something wrong?
 

I have spent a lot of downtime just cruising on here lately and have read too much about how my Hawk should lift the front wheel hard in 1st, and 2nd gear. Its making me a bit jealous.... because mine wont. My hawk is my first street bike, and having no history or background on the bike, I wasnt sure how it should act, run, how much power/torque I should REALLY be experiencing. So its been making me think, is something wrong with my bike? is the motor just tired? How do I fix it? Dont get me wrong, I dont want to be riding around on one wheel, im just curious as to why mines not doing it.

ITs a '99 with 28,xxx miles on it, I just installed a 15 tooth front sprocket which, in theory, should make my bike even more scary fast. Also, im a 208lb rider, 6'4"

SO im just worried that my bikes not living up to its full potential and what I might need to do to get it there?? any advice and/or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I want to see what it can really do :(

Go through the whole bike and do a tune up. Check plugs (make sure they are gapped correctly), air filter, etc. Also look at your carbs. Are they sync'd? Just go through everything and get familiar with your bike ;)

My money is on the carbs. A lot of people never touch them and just deal with how the bike runs.

I'm a just a little heavier than you and if I give 'er 100% throttle in first gear, I would be on my back before I knew what happened. Second gear is a little more managable. Can't floor it at low revs, otherwise the wheel comes up to quick, but in the the higher RPM's of second gear wheelies are so much easier to control. My clutch is slipping too, just a FYI.

Edit: I have stock gearing.

I just recently took the carbs off and gave them a good thorough cleaning. I never thought about syncing them. I just bought it a couple months ago and ive just been too busy riding the hell out of her before the season ends. Ive been itching to get to know her though. How difficult is it to sync the carbs? something I can do in my garage? sorry, not familiar with anything on this baby yet.

Yes, you should have sync'd the carbs after pulling them off. You're leaving power on the table by not doing it. It's very easy to do in your garage. Search the site here about the subject. Many, like myself, have made thier own device to sync the carbs. You can use whatever method suits you, but I personaly use the Two Bottle method (spent less than five bucks building it I think). This way, if one of the carbs is way off, then it won't suck in the fluid. You'll know what I mean when you start looking into the subject.

Good luck and let us know how the bike feels afterwards ;)

Ahhh, this I did not know, forgive me for I am indeed a squid...

I have Tuesday off of work, you better believe im going to tear into her again and sort this thing out. Ill keep you posted on the results.

Not everyone can just loop the front... I have lower clipons and a shimmed rear and can only get the front end to feel a touch light on hard acceleration. Before I shimmed the rear and changed front end, one quick snap and I would have been on my back. It's amazing what a little shift in weight will do. What I'm saying is, there are more factors at play than carbs... just assuming it's broken or hoping for a wonder fix may leave you disappointed.

Riding position, perceived throttle versus actual throttle, whether or not you have a passenger, etc. all play a part in this. Try sitting back on the seat and lean back as much as possible.

Definitely sync the carbs if you've taken them off, though. Note that you will (probably) need to order a "boost joint" and either buy or make a carb sync tool to do this.

Riding position plays a large part in this. Like 7 says, scoot back. Try sitting up instead of chest on tank when you open it up.

mine would do the same thing before slip on but must of it was the carb setup way to rich shim/needles and ...
now it wheelie in first but aint in second.

I sit towards the front of the bike because I have a bad back and don't want to stretch any more than I have to for the bars. In first gear WOT will accomplish a slight rise of the front tire starting about 8k RPM and it doesn't go far before a shift is needed. Now if I accidentally chop the throttle around 5-6k it will try to flip over backwards on me. with 35k miles on the clocks I'm sure compression is beginning to play a factor in my bike though, I would almost promise that after that many what look on my bike to be hard miles (the plastics have been repaired VERY well and painted professionally but I can still see some evidence of previous damage as well as places where the engine cases have been repaired) that its lost at least a few pounds of compression. Nothing I'm going to worry about as she still has plenty of snot, but I am sure that earlier in her life she had more.

FWIW without my gear I ring in at about 230lbs of way too much 70/30 hamburger in my youth with the cholesterol medication to prove it :lol:


I would say that your bike probably has nothing wrong that I would worry too much about. But a carb sync is proper maintenance and I would suggest doing that at your earliest convenience, You can do a negligible amount of harm to your engine with the carbs out of sync as it will beat on your crank, rod bearings, clutch, and transmission a little if it gets too out of whack

[QUOTE=insulinboy;363135 with 35k miles on the clocks I'm sure compression is beginning to play a factor in my bike though, I would almost promise that after that many what look on my bike to be hard miles [/QUOTE]

My first Hawk had 91000km on it, and had no compression issues. Slap on the throttle, and that thing lifted like a skirt in the Wind...:cool:

We sell this burger at my work called a 60/40, 60%beef 40% bacon, Im well on my way to being in the same boat haha. Im going to go get the things to make a carb sync tool today. Im also gonna go pick up some new plugs because I dont know the last time the PO replaced them.

What do you suggest to fill the sync tool with? Like what Crux said, I feel like oil would be a bad thing to get sucked into the carbs if mine were WAY out of whack. He mentioned the 2-bottle method, anyone have a link to a write-up on how to make it.

With me being 6'4", I spend most of my time as far back on the seat as I can get without being a passenger lol.

Several of us here use 2 stroke oil since it's intended for combustion anyway if it goes in.

Good idea, I went for some Sta-bil, for the same reason. I went out and got all the tools to build what I need, but I couldnt find a brass fitting to thread into the vacuum port for the front carb. Ive got to try some mom and pop shops around here tomorrow when they open to find the right size. Another thing that kind of worried me was the fuel line going to the rear carb was full of fuel when I pulled it off, however the fuel line going to the front carb was not, in fact I turned it upside down and nothing flowed out. A sign of something bad?

Going off of what 7 said, I hope I didn't give you the idea that a carb sync will fix your problem 100%. I'm sorry if I did. It very well could be several problems together causing the lack of power. That's why I said to do a tune up and get familiar with the bike. But since you took the carbs off, sync them and see where the bike is at.

As for the carb sync, Google is your friend man! Just doing a quick search yielded this...click here
Half way down the page is the Two Bottle method.

This is what I ended up making
Attachment 23176

Oh no, I understand that all too well, I own a german car... Its never just one simple fix on that thing.

Heres a picture of what I knocked out today. Just some clear plastic tubing, mounted on a piece of plywood, with some sta-bil as the leveling liquid. It doesnt look too pretty but it got the job done.

So I took a straight through 1/8th inch vacuum fitting and got it to thread into the vacuum port on the front so I could get the job done. I started her up and as suggested, it was way out of whack. The Rear pressure was way high, got her buttoned down and leveled out and she should be all set. Its late here, so I wasnt able to get out and ride it to see if theres any noticeable difference, but I have the day off tomorrow so I'll have plenty of time. It did seem to run a bit smoother, but I wont know for sure until I get the air box back on and everything back in order. While its up on the stand I also installed new brake pads, just something else to better the feel of the bike :)

Ill keep you guys posted after I ride it tomorrow..

So how did you go?

Mine's got 54k on the odometer and will loop easily at anything over 1/2 throttle in first at 4k with 16/43 gearing, and will come up in second from about 7k on up. I have a superbike bar added (shifts weight to the rear, but an ohlins shock in the rear, which adds a touch of ride height).

In any case, I would guess your BIGGEST issue is that you are living at 5000ft above sea level. I know my Hawk gets soft at elevation, and if you aren't jetted properly (leaner) for that elevation, the bike won't run it's best, and even at optimal jetting you are probably down (a wild guess) 15% or more on power.

But yes, get it running its best and see how it improves...just realized that you may have to skew the jetting for your elevation. What are you running for exhaust?

-R

Thats what I was thinking would be the most likely problem. Its a Colorado bike and has always been a Colorado bike. As for exhaust, the PO gave it kind of a shotty Baffelectomy, but I plan on fitting an aftermarket kit over the off-season, which might require a re-jet. I believe it might have been 7 that told me a while back that its fairly easy to tune the stock setup for an aftermarket exhaust.

I took it for the test ride just now, and theres a noticeable difference in how the bike runs. Not necessarily a crazy performance boost, but it runs a whole helluva lot smoother, It used to kind of stutter when I would blip the throttle, not so much anymore. I did rip it up a back road here real good, and on the shift from 1st to 2nd around 8500, I felt the front wheel touch down again. So there was a little power gained there. And it pops less on Decel I engine brake. Im glad I got it done and thanks all for the recommendation. Going to get plugs today and swap those out.

Could you post a vid of a 2d gear wrist wheelie? It might be a pain to arrange but I'd sure like to see one. Mine won't do it and I weigh 180lbs.

Agreed...

Clutch in second is my only chance, and it can't be with a full tank of gas, otherwise its a no go...

I would say with gear, I'm closer to 250'ish.? First gear wheelies like we all know are way to easy. Second gear clutchless wheelies are almost just as easy. You just need to dip into the throttle a little more. I thought all of us here could? I know I can't be the odd man out.

I know I have stock gearing, because I just replaced both sprockets and chain. However, I have no idea what, if anything, has been done to the engine by the previous owner. With the power it has, I really think it's just stock.

I'm not sure why you guys can't do clutchless wheelies in second gear. Maybe you need to tune your carbs? Just throwin' that out there. I really have no idea.

As for the video, I don't have a GoPro or anything similar. All I have is a cell phone. Sorry guys. If it doesn't get rained out tomorrow, during the Slimey Crud Run, maybe Stumpy can confirm the second gear clutchless wheelie.

I still don't think that it's a power thing... I think it's a positioning and control thing. Honestly, even 10 hp of engine tuning should not create a great divide between power and non power wheelies. You know what other bike people can power wheelie in 2nd? The 34 hp Susuki DRZ400. On that bike you're sitting upright like you're on a mountain bike.

I can clutch it up in second fairly easily, but not to the point where I can ride it any longer than a couple seconds. Im convinced thats because I just dont have the balls or the skill to punch it up around the balance point. Or anywhere close to it haha

I guess it varies from machine to machine... pretty drastically. So many people on this post alone have such different results that its tough to pinpoint. Im gonna go with what 7 said and start working with positioning.

But im not done trying to maximize performance, I got a whole offseason coming up to toy around with it.

If I sit back in the saddle, 2nd will come right up full tank or not. I'm 170+ full gear, 16/43. 1st gear is total throttle modulation to keep from flipping, even if I lay up on the tank.

I'd hate to tell you to be more snappy with the throttle to bring it up, the last thing we want to hear is you flipped the Hawk! It works though.

I take it you've been riding a wile, honestly how hard do you snatch (yank) the bars to throttle it up it up in second? If you say not at all I'll be pulling my carbs again soon.;)

99Shawk The easiest way to get a feel for the way you and your bike wheelies is to get rolling at 2500-3000 RPM and slap the throttle shut. The forks will compress (drop) and immediately snap the gas back to half throttle or a bit more. As the forks unload the extra lift will send your front end skyward. Go slow, in a controlled environment until you get the feel of how your front end lifts, roll the gas shut as you come up to control the height and intensity of the lift. Keep your front wheel straight, and your weight centered on the bike if you want to go straight. I have used this method for a long time, I feel that it is much easier on the drive line components than clutching. Second gear wheelies on my bike require a speed shift from first at higher RPM and a healthy snatch. If this will work on my old pig of a katana 750, it should work for anything. Use your head cover your brake, and have fun!

That video cracks me up

Its comments like that... "If I sit back in the saddle, 2nd will come right up full tank or not" That make me wonder though... mine wont. Honestly, I've tried snapping the throttle, rolling on it, all from different RPMs, sitting back on the saddle, almost on the passenger seat, and to no avail. In both first and second gear. IT just baffles me.

Try what I suggest in my last post. Even if your bike is tired it should lift. And you doo realise a second gear power wheelie you will be rolling north of 60mph. It can turn bad even for the best of us quick. Thats why I don't do them very often. With that being said I'm old enough and have been on the road since 81 have nothing to prove to anyone including myself. It's just for kicks now.

sorry mput, totally looked over that post, i never really thought of preloading that way, ill give it a shot when it warms up a bit tomorrow.

Okay, so I closed my eyes and ran through what I do for a second gear, clutchless wheelie. I just realized that I might in fact pull up on the bars a little. Not sure how hard if I actually do. At this point, I don't know if I'm pulling up or just sucking the bars into my chest. No rain tomorrow, so I guess I'm heading out to do some wheelies for the forum :p

Seven, I've ridden a DRZ400 and damn do those little suckers have a power band! It's a fun bike that will get you in some trouble :cool:

Edit: If you have a road to yourself, flip down the left passenger peg (why not the right? Because you NEED to cover the rear brake with your right foot) and put your left foot on the peg and stand up. Then play with the throttle and the position of your body.
*REMEMBER, DOING WHEELIES COULD MAKE YOU LOOSE CONTROL AND CRASH!
I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS*