Making it Mio

[ChrisCO]

I'd like to start off by revisiting and expanding on my intro post:

I got this bike in its current state from a friend (no, not for free) who let's just say, was and is a true enthusiast. Over the last 35 or so years as a bachelor, he assembled nothing short of the raddest (definitely not the largest) bike collection I've personally ever been close to, but due to age/health and a desire to move, he started purging; and this was one of a heaping handful that ended up in my garage..

His motto for all his builds was "not stock", his build/design theorem was borrowed from Colin Chapman: "simplify, then add lightness", and darn near everything was done on the strictest of budgets (a no brainer as a fixed income retiree), meaning learn and do in lieu of spend and get (someone here has a quote like this in their signature).

I could go on, but in light of staying on topic I'll get on with the meat'n potatoes (baseline status & pics).

I dont mean to state the obvious, but the current build sheet is (roughly) as follows:

Stock suspension
Stock rearsets
Drilled n baffled stock silencer
Modified stock seat pan
Unknown brand clipons
Custom seat cowl
Ducati monster fuel pump and tail light
Handlebar switch delete (no signals/light switches on the bars)
Gauge cluster delete
Remote headlight switch
Hand made aluminum rear subframe side panels
Hand made aluminum license plate mount
Hand made aluminum chain guard
Choke relocation
Ignition switch relocation & custom key


Though rideable as is, Im excited to upgrade and personalize this machine, while maintaining the spirit of my friend's build as well as that which is intrinsic in the Hawk. With that in mind, I plan on making the following changes, in phases as cash and time permits:

Either a fork upgrade or at minimum, springs & emulators
Rear shock upgrade
Rearsets
Correct the seat height/foam and new cover
New tail light
New headlight switch
Possibly add a gauge cluster (AiM/Motogadget)
Possibly paint the rear cowl
Eyeballing wheel conversions for closer to OE sticky tire options, but I dont want that to bog down me riding the bike (maybe a winter project?).

As a first post to the build log, that's all for now.. I'll get better pictures uploaded as I can.

Thanks for paying me some attention here!

-Chris

[6]

Cool story man. Love a bike with good history and creative owners.

The suspension upgrades are always worth tackling. (I say always, I lie, but most people will see a benefit to it.)

Don't get "bogged down" as you said, with wheels and tires. There are a lot of smaller bikes out there these days and lots of modern rubber choices in the hawks sizes.

That said (and here his your first real introduction to the forum... a tire rant from me) sticky tires do you zero good if you are not expiriancing traction issues on clean pavement. No good at all... And don't come at me with the "just in case I want to have to on tap" argument. Been there done that doesn't apply

If you are having a problem spinning up the rear tire on corner exit, of starting to struggle for grip from the front on turn in while coming off the brakes... Ok then.. if the suspension is dialed, your riding technique is dead on, honed in, pro level, ok. Let's look at tires...
cept that shit doesn't happen on the street especially with hawks with very little exception.


Most losses of traction on the street are from people asking something from the bike/tire so ludacris that no tire would have saved them.. a race school and a set of tires are similar cost. Invest in the school...

Buy the cheapest tires that you like the look of and enjoy. For the most part... (I mean AMA pro and street racer/canyon carver, Danny being the only real exception) the fastest racers on the forum, run the cheapest tires on their street bikes and save the $ and the sticky shit for the track where it actually matters.


That was the short version of the rant.

Now incoming will be a bunch of people who love there new sticky tires because they provide the same lack of traction issues that the old tires did, but reviewed very well, to tell you how much they like the "feel" of the _________ Sport Pro 4.


Rant over.

Did you talk to @zymmer about that fox? Normally I'd say $250 for a fox is average but they are getting rare and 300+ it's still a nice piece for the $. Raced on them for years.

[Smick6]

I got a used rebuilt Fox after one year of riding my Hawk. It was a night and day transformation of handling. So much better.

[ChrisCO]

Cool story man. Love a bike with good history and creative owners.

The suspension upgrades are always worth tackling. (I say always, I lie, but most people will see a benefit to it.)

Don't get "bogged down" as you said, with wheels and tires. There are a lot of smaller bikes out there these days and lots of modern rubber choices in the hawks sizes.

That said (and here his your first real introduction to the forum... a tire rant from me) sticky tires do you zero good if you are not expiriancing traction issues on clean pavement. No good at all... And don't come at me with the "just in case I want to have to on tap" argument. Been there done that doesn't apply

If you are having a problem spinning up the rear tire on corner exit, of starting to struggle for grip from the front on turn in while coming off the brakes... Ok then.. if the suspension is dialed, your riding technique is dead on, honed in, pro level, ok. Let's look at tires...
cept that shit doesn't happen on the street especially with hawks with very little exception.


Most losses of traction on the street are from people asking something from the bike/tire so ludacris that no tire would have saved them.. a race school and a set of tires are similar cost. Invest in the school...

Buy the cheapest tires that you like the look of and enjoy. For the most part... (I mean AMA pro and street racer/canyon carver, Danny being the only real exception) the fastest racers on the forum, run the cheapest tires on their street bikes and save the $ and the sticky shit for the track where it actually matters.


That was the short version of the rant.

Now incoming will be a bunch of people who love there new sticky tires because they provide the same lack of traction issues that the old tires did, but reviewed very well, to tell you how much they like the "feel" of the _________ Sport Pro 4.


Rant over.

Did you talk to @zymmer about that fox? Normally I'd say $250 for a fox is average but they are getting rare and 300+ it's still a nice piece for the $. Raced on them for years.

Thanks! I'm very excited to play with it- been a while since I've had a fun & manageable project like this.

Honestly, all very fair points- I have no intentions of dragging knees on this bike (famous last words?), my bigger concern/interest with tire options is getting something that is closer to the OE tire height, that is stickier than the "mileage plus" options out there. And of course theres an aesthetic aspect to having the right amount of sidewall/tire profile. So if any wheel swap ever happens, it will be in the cold months when I'm either not riding, or riding something else.

On that fox shock- I saw it, PM'd him, and am [Impatiently] waiting for a reply, haha.. My only concern is rebuilding it, as I've heard fox no longer supplies the kit; is that true? If so, is there another suspension company who can? I'd imagine they just use some COTS seals.. but then again, I've never torn into a shock so...

[6]

Thanks! I'm very excited to play with it- been a while since I've had a fun & manageable project like this.

Honestly, all very fair points- I have no intentions of dragging knees on this bike (famous last words?), my bigger concern/interest with tire options is getting something that is closer to the OE tire height, that is stickier than the "mileage plus" options out there. And of course theres an aesthetic aspect to having the right amount of sidewall/tire profile. So if any wheel swap ever happens, it will be in the cold months when I'm either not riding, or riding something else.

On that fox shock- I saw it, PM'd him, and am [Impatiently] waiting for a reply, haha.. My only concern is rebuilding it, as I've heard fox no longer supplies the kit; is that true? If so, is there another suspension company who can? I'd imagine they just use some COTS seals.. but then again, I've never torn into a shock so...

There are a few places that will rebuild it. Traxxion used to. FC will I believe. GMD deff will. There are plenty of places.

I'm assuming it doesn't need a rebuild. But make sure you clarify that with Zym.

If it needs rebuild, there are newer shocks you can get for the same $. But.. I'm not sure there is anything you will get that is length adjustable, remote res, with preload, compression and rebound damping adjustments in that price range even factoring in a rebuild cost.

Used to be you could get a fox ready to bolt in for $250. But times change and at 39 I'm quickly finding out that I'm old and behindthetimes.

Shit.. my race bike I'm racing Sat and Sun doesn't even have suspension haha. (But it does weigh well less than half what a hawk does, even a light one, and makes about 30 more hp, thank got for methanol... Trade offs yo. What life is about)

So swapping over to Speedway is always another alternative to finding a shock.

IMG_20210519_224840_418.jpg

[ChrisCO]

There are a few places that will rebuild it. Traxxion used to. FC will I believe. GMD deff will. There are plenty of places.

I'm assuming it doesn't need a rebuild. But make sure you clarify that with Zym.

If it needs rebuild, there are newer shocks you can get for the same $. But.. I'm not sure there is anything you will get that is length adjustable, remote res, with preload, compression and rebound damping adjustments in that price range even factoring in a rebuild cost.

Used to be you could get a fox ready to bolt in for $250. But times change and at 39 I'm quickly finding out that I'm old and behindthetimes.

Shit.. my race bike I'm racing Sat and Sun doesn't even have suspension haha. (But it does weigh well less than half what a hawk does, even a light one, and makes about 30 more hp, thank got for methanol... Trade offs yo. What life is about)

So swapping over to Speedway is always another alternative to finding a shock.

IMG_20210519_224840_418.jpg

Good to know! I hope I can make a deal with him on it!

I always wanted to try flat track.. never took the plunge though- shifter karts were our jam for years until we couldn't afford to keep up.. theres a point where driver talent only matters so much when the rules aren't in the best interest of the lowest budgets.

the speedway bike kinda looks like those wild 125cc drag bikes from the far east.. wild stuff!

[6]

Good to know! I hope I can make a deal with him on it!

I always wanted to try flat track.. never took the plunge though- shifter karts were our jam for years until we couldn't afford to keep up.. theres a point where driver talent only matters so much when the rules aren't in the best interest of the lowest budgets.

the speedway bike kinda looks like those wild 125cc drag bikes from the far east.. wild stuff!

They are putting in a flat track track next to the Speedway track. It should be done this summer.. but after racing Speedway, I'm not sure I could ever take that step.. I love how raw and pure Speedway is.

Racing is always expensive. Speedway is cheap compared to road racing. I can run this bike for the season for the cost of one event on the road race bike.. but it's still not cheap.

Shifter carts seem fun, but thet seem expensive.... 4 wheeled racing in general is $$$. When I was a kid my step dad was going to take me cart racing. Instead we went the Motocross route.

It's just my opinion, but, in my opinion racing on two wheels is generally harder than racing on 4. The up side to that is that the rider has a bigger part to play in the race outcome than the bike does, compared to the driver/car ratio.

Bike racing, if you take the first and last place riders, have them swap bikes, the first place rider still finishes up by the top and the last place guy still down the bottom. I'm not sure that's the case with cars.

So if you are broke, but believe you are tallented, bikes are the place to be. Haha.

Image if while driving your car/cart you could throw 3/4 of the weigh of the car anywhere on or beside the car at any point.. all of a sudden racing gets way harder and way more interesting. That's body positions on a bike. You have a 200lb man on a 300lb bike that can put that weight anywhere at any time (as long as you can transition smoothly and without upsetting the bike.)

That added level of complexity actually helps make racing more "fair" as opposed to the four controls you have to get the car around the track. That car setup, if it's bad, is far harder to overcome.

I've never raced cars, but I come from a pretty legendary family in North East Stock Car Racing. I have two uncles in the hall of fame. One as a driver and one as a builder. I have MAD respect for 4 wheel racing. I lost my cousin to modifieds, mad respect. So no offense meant at all.. none.

This is just the conclusion I've come to being stuck in this brain that NEVER stops spinning... As you probably can tell..

[ChrisCO]

They are putting in a flat track track next to the Speedway track. It should be done this summer.. but after racing Speedway, I'm not sure I could ever take that step.. I love how raw and pure Speedway is.

Racing is always expensive. Speedway is cheap compared to road racing. I can run this bike for the season for the cost of one event on the road race bike.. but it's still not cheap.

Shifter carts seem fun, but thet seem expensive.... 4 wheeled racing in general is $$$. When I was a kid my step dad was going to take me cart racing. Instead we went the Motocross route.

It's just my opinion, but, in my opinion racing on two wheels is generally harder than racing on 4. The up side to that is that the rider has a bigger part to play in the race outcome than the bike does, compared to the driver/car ratio.

Bike racing, if you take the first and last place riders, have them swap bikes, the first place rider still finishes up by the top and the last place guy still down the bottom. I'm not sure that's the case with cars.

So if you are broke, but believe you are tallented, bikes are the place to be. Haha.

Image if while driving your car/cart you could throw 3/4 of the weigh of the car anywhere on or beside the car at any point.. all of a sudden racing gets way harder and way more interesting. That's body positions on a bike. You have a 200lb man on a 300lb bike that can put that weight anywhere at any time (as long as you can transition smoothly and without upsetting the bike.)

That added level of complexity actually helps make racing more "fair" as opposed to the four controls you have to get the car around the track. That car setup, if it's bad, is far harder to overcome.

I've never raced cars, but I come from a pretty legendary family in North East Stock Car Racing. I have two uncles in the hall of fame. One as a driver and one as a builder. I have MAD respect for 4 wheel racing. I lost my cousin to modifieds, mad respect. So no offense meant at all.. none.

This is just the conclusion I've come to being stuck in this brain that NEVER stops spinning... As you probably can tell..

None taken, and completely agree on all fronts. I've always dreamed of racing bikes, or at least regular track time and still hope to get into it someday- mad respect

[6]

None taken, and completely agree on all fronts. I've always dreamed of racing bikes, or at least regular track time and still hope to get into it someday- mad respect

Well sir. You have a pretty capable little bike there that does very well on a race track.

CCS National Ultralight Superbike Champion, and two time LRRS champ nt650hawk is known to take out stock hawk on Avon commuter tires while instructing at track days and schools. Even with stock suspension for a while. He still has the pace to literally school the attendees on their modern sport bikes.

So that little weapon in your shop is a jewel of a bike to take to the track if you are looking to start down that path. Just be ready. It's pretty damn addictive.

[nt650hawk]

It's so fun slapping that Hawk GT ass and ride the waves.

[dagus]

6's technical posts are GOLD. Good reads, every time.

Except "Ludacris" is a rapper. "Ludicrous" is the word you're lookin' for.

[dagus]

ChrisCO that's a sharp looking little Hawk! I can't stop looking at that tail... never seen that one before, and it looks like it belongs there. NICE.

[ChrisCO]

Thanks for all the positive feedback, and my apologies for the slow updates, but get used to it- I have a 3yr old, a 6yr old, a wife, a dog, and other bikes and cars to tend to =).

Here's some scooby snacks for now though: just picked up from a buddy who happens to do seats. BIG improvement over what it was.. the goal was not just an aesthetic improvement but also addressing one piece of the riding position problem, again, whilst keeping the Gilles clip ons.

[ChrisCO]

Another thing I'm sorting early on is the tail light- it's a Ducati monster unit that while functional, doesnt really look right, in my opinion.

I thought I'd share these pics of the trick set up that my friend/PO devised to mount the cone, light and license plate. He's a crafty cat, I gotta say... I'll try not to change much if I can help it, as it's all well thought out and executed.

[ChrisCO]

And a few more..