captainchaos

I've owned several of these bikes over the years including a brand new '98 I bought back in '99. Unless a superhawk is running like a complete pig there's not much to exaggerate. But being that huge wheelies on a 250 rebel or 250 ninja are a click away on youtube your bike would have to be in pretty awful running condition or twisted like a pretzel. Hell I had a friend who could wheelie a big old beach cruiser bicycle in high gear forever, and around corners! It was unbelievable. So I'm sure it's entirely possible that in the history of motorcycling maybe at least one rider, somewhere, just slightly overestimated his or her own abilities in the saddle... Progressively opening the throttle wide open in 1st or snapping it from a low rpm walks the wheel up less violently than snapping the throttle open at say 4k which I always found would smash me in the face with the gas tank. Again depending on your ability you can also clutch it up in 2nd and so on, and shift through the gears on one wheel. I have friends who are professional stunt riders who I'm sure could clutch the damn thing up in 5th, or in first from a standstill, or rolling in first on throttle and shift through the gears on one wheel and ride it till the bike ran out of gas. I'm not nearly that good (nor did I ever have a desire to completely beat the hell out of my bikes or my body to even try to get that good) but some people have a harder time admitting that than others. 5 minutes spent around those guys puts most people in their place with regards to riding talent pretty fast. And I'm ok with that. They broke alot of bikes and alot of bones over the years to get to that point. But I never found a superhawk difficult to either pick up in first and shift to 2nd on one wheel, or clutch up in 2nd though. So I'll ask, how good do you consider yourself at this sort of thing? Are you a wheelie master on say a dirtbike or something else where you just find a superhawk difficult? I know people are touchy about this sort of thing but since no one else ever wants to mention it this sort of thing usually boils down to the rider...

captainchaos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTj3SB9OF-Q

Here's an old video of my old friend getting it done on a friggin' Rocket III. We have a saying in the fire service, TSAFE, This $hit Ain't For Everybody....

Another sick old school vid showing what's possible...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXoIjLRUzgg

CrankenFine

I sense a wheelie poll coming soon!

dud

I will try this, thank you.

Thats a good point you raise. Yes Ive been on dirt bikes for about 18 years and can wheelie very easily in most gears. No I am not the best at wheelies on road bikes, but the way people talk about SH's I thought it would be a lot easier.

captainchaos

Fair enough. You know our bikes aren't brand new anymore and many used ones I've seen are just plain clapped out. Not saying yours is but again bought second hand who knows what you're getting or who wrenched on it. So maybe if you don't have any other point of reference as far as a strong running superhawk you wouldn't know if yours is running like poop. I do know if you whack the throttle open in first over say 4k the bike STANDS up. I remember being a dumb noob just out of college on my brand new superhawk after I got my first real job. I also remember dangling from the handlebars as I almost wheelied over backwards trying to show off... Hope you get it figured out if the tuning is off. Powerwise in general yes nowadays if you've ridden anything faster a superhawk is going to feel downright weak. A 4 cyl literbike will make it feel like a sportster. But the baddest stunts I've ever seen were back in the day a local guy and his hot *** girlfriend would crawl all over an old clapped out no maintenance wire holding the mufflers on 40k mile superhawk while on one wheel. Baddest stunts I've ever seen and they did it out on the road. Stuff like when he'd 12 o'clock and she'd face backwards with her face inches from the road. Crazy stuff.

Wicky

Wheelie machine...

https://www.facebook.com/14063010496...93620/?theater

captainchaos

That's what I must look like when I do wheelies Ouch I think I got whiplash from watching her...

8541Hawk

Yeah but that is exactly how a stock VTR should act in first gear.....
No clutch needed just wack the throttle at around 3K and the gauges hit you in the face on the way up if you are not ready.

Add a few tweaks and you do need to be careful in 1st.

IMHO the first red flag is the "custom exhaust"

In my experience there are a few of the "name " brand systems that actually work well there are also a few that don't do much.

The stock header actually works well but I have never seen a home made system work even as good as the stock header.

Then add in the unknown filter (another place these bikes are touchy) and unknown jets (it's common for someone the try to tune the bike like a I4 and not a V-Twin) and about all I can tell you is you need to put the bike on the dyno.

Without that there is no way to know where you are really at even if the bike "feels" good to you.

Again you might think everyone is just pulling your leg or bragging on the bike but I will put it this way.

If you can get on my bike and run it up to 3K, in 1st gear, go WOT and hold it for 5 sec, I'll give you the bike......

If not, you will pay for every bit that gets damaged when the bike lands on top of you...... and it will as this is the only bike I have ever owned that I have pulled an accidental 12 o'clock wheelie on.....


and yes I had to catch with the throttle and a touch of rear brake as she was still going.....

scottiemann

I was going to weigh in with a whole lot of 2cents lol... but all I have to say is if you really want to learn some throttle control on this bike is 15/43 or similar

scottiemann

and a bigger throttle tube on top of that

Tweety

I wouldn't offer that with my bike... And not because I'd be afraid someone would end up as it's new owner... It's just that it would be a waste of a good bike, and more than likely very painful for the rider...

It was a long while since I rode a bone stock VTR, but I wouldn't do it one of those either...

Doing that in second on my bike, I'd smack the helmet against the gauges... Doing it in third, well, it would wheelie for sure, but I'm guessing more controlled...

dud

Sweet! Scored me a bike!




You didnt say anything about using the rear brake...

8541Hawk

Use the brake all you want, she will still throw your *** in the weeds and then slam on top of you if you don't back off the throttle.

Of course I want to see the cash to replace all the bits before you start.... and a couple of those parts probably cost more than your entire bike.

dud

heh, no it wont. You need say, 70hp to wheelie a motorbike, and even if you have a 130hp hawk, the rear brake has way more than 60hp worth of stopping power. Otherwise your brake is shot.

You could pin the throttle on any bike, a hayabusa even, in first gear but if you slam the rear brake at the same time, you wont go anywhere, thats just physics.

CrankenFine

Pidge

Some like popcorn, me I think I'll crack a bud lite.

8541Hawk

Ok we will make this easier instead of trying to help....

My bike wheelies just fine, so maybe it is just you.....

So in closing either you are slow or your bike is knackered.

NZSpokes

Mine doesnt wheelie either. But as I dont give it stick in 1st and I weigh 220lbs naked (there's a mental picture for you) I dont expect it to.

None of my bike do. Even my trail bike its an effort. I suspect its my weight and crap skill.

Ndogg550

SO i'm tall, top heavy build and 230. I am sure my shape puts quite a bit more than average weight over the front unless I am TRYING to scoot back to lighten up the front wheel.

My hawk runs beautifully. I don't generally like wheelies, myself and definitely am not the type to clutch in to stand it up. Ever.

The way it goes for me, is that if go from a roll, then I hammer it and am trying to go as fast as possible, the front will skim a few inches above the ground at the top of 1st and occasionally 2nd.

But the only way it comes up like everybody describes is if I literally give it all the throttle and let out the clutch too fast (not a "dump" but 1/2 way there), and then it'll stand up to 12:00 before it goes 9 feet. I don't like that, and it's easily avoidable.

I honestly love the Vtwin power band, and adore the bike. I was a bit skeptical before I bought it because i don't like a bike that I have to actively hold back to not do wheelies. My experience and what my bike does is probably boring to lots of you who love 12:00 action, but honestly i'm so happy with exactly how it behaves.

wannabridin

I'm scared to death of doing wheelies and dropping my '01, so I just dont. but i do know mine sure would like to see the sky whenever i'm not paying attention. I can easily get my front wheel off the ground if my weight is shifted towards the back at all. I've noticed it pulled up in 1st a bunch and then when getting on it in 2nd and sometimes 3rd. i have danmoto slip ons, lightened flywheel, tps adjusted and stock gearing...

Spaz'

With being out of the picture for more than several years after a manual CCT failure (my fault), I am on the road again with a replacement engine ('02.) as of last summer. It does not have the aggressive and focused, tight and tuned modern sport bike torque one should expect - as found with the previous engine I had in there. Since it runs exactly like the other did (without burning oil, etc), I am going to assume again - a poor compression rating, as I had found both cylinders on the previous engine to be exactly 25% out of spec on each cylinder. And again, I am assuming a valve lash adjustment problem - furthermore, a problem with an innaccruate setting coming from the factory.
I will be looking in to this further, but my assessment is [again on this replacement engine], a poor compression reading based on improper valve lash amounting to poor engine performance.

CruxGNZ

If you can't get 'er tuned in, I might be able to help you out. However, it would require me to ride your bike to feel what it is doing. If that is cool with you, hit me up.
After doing the FIL mod and having the carbs off many, MANY times, I now have a hold on how to tune these carbs. I'll let you ride my bike and yours back to back. You will feel one heck of a difference. With mine, you simply cannot give it full throttle in first or you will flip the bike. You can do a controlled wheelie (not clutching it up) in second though. It's A LOT of fun! This is with stock gearing.

Even before I did the FIL mod, my bike would wheelie in first with ease, but not in second gear.


So, you think it is the compression from the factory? Maybe it was how the engine was broken in by the first owner? I will have to find my compression numbers and post them. Maybe you are onto something here.

VTR's with low power, it could be either out of tune carbs, low compression, or both.