Evolution of the Hawk
12-18-2006, 01:27 PM
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Evolution of the Hawk
Hey guys,
Just snooping around and i came across these pictures. being a former HawkGT owner, it tied it all together for me.
This first pic is a 1988 Honda Hawk GT 650 (i think it's a 90 because of the wheels, but you get the idea
)
Then Honda America's Concept VR980, a 980cc version of the GT with a half fairing and solo seat. (..and yes, that is an official bike, not someone's moded hawkGT)
Apparently response was so good, that finally, 10 years later we got the SuperHawk that we all know and love
Kinda neat seeing them all lined up, it ties a few things together.. Check out the seat and the gas tank of the VR980, pretty familiar eh? It looks like that wierd bump on the SuperHawk gas tank was originally supposed to show off the back cylinder. but dammit! why didn't they keep that single sided swingarm?
Just snooping around and i came across these pictures. being a former HawkGT owner, it tied it all together for me.
This first pic is a 1988 Honda Hawk GT 650 (i think it's a 90 because of the wheels, but you get the idea
)Then Honda America's Concept VR980, a 980cc version of the GT with a half fairing and solo seat. (..and yes, that is an official bike, not someone's moded hawkGT)
Apparently response was so good, that finally, 10 years later we got the SuperHawk that we all know and love
Kinda neat seeing them all lined up, it ties a few things together.. Check out the seat and the gas tank of the VR980, pretty familiar eh? It looks like that wierd bump on the SuperHawk gas tank was originally supposed to show off the back cylinder. but dammit! why didn't they keep that single sided swingarm?
12-18-2006, 02:56 PM
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Actually, didn't Robert Pirsig ride a Super Hawk in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? 1964 CB77 Super Hawk. You have to go back to the '60's to start the Super Hawk Family Tree.
12-18-2006, 11:24 PM
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http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mchonda/vtr-intro.html
Good reading^^^. There's another pic of the VR980 in this article. Funny, as long as I've been discussing the VTR in various forums and the long-gone email list, I'd never heard of the VR980 before. Good find!
Good reading^^^. There's another pic of the VR980 in this article. Funny, as long as I've been discussing the VTR in various forums and the long-gone email list, I'd never heard of the VR980 before. Good find!
12-19-2006, 12:09 PM
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Greg, I read that link you provided.
The following paragraph raised my eyebrows a bit. Ever heard of this?
"The 'pivotless' twin-spar frame was designed around the VTR's OEM radial tires, which use a softer construction than that found on other sporting machines. Mounting different treads, according to Honda, will upset the 'tuned' balance of the Super Hawk's chassis."
The following paragraph raised my eyebrows a bit. Ever heard of this?
"The 'pivotless' twin-spar frame was designed around the VTR's OEM radial tires, which use a softer construction than that found on other sporting machines. Mounting different treads, according to Honda, will upset the 'tuned' balance of the Super Hawk's chassis."
12-19-2006, 06:04 PM
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Yeah, that's the biggest bunch of crap I ever heard. The original Dunlop D204s are crap now, and were crap back then. The bike handles super with Pirelli Supercorsa soft/supersoft F/R on the track. The only thing is quick and deep left-right transitions will cause the frame to flex some giving you a wiggle or two until the chassis settles down. Basically they are trying to justify putting a crappy triple tree and too skinny forks on the bike. Every tire that I've had in 41000 miles has handled better than the original tires...with the exception of a well worn and heat cycled D207GP. That was a scary tire toward the end.
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