Expat Hawk in the UK

[SkinnE]

Hello all.

Just found this forum the other day by chance.

I moved over to the UK from NY in July of 03, and shipped my Hawk over. Such a great bike for embarrassing bigger bikes in the twisties and I'd developed a strong bond so couldn't leave her behind. I've had her now for Six or Seven years and have done several of the common mods; emulators, springs, penske, 170 rear tyre, clip ons, jack up plates, braided hoses (thru swingarm of course), buell signals, milktree headlight, intake and exhaust "adjustments" .

I've also got an Oldrice CF tail cowl with a bleeding great crack in the side (because of a bast*rd scooter) which I really need to repair and refinish, but am currently working on fitting a hugger, about to re-upholster the saddle and lusting after a wider front wheel. I'm leaning towards a deauville wheel, or trying to sort a 929/954 wheel to swap for texhawk's widened front so as to keep the stock look. If I can find one here, would you be willing to ship overseas Drew? My other long-term project is to lay up my own bigger CF tank, but I'm still in the daydreaming stage on that one. As with all long term Hawk owners, I too long for the day that I can afford to send a motor and a large cheque to the almighty Hord...

I was once active on the US list, but it was too much volume for me to keep up with. So I'm just staying local with the UK listserv (which Al heroically saved) and will lurk around on here. I'll get some pics up soon and try to stay active enough not to be accused of being a bot!

Eric

[brewsy]

Hey mate,
you've done almost exactly the opposite of me at pretty much the same time!!
I left London and headed to NYC.
Where did you used to live? Did you commute round by any chance?

Marc

[LeftRightLeftThrottle]

I was 3 months old when I was shipped from England to the US so I never had grandmother's accent Four years and you've got all the lingo cheque tyre bleedin hehe Welcome to the forum!

[fabitappi]

Hi Skin, pretty slick intro...best one I read in a long time
As for the widened wheel...
just refer to this thread on the MK2 front wheel, a 3.5"
yes, available in the UK!

http://www.hawkgtforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1755&start=15

Fabian

BTW there are 2 more very popular Hawk engine tuner close up in Germany!

[SkinnE]

Marc,

I was born in Manhattan, but used to live in Mamaroneck, outside the city on the mainland. I commuted in to see my gf who lived on the west side for a year... Made several trips in to the Ear, and there met the man who introduced me to my wife (british). And I did pretty much the opposite of not only you, but also my mother who was from Northern Ireland and moved to NY, at the same age I moved to England.

That helped with the lingo, LeftRightLT but no accent. My friends back home would kick my ass if I came back with one. I get pegged for Canadian when people notice I'm not from around here and try to guess. I do sound like a mick when I get drunk. But I've been told I've always done that.

It sounds like I left when everybody in NY got a hawk! There were only a few in the city when I left, and only a few more in the region. Now it seems like the forum is populated largely from the right coast. You're certainly more active than we were on the list.

Thanks Fabi (great name btw), I didn't know about the tuners in Germany, tho to be fair I've been following Thorsten (sp?). I guess he could get something out of a hawk As far as the Bros wheel, that's one of the fatal differences between the bikes, the brakes. You can use a Hawk disc in a Bros caliper, but not the other way around. Thanks though.

[DefTrap]

I always though Eric had some sort of speech impediment. Now I find he was using it to conceal the fact that he's foreign. I feel cheated.

[fabitappi]

Ah sure, I forgot the 320mm is 1mm too wide for a hawk caliper
Well a pic of a many years ago

[SkinnE]

Well Al, they tried to tell me you had a glandular problem. Turns out you just like pies!

[Peter Watson]

Rear Seat Cover

Could fabitappi please tell me what type of rear seat cover he's fitted on his bike as it looks very nice indeed. Pete Watson UK.

[DefTrap]

Re: Rear Seat Cover

Could fabitappi please tell me what type of rear seat cover he's fitted on his bike as it looks very nice indeed. Pete Watson UK.

Peter, see here http://www.hawkgtforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1031
I bought one off of Fabian (along with many others on here), very nice it is too.

[RC31]

No idea that was you, Eric- hope all is well in the UK. I've also ditched NYC just as everyone bought Hawks, but at least I moved somewhere that I love to *ride* my Hawk- ECHR country in VA.

Keep in touch.

If anyone wants to see a picture of Eric fiddlin' with his nuts, click here:

http://www.hawkgt.com/photoalbum/displayimage.php?album=19&pos=1

je

[jck22903]

ERIC! What's up?!? Miss you on the US list.

PS ... Yo JE, I have your avatar saved as a gif on my laptop from some McIntosh-related website, and was looking for a cool place to use it. Dammit!

--John K.

[JR]

Hey is that John K that bought the infamous Jeff Gumm GTR Hawk?

[squirrelman]

can anyone tell me what the "jack up plates" referred to above are??????

[jck22903]

Hey is that John K that bought the infamous Jeff Gumm GTR Hawk?

Yep!

Haven't ridden her much lately, but she's still looking good.