The Turtle says howdy to all
 

Hi
I am glad that I found this site. I am coming to the end of a ten year sabbatical from riding. Heck, I didn't even own a car till I was 28. But then...life......
I always liked the Superhawk, and now that I am nearing the end of the current stage of the endless project called a 1978 CJ5, I want to get back riding.
My question is this :
I live less than an hour from the dragon. I know miles and miles of unpatrolled, lightly travelled two lane roads like the back of my hand. And I always loved the twisties.
I want a bike that I can carve for a few hours, stop for a nice meal, slice my way back, and not be crippled after four or five hours and 38 hard years.
I like to tinker, and make things my own. I am a pretty good amatuer wrencher.
A little history, so that you can get a feel for what I liked in my youthier youth:
High School
Everything with two wheels, from a moped you had to pedal up a hill, to a 78 750 Hondamatic.
First real bike - 88 600 Hurricane bought in DEC 89 with 3K miles, bone stock. Sold it three, almost four years later when I moved to France. Almost nothing left stock, and I felt I owned several Canyon roads(so did everyone else lol)
After nine months in France I had the money for a just out 95 748 SP. First thing I did was paint it flat black (I hated yellow)....and yah it was all that. But this was my DD, and the desmodromic valves were hell. After a year and a half, I loved it, but was glad it was gone.
I then bought a 97 Fireblade. Loved it, but missed the Duke's handling...
Kept it till it died via a Mini. I still have an Instamatic pic of it. Looks like it was humping that Mini. That roundabout got me a metal elbow and two skin grafts. After that I moved to Trinidad, and you do NOT want to ride a bike there. Then back to the states, and always wanting to get back on, just never did it.
Am I on the right path with the SuperHawk?
Thanks to all, and sorry for the long post.

Welcome. I'm 63, and there are several guys on the Forum that are older than me. I've done 300 miles in a day with lots of twisties, no problem. I added a Sargent seat 2 1/2 years ago, and wish I'd added it 2 1/2 years earlier. I have stock clip-ons, but some add Helibars to bring them up a bit (I'm 5'10" and 155 pounds). I just turned 40,000 miles on my '05 last week.

If you've checked out the Forum, you know there are lots of opportunities to twist a wrench on these bikes. There are quite a few with swapped front ends, etc.

Thanks for the input. Good to know. I know it sounds a bit foolish coming from a guy my to worry about comfort, but I have been hard on myself. Between my knees and my neck and the docs that have used me to buy their new boats it has become a concern lol.
On to the next question:
After liberal use of the search button, it seems that the pump gas limit of the engine is around 140 or so HP. As well as another five grand or so, not counting any brake and suspension work. The money isn't the issue so mch as the choices. My knowledge is woefully dated.
Is their another vtwin aside from ducati and buell that could provide the sport/comfort mix fir the same money?
I like all that I have read/heard of the superhawk. I like the idea of modding to make it "my bike". I just don't want to be eight to ten grand in and then realize that I shouldve gone another way.
I realize that I can buy bike faster off the showroom floor. Most would say if I wanted faster I should buy faster. But there doesn't seem to be vtwin sportbikes out there.
Thanks in advance. And sorry for any spelling errors as I am on my phone.

Welcome. I ride the Hawk and am 48. You'll appreciate the crappy gas mileage at times. Gives you a chance to get off and stretch. The fun thing about the Hawk is powering out of corners and if you have some twisties near by you will have a blast.

RWhisen, I love the twisties! I live in east TN an hour or less from the dragon(deal's gap). And the road to get there is almost as good. Thanks for welcoming me.

Welcome to the fold and thanks for the interesting bio. The older I get, the more I enjoy motorcycles purely for the riding. The hawk is perfect for that task.

Same here Nekkid. One thing that has changed is the style of what I always called casual riders. Back when I was riding you saw guys with stretched swingarms and flat drag tires.
Now guys have pegs all over their bikes and treat them like monkey bars on the playground during the half mile wheelies and fifty yard stoppies. I am sure many of them can peg an apex in a two wheel drift, but most I've still don't drag a knee. The NOS bottles are the same though......
Not to dis them, I just never got it. .
Its been awhile since I have been to your homeland. You guys were always nice enough to let me get a ride from the peak a few times.
Honu

Welcome Z. I'd say you're going to love the hawk. It's not the fastest, best handling bike you can buy, but it is the best all around bike IMHO. I'm pissed that they don't make'm anymore. I love the riding position and I also like the seat. (I'm probably in a minority on that one) They're great around town and I've never had anyone just walk away from in the canyons. I can stick with'em pretty good. FYI, I am 55 and just getting back into riding myself. I've ridden from Salt Lake City to Boise on mine in a day. I went with my buddy on his CBR600. CBR is really fun, but it just doesn't compare to the hawk. VTwin grunt is cool.

You're going to love this site too. Very, very friendly. Very, very helpful. When I was researching which bike to by, I was on a lot of sites checking out impressions of bikes. This is by far the best one.

Stay safe dude.

Well I am just back from a a really nice ride on a coworker's friend's superhawk. I am still grinning! It brought back so many memories. He rode his vfr that had the old interceptor paint job. Looks as good as it always did, maybe even better on the new body style.
It was an 02. It was a bit sputtery till it warmed up, then pure joy! I wiegh 220 so it was a bit squishy, and the bike had an odd pulse at around sixty, but that is nit picky. What a fat powerband! What lowspeed manners!
I was embarrassingly out of practice.....both feet down, swinging too wide out of the driveway, but once underway it all came back. I only used second and third......for the grandpappy riding I was doing I coulda stayed in third the whole way, lol.
Nothing like what I remember of my duke. No grabbing, no lumpy torque curve, and just chugs along in town. No mistaking the vtwin. Just as I remember, it practically pulls itself out of a corner. Roll on the throttle, steering with you pegs, hands just there to dampen any head nodding and give throttle input, front wheel skipping when you are three quarters of the way out.......I had hoped to be more objective in my choice but man what a sweet bike.
We stopped at a local gas station that still has the real stuff and I was asked why on earth I wanted something as old an slow. I didn't know that it was known as the super chicken. All I could do I smile stupidly and ask if they had ever ridden one. He hadn't. I just said something about the vtwin and curves and walked off. The ride back sealed the deal. I will be looking for that punk as soon as I find a hawk of my own, a twisty road, and a shite eating grin.

Bytes,
Sorry about not responding to your post. I was just too exited. I felt like a kid at prom.....heck mu hands were shaky and I had a permagrin.
I must say that I agree with you. Perhaps it is just because it is my first time back in the sáddle, but i dont think that was all of it.
I am encouraged to see so many mature riders on here. I think that says volumes about the bikes character.
You have all been so friendly. Thanks.

Yes you are.

I'd recommend the SH any day. If your passionate for Italian, check out the multistradas. I sat on one at a dealership last year. It's the only bike I'd consider to replace my VTR. A little more upright riding position, felt perfect to me. It sure would be hard to give up the Super though.

Welcome to the site...