Another Hawk

[Xanderj13]

Picked up another Hawk from a local guy. Still haven't done anything with the first one I got. Both bone stock with no mods. One is an 1989 the newer one is a 1990. Both close in milage (24000) miles. I want to make one if not both a good road carver for all the curvy roads around me. Tell me what I need to do. (Without the Horde treatment).

[bk94si]

You need an aftermarket shock and new fork springs at least.

[Talon]

1. Suspension - aftermarket shock and fork springs/emulators/or cartridge (94 F2 or F3 legs in Hawk lowers)
2. Intake and exhaust - UNI pods and hope someone is selling an M4, Supertrapp, or Two Bros
3. Brakes - upgraded lines and pads, caliper rebuild
4. Lower bars and/or rearsets

[BillnOroville]

If your body can't take number 4 above, then, like me, you can probably skip that one. Love my Hawks in the curvy roads around me too.

[JanM]

5. Fresh tires. Which type - whatever you feel like - but they must be fresh...

Not a prioritized list, you need all of them (except maybe no.4, depending on your personal preference)

[eyhonda]

6. Rebuild and tune the carbs. Key to a good running motor. Do this at same time as intake and exhaust so you don't have to re-jet.

[rpcraft]

6. Rebuild and tune the carbs. Key to a good running motor. Do this at same time as intake and exhaust so you don't have to re-jet.

If it is running well and has no issues and you are not putting pods on it (or it already has them) don't fix what isn't broken in regard to the carbs. An exhaust does not affect tuning that much on it's own (on the hawk) because the air box is the primary restriction with the stock jetting so you can change that if it hasn't been done and I would not touch the carbs unless it starts popping on decel or you decide to put pods on it.. Just my 2 cents

Stick to flushing the brake fluid, checking the brake pads, and the rotors, replace and repair there as needed. If the brake hoses look original I would invest in a new set of the braided type. If they have been upgraded just flush them. Brake fluid is hygroscopic and every few years should be completely flushed to reduce the amount of moisture in the system. People seldom do it, and then they complain about crappy breaks. 30 year old brake fluid can end your life. New fluid can help firm up brake feel if there is a lot of contamination in the old fuid. While you are there do the through swingarm mod for the rear one if not already done. Ensure it has good tires and check over your throttle and clutch cables for adjustment, proper operation, and lube as needed.

Those are the starter cost effective items to check, more of a safety check list then anything. After that they only real things that will affect handling will be the forks, the shock, and seat time. If it is all stock I would invest the money in the rear shock first, because it is the most expensive and once you swallow that pill then the front shocks are just a matter of parts, sweat equity, and the diy labor process.

[rpcraft]

Also just reminded from another post, make sure the connector from the stator to the R/R is in good shape and making a proper connection. Sometimes they have corrosion and can make things melty. While there check your battery cables for creeping green rot.