A Couple of Basic Newbie Questions
 

I recently bought a 2000 Superhawk, and I have a couple of really basic questions I'd appreciate thoughts on from more "senior" Superhawk owners.

1. Is there a trick to removing the seat? My bike has the cover over the rear half of the seat, and I'm afraid to push or pull too hard. I'm assuming you have to hold the spring loaded key lock 90 degrees clockwise while simultaneously attempting to push down and back on the seat to release the catches from the hooks. With the key turned 90 degrees clockwise the seat doesn't feel any different--solid and stubborn. Thoughts? (I'd heard it was tricky to remove the Superhawk seat, but this is ridiculous!)

2. Since the Superhawk is #4 in the fleet, the garage is getting a little crowded. I'm thinking of getting a "reverse Pitbull" stand, with the lift handle pointing forward. I'm hoping that such a stand would be fairly safe for single person operation. Any experience out there with a "reverse Pitbull" for the back? Any techniques to share.

Thanks.

Re: A Couple of Basic Newbie Questions
 

Congrats on the purchase!

To remove the seat, you only need to turn the key and pull up the tail of the seat. At that point, the seat should be clear of the locking mechanism, so you no longer have to use one hand to turn the key. Pull the seat towards the rear of the bike while lifting, and the seat should come right off the bike. It took me a few tries to get it out, and even now it occasionally takes a little bit of convincing.

As for your second question, may I suggest selling one or two bikes? Now that you have the SHawk, you may never want to ride the other ones. :)

Re: A Couple of Basic Newbie Questions
 

Thanks for the quick response! The key (pun intended) was lifting the rear portion of the seat clear of the lock and then working it with both hands--still pretty tight, but now I know how to do it.

You're not the first to suggest that I really don't need all four bikes. I took the Hawk out for the first time today, and I really see what folks mean now by the "character" of this V-twin. The low-end torque is great, and I also enjoy the engine braking. (The fleet includes a 1982 Honda FT500 Ascot thumper, so I'm fairly familiar with engine braking and low RPM torgue, on a much smaller scale, of course (33 hp).) I also have a mint (blue) 1983 CB1100F (only year for the US), so, of course, I can't sell that! Oh well...thanks again.

Now, where are those "reverse Pitbull" owners out there? What do you think?