I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

I've owned a lot of bikes in my 35+ years of riding, but I've never owned a sport bike. I have never really been interested in a sport bike until I recently heard a Superhawk with aftermarket pipes (I love the way they sound) and spoke with its owner. What he told me really has me interested in the VTR.

The one thing he told me about the Hawk that attracts me is the way it delivers its power. I like bikes that produce lots of low end and mid range punch, and according to him that's exactly what the Hawk does.

Honda, with all their infinite wisdom has decided to discontinue the VTR. Go figure? So now I'm having a very difficult time trying to find one for a test ride. I went to a Suzuki dealer today and sat on a new and supposedly comparible SV 1000S and I can say I did not like the very radical seating position. I've read the VTR is more comfortable.

I'm not new to fast bikes. My last one was a V-Max. I loved it's low and mid range punch, but I'm looking for more; not more speed, but more torque. There are some big inch power cruisers out there that make a lot of torque, but they are also very heavy and they handle like tanks.

Any and all input I can get from SH owners would be highly appreciated.

The Superhawk's front end is a bit soft when you're pushing hard through twisties and the gas range is pitiful for any type of long-distance riding.

With that said, the sound the Superhawk makes with a decent set of pipes is intoxicating. No other bike I've heard gives me goosebumps like my SHawk does when it starts up in the morning. It seems to be growling, "About time sleepy head. Let's go asphalt surfing today."

I had trouble with the clip-on position when I first bought the bike, but a set of Heli bars fixed that. A decent set of rubbers will make the bike more enjoyable when the road curves.

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

However gas milage is better than almost any non-sportbike (save the Honda Nighthawk and Rebel) and I find "pushing" the bike in the twisties is a matter of personal level. At 100mph+ it can handle Colorado's route 6/119 from Denver to Blackhawk without an inch of problem. I suspect any Harley'd choke on that, save Buel.

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

Hi grampi.

I bought my 03' VTR1000 Superhawk from a Honda dealership about a month ago, I can tell you that I'm in love with it. Good price and lots of torque!!

I ride with a bunch of R1's and gixxer 1000's and I never had any problem keeping up with them. I started wheelie the bike the 2nd day I had it and just couldn't keep the front end down in 1st gear. I've put over 1000 miles on the bike so far and looking forward to ride it more.

I can leave all the in-line-fours behind on the twisties but the story changes on the highway......the 1000's take off like jets on 5th and 6th gear and I can only keep up with 600's. The superhawk does not have a top-end hit like gixxer 1000 or R1 but this isn't what the bike was designed for.

Watch out for the shifting issues on the Superhawks. Check my posting in "Technical Discussion" section.

If you're looking into buying a V-Twin, try to compare Superhawk to TL1000, RC51, or SV1000. You might have different surprise about how these bikes handle.

Mike

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

i am sure 2005's are still out there to be had. Check www.cycletrader.com, I had seen some there in the past. I love that color, but couldn't afford a new one after getting divorced. My second choice was yellow, but found only red ones. I bought a MINT 1998 (in red) and love it to death ! Definitely the best bike I ever owned, and I have had a bunch over the last 12 years. Sadly to say, one of them was even a Harley...never again.

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

I am a Firestorm owner (Canadian version) so I hope I am not out of line in commenting here :)

In regards to the VTR, I have not ridden the V-Max with its potent V-4 but I am not sure that the smaller twin in the VTR will give you more torque than the Max. It will, however, give you a versatile and spirited mount capable of having fun in the twisties, or touring back roads. Of course, as you will soon discover, it is a really good bike that is only a few mods away from true greatness. Depending on what you plan to use it for, you can make it substantially better and the accumulated knowledge in this group can help you with that.

The VTR was my first V-twin and although initially, I must confess, I was not impressed with its "lazy" power delivery but I soon discovered that it was, in fact, extremely tractable and deceptively fast. A slight drop in gearing, a set of slip-ons and a jet kit will make it even better with fantastic throttle response at any speed. Some time (and many mods) have passed since that fateful day in 2001 and I now absolutely love my VTR.
Last thing, if you want to learn more about the VTR, have a look at the Micapeak registries (http://www.micapeak.com/reg/bikes/VTR/) to read comments from thousands of VTR owners. You will notice as well that in spite of the the VTR's less than stellar sales sucess in North America, the VTR has more entries thatn any other bike (by a wide margin too). Tjis speaks volumes for the loyalty and attachment owners have for their bikes. Take the plunge, you won't regret it.

Mikstr

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

Let me tell you, I've had stock pipes for the last 3 years and what a difference the aftermarket ones make! Riding the bike is like my recreational drug, and I just upped the dosage.
The Vmax is one of my other favorite bikes. One thing to remember is that although the superhawk is a sport/tourer it leans towards sport and the seating position is definately more rakish than the max. However with some minor peg and bar changes I believe that mine is as comfortable as the standards I have owned (79 Yam vertical twin 600 and 84 Interceptor 700).
It's a fun, nimble bike and it's rare enough that you get looks where ever you take it.

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

The VTR is a real nice bike with lots of low RPM torque like others have said. In my case I went from a '92 Nighthawk 750 to an '02 VTR with 56 miles on it - I love the VTR! I have seen new VTRs listed on ebay and other places so they are still out there waiting to be taken home and enjoyed :wink: The V-Max is a nice bike which I was looking into at the time but decided the VTR was the better way to go for me. The gas mileage isn't that bad, the Nighthawk was getting about 50mpg after I installed a jet kit (57 before) and I get pretty consistent 43 mpg on the SH... the tank could have been designed with more capacity to increase the range - that is 1 complaint about the VTR I have.

Rick B
02 SH

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

I've owned mine since 2000 and love it, it's the only bike I've owned for that long and don't plan on selling. I've turned mine into more of a sport bike than it was and I love to play the mod game. I'd have to say it's one of the funnest bikes around.

wheelie machine. just listen to your heart... or a pair of two brothers pipes on the hawk!!!! nuff said.!

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

For me, it's the opposite than you! I owned a lot of bike before and all the street bike I owned was sport bike. And the VTR is, if I can say like this, the "less" sport bike I had in these.

Maybe some others will not agree with me, but for me the VTR is not really a sport bike, it have 1/2 of the look ( 1/2 fairings ), 1/2 of the sport position ( not slept on the tank and not straight ) 1/2 of the handling ( poor stock suspension for doing agressive riding ) and 1/2 of the brake power ( but enough for "cruising" ) BUT all these half make this bike nevertheless 100% PURE FUN! :)

I was ( if I can also say like this) "obligated" to purchase the VTR after that my last 900RR was stolen, like I live near the "high risk" city of Montreal, the price that was asking me the insurance company to cover me on another sport bike was awesome! :cry: . I heard that the VTR was class as "standard" for the insurance and I bought one without any more thinking! And I NEVER regretted it, I like this bike soooo much!! :D Yes, it require some adaptation time but after, it's a real pleasure! IMO

And for more, the VTR is so cool to modified, there's a lot of inexpensive mods ( and some expensive of course ) that can be perform in order to personalize your bike to your taste. You need better comfort; put a good seat ( corbin or sargent ) and add some higher bars! You need better handling change the front fork spring and add a fork brace ( or do a 929 front end mod) You would like to shake up the neighborhood, add some pipe! You like cosmetics, add a belly pan, a undertail and a hugger!

Or simply keep it stock and enjoy the low end torque of this awesome engine. :D

Cheers

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

Here's my .02: Yes, they are still out there for the buying. I got mine last week in N.C. , a blue 2003 new. Here in Orlando I know of at least 2 2005's new on the floor. I was stuck on the Blue, however, although I would've also taken Yellow.

Coming from a 1800 Goldwing, you will not mistake the Hawk for a touring bike, but not too bad. I'm personally still getting used to the ergos, so I can't really pass judgement on that end yet. Good luck in your search...

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

100mph+ in Clear Creek Canyon? Not smart at all, not with all the traffic, casino buses, gravel haulers, and LEO presence. What is meant by a Harley choking on that?

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

I bought my 2000 VTR new in April of 2000. Six years and I'm not tired of it yet!! The bike is amazing. Yes it needs a few adjustments here and there. But all easy fixes. It draws attention anywhere it goes. (More like it has respect anywhere it goes.) The VTR fits in anywhere but you won't be mistaken for a run of the mill sportbike either. The popular comment If you go anywhere is people LOVE the sound of the pipes. (I run D&D's)
My advice to you is STOP THINKING GRAB YOUR WALLET HEAD TO THE DEALER. Come to the dark side, you won't be disappointed.

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

None of the dealers I've called have any. I think the only way I'm ever going to get a test ride is if I can find a private seller. This must be a fairly rare bike.

Where do you live? Good luck getting a test at a dealer even if they did have one. I went to 3 dealers none would let me ride it first. I've had my bike license since I was 16 and I'm 36 now. :shock:

Re: I need lots of input from all of you Superhawk owners!
 

considering that they stopped makeing them in 2005 .... and sales were never spectacular .... I am sure there are a few left.
did you try www.cycletrader.com ??

I believe my best bet for test riding one, or even finding one is going to be to find a private owner who has one for sale. Dealers are very wierd about test rides. Some of them are okay with it, and others are not. Besides, I've contacted over 20 dealerships in various areas and haven't found a single dealer that has one. I have been finding a few of them on ebay and traderonline.com. I haven't looked in cycletrader.com yet.

It turns out that I have looked in cycletrader.com before. It seems when you go to traderonline.com and click on motorcycles, it takes you cycletrader.com. There seems to be quite a few SH's for sale on the site, now the problem is going to be finiding one close enough to me to go check it out.

Also, I have some very specific questions that you owners can probably answer.

1. What RPM does the SH turn at 60 MPH in 6th gear? I think I remember someone in one of the forums saying the SH turns like 3100 RPM @ 60 MPH (with stock gearing of course). One of the mags posted performance numbers for the Hawk, as well as for many of the other sport bikes, and they had the Hawk's top gear roll-on time from 60-80 MPH as 2.78 seconds. That is VERY quick and there were only one or two other bikes that were quicker in this catagory, and even then, only marginally so. This means one of two things; either the Hawk has a TREMENDOUS amount of low and mid range power, or it was a misprint. Does this top gear roll-on time sound right to you guys?

2. With this kind of low and mid range power, I suspect the Hawk wheelies as easily as a dirt bike. I would think the forward leaning riding position (because it's a sport bike) would make it less likely to wheelie then say a standard bike, but all that torque has still got to make that front wheel seem light. The reason I'm asking is because I love a bike that can easily but PREDICTABLY do wheelies. My last two bikes were a V-Max and a V-65 Magna. Both were very fast, but very different when it came to doing wheelies. The Max didn't like doing wheelies at all. In fact, it would rather spin the tire than wheelie. I'm guessing it had much more of it's weight on the front tire than did the Magna. The V-65 on the other hand was a joy to wheelie. This thing would wheelie like a dirt bike in 1st or 2nd gear just by twisting the throttle. With a little work, it would also wheelie in 3rd. Will the Hawk wheelie just by twisting the throttle or do you have to work at it to get it up? Also, I've never wheelied a sport bike, or any bike with the forawrd leaning riding position. All the bikes I've wheelied have had a straight up riding position similar to that of a standard type bike. How does doing wheelies on a sport bike differ from doing them on a standard bike, if at all? I would think it's got to feel/look different in that leaned over position.

HHHHHEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOO! Is anybody in here?

Not as wheelie prone as you are probably thinking. Yes, it wheelies, but You still need to put effort into getting the wheel up mostly. I mean if you just give er full gas and drop the clutch in first you are going to flip it for sure, but it's not going to jump out of your hands if you are juts trying to ride normally. The low end and mid range torque is wonderful, you can definitely feel the pull. The ergo's are great, pick up an aftermarket seat and you can easily ride all day on this bike. Tank range isn't that horrible either, you get 100-130 miles out of a tank usually, depending on your right wrist, but I know after 100 miles of backroads I am ready for a few minute break anyway, no matter what I am riding.

Will it wheelie by just twisting the throttle, or do you have to use the clutch to get it up? Will it wheelie in 2nd gear, and if so, with how much work? Will it actually accelerate from 60-80 MPH in top gear in less than 3 seconds? What RPM does it turn at 60 MPH in top gear?

Mine has stock gearing and @ 60 its just over 3k rpm. Yes it will power wheelie in first and second if your on it hard but its not unpredictable. The beauty of large twins in my opinion is how controlable and predictable they make power. I just got mine over 600 miles so Ive been getting heavy on the throttle to see how it feels. If your in first and accelerate hard, it will skirt the front wheel a little bit, depending on your position on the bike and weight. Im 185" for instance. Second gear will do it as well. Me being a bit of a wheelie type, this weekend to see how it would "pull" I dropped the clutch in 2nd gear Id guesss around 50mph and it came up nice an steady and made for a very comfortable wheelie. Like I said though, the engine is EXTREMELY predictable, it only does what you want it to do. It is not peaky like an inline 4 or fuel injected bike...(not sayin thats bad, its fun just different than a large twin) it just pulls steady from 3k rpm up to 7krpm then it seems to flatten out. At least that is what my seat of the pants tells me. LOL

How's the top gear acceleration?

Its good, it will get you were you need to be. Like I said the motor pulls real well through most of the rpm range nice and steady. 120mph seems like 90 in a car it gets there pulling steady the whole time and feels plenty stable. I havent had mine above that cause Ive only done it in a short quick run.


I try to avoid riding real hard cause I dont need the tickets or trouble. But this is a new bike to me and I have experimented a little to see its capabilites and how it makes power.

Would you need to downshift when passing on a two lane highway, or does it accelerate hard enough in 6th?

You can pass in 6th no problem..... its just a matter of how fast you wanna pass Like I said the engine makes good HP from 3-3500rpm all the way up.

If your running 60... in 6th gear and want to pass someone quickly. Without the down shift and just layin in it... youll be doing 80 easily by the time your switching back in your lane.

There are at least 4 unbiased articles on the SH on www.motorcycle.com Here's one that sold me: http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcracing/streettrack.html
I bought mine in 2002 and have 14k miles of weekend bliss on it. You won't find a bike with this much grunt yet sooo smooth. It's the perfect street bike. On the highway out to the mountains it's comfortable, stable, and always has available roll-on power (blinding power if you kick down a gear). In stock form, you don't really use 6th on the highway, unless traffic is moving over 75mph. When you hit the twisties, the narrow v-twin delivers smooth acceleration, and you don't have to change gears much. The suspension is stable and compliant, but could be better for serious carving. Basically, she's anything you want her to be - a street beast, a sport-tourer, track wench, or all the above.

I've got to find one to test ride! The SH sounds like a bike that has every attribute that I love in a bike.

The shop I bought my 02 from has 2 other Blue 03's that are also BRAND NEW. Mine had 1 mile on the odometer when I picked it up. Hadnt even been started until a week before I bought it. Plus they still honor the warranty . Good luck in your hunting for one !!