an NTV yoke and Renthal bars, but I prefer a more sporty position and have put some VFR clip-ons back on. The problem is that the NTV yoke has the risers cast in, so I can't just cut them off and at the moment it looks a bit daft with both risers and clip-ons.

[JR]

cjp377,
I'm sure there are plenty of stock top Hawk/Bros yokes out there, just
need to get people to part with them. If not check ebay or place a request on one of the many Part search sites (breakers) in the UK.

[cjp377]

Thanks for the input JR.

I've been scouring E-bay since I got the bike in July and still haven't come up with any. Have also tried the partsfinder sites, but no luck there either, which is why I'm trying to broaden my search to include other models.

My other alternative is to fit either drag or cafe racer bars. Has anyone else fitted either of these and do you have any pictures. Seen some cafe racer style on the BD Technologies site, which are looking like the favorite at the moment.

[dagus]

You have more options than you think.

First, don't futz around with speedos and tachs from other models. They're model-specific and won't read correctly IIRC.

Go to www.hawkgt.com, and search the FAQ for "bicycle speedometers." Digital bike speedos are the way to go (unless you want to drop serious change on something fancy like a Veypor unit, or live in the EU where they have some great digi units that aren't being imported yet. If you can swing either of these options, I hate you. ) A digital bike speedo will cost you about $20, and I'm told it's very accurate with two magnets instead of one.

Next, you get your hands on a stock Hawk tachometer, hit up Steve Lenac for one of his aluminum tach brackets, and you're sorted.

I currently run with no instruments, the idiot lights ziptied to the top yoke, and Vortex clipons mounted below that same top yoke. It looks very aggressive, and very much like a cafe-racer, if that cafe-racer had been hanging out with a lot of 'streetfighter' bikes. It looks like a bike that would eat your children if you left it alone with them for a moment. But that may not be your style, on a number of levels:

1) What's your riding style? Do you like to sit upright like it's a dining room chair you're sitting on, or are you okay in a sportbike position? If it's the former, get Lenac to hook you up with a Billet Bill handlebar riser kit. No modification to the top triple and it looks pretty tight. If it's the latter, get the same riser kit and mount Clubman-style bars, or get clipons and mount them on top (or below, but this is pretty low, I've got to admit!). You might even mount the stock clipons upside-down, and get a funky cafe-racer vibe without having to do anything else. I have no idea if that one would work, though.

I just re-read your original post and apparently you like it sporty. Get Woodcraft or Vortex bars and that solves everything. Woodcraft clamshell bars can be swapped under/over the yoke without headache, so I recommend that route. And ask the List (www.hawkgt.com - and sign up for the American email list because it's the most active) about compatible top yokes. Specifically, ask Steve Lenac. He probably tripped over 50 of the f#ckers getting out of bed this morning. His place is a Hawk (and therefore Bros, if you're across the pond) warehouse. Or museum. I haven't figured out which.

2) I recommend keeping your tach and getting a digital (or other, whatever) speedo; do as I say and not as I do. Passing inspection is not fun for me and I have to, um, know people.

3) If you put a different wheel on the Hawk, it changes how your speedo works. Remember that for any front fork modifications (which may happen if you start looking for funny yokes - "Ah, hell, why don't I just bite the bullet and swap this out for a complete RC51 front end?" And so on. It's a disease and there is no cure.)

I'll post more recent pics of my chopped Hawk soon. It'll be in the "My Ride" section as Goose Hawk.

[cjp377]

I have now found and bought a top yoke from a Honda Cb-1, off E-bay.

This seems to be indentical, apart from the mounting holes for the headlight bracket. The holes on my existing yoke were at the front and the holes on this one are at the back.

This problem was easily solved by simply bending the top section of the headlight bracket.

The only other problem is that the pich bolts are 7mm? and only available to order from Honda. My solution to this is to tap the holes out to 8mm, as there is plenty of material, and use larger bolts.

I did look at a VFR750 yoke but the offset is different and it has no mountings for either the clocks or headlight.

Hope this is of use to someone.

[Doc]

Sorry I didn't see this before. I have the top yoke and woodcraft clip ons for sale.

How much did you pay for the CB-1 Yoke? If you don't mind me asking.

[cjp377]

Both top and bottom yokes for the CB-1 cost 99p + £13 p&p.

[Doc]

Both top and bottom yokes for the CB-1 cost 99p + £13 p&p.

Is that pounds ($189) or Euros ($126)?

[cjp377]

UK Stirling GB Pounds. £13.99 total. Bargain!