New guy. Proud owner of
 

A 98 SH. I'm new to the street side basically. Had an 82 vf750 that was a hand-me-down that I rode around for like a month before I had to sell it. That was like 3 years ago. Any way, my name is Chris. Just sold my dirt scooter to get this bike. I've been in the dirt for the better part of 20 years. Not out of it completely but fell for this bike and had to have it. I have a ton of questions but ill save those until I'm sure they aren't posted here already. Ok, well, just wanted to introduce myself. Happy riding ladies and gents.

Welcome! You will find most anything on here once you figure out the nuance of the search feature. Everyone here loves their VTR, so what made it a must have for you? Have fun and ride safe, sadly you can't get sideways on the street like the dirt ;)

Welcome to the forum, tons of knowledge and almost every answer to every question about a superhawk can be had on this forum.

KCCO never say never. You can get side ways like in the dirt but if you don't know what you're doing its a lot more painful. ;)

Welcome! First read, Manual CCT's!

Welcome Chris. I too am new here and yes, almost every question I have had I have found an answer to already. Definitely the right place to be if you own a SHawk.

Thank you for the warm welcome. I have been on the market for a bike for a few months. I test rode quite a few. I had no intentions of getting a hawk to be honest. A buddy of mine moved into a new house and the previous owner told him it was up for sale. Already having a bike, he put the word out. I went over to look at it and the owner took me for a test ride. Him on his cafe racer and me on the hawk. 2 hours later we returned. I went right home and posted my dirt bike. The newer bikes I test rode were fun, but there was always something I didn't like. Either it fought you in the turns a little or it lacked somewhere else. My hawk was just perfect for me. Turning was like riding on a rail, purred when it ran, and the torque....oh my god the torque. I don't really think I chose the bike. I think the bike chose me. So, here I sit, the proud new owner of a Shawk. And KCCO. I would have to agree. You can't get sideways on it like a dirt bike. At least not twice :)

Glad you're here to join us. Just remember the search function is your friend, pretty much every topic has been covered, but if you need to chime in on something you read or you have some new ideas dont be stared to post. Welcome and enjoy your hawk, they are in a leauge of their own.

Congrats & good luck with ur Hawk

The best mod is a suspension upgrade

The best oil is...j/k we're not going there LOL

Most important is ride your own style when in groups & be safe. Always ride like your invisible - those cagers will try & kill ya, especially that SC AARP crowd

Do a search.

Oh, I mean welcome. The other line is for later. (joke).

What mods are on your bike?. You will probly want to tweak the suspension if it wasnt done yet. Its the weakest link on this most awesome of bikes.

Ride with your brights on and assume every vehicle will turn in front of you or rear end you. Keep your mirrors covered. Rectifier/regulators and manual cam chain tensioners a must!! And lots of LED underlighting.. dont forget that

I have been reading a lot about the suspension upgrade. Luckily it was set perfectly for my weight. Mods are:

HID headlight, RaceTech suspension, SS brake and clutch lines, double bubble smoke windscreen, and Two Brothers carbon fiber cans. There are a couple other little cosmetic things but inconsequential to performance so I'll just skip those.

I appreciate that. I will look into getting the things you mentions asap.

Ok, then just change the oil and surround yourself with awareness & ride.

Only during the day!

If it's legal in your area ;)

R/R and CCT are definitely things to look into on this bike!

And after that, you may want to read this little article regarding your HID headlight (I'm assuming it's not a projector retrofit)
Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

It's easier than me typing it, feeling lazy today.

Welcome and enjoy the ride!

After the advice from everybody about some mandatory upgrades, I looked into the r/r upgrade. I read the sticky in the knowledge base about the how and why. I inspected mine. Unfortunately there is only a bar code sticker on the back of it with the first half rubbed of so I can not be sure which one it is. I do believe it is not OEM though. As it has a double plug , almost no cooling fins, and the bolt holes are not the same(zip tied to the frame). I looked at pics from ebay for stock r/r's and it does not look the same as those. Being obsessive/compulsive as I am I am now super paranoid about this. Is there any redneck test I can do that would indicate which one it may be? For instance, not being a MOSFET r/r and causing heat, if the one that is on my bike was upgraded, can it be infrared temp tested or anything? Being that I had to sell my dirt scooter to get this bike should indicate I am not sitting on a pile of money, so I would like to apply it to the necessities first.