Trackbike stuff
 

I've owned a superhawk before and loved it. I'm now looking for a street/trackbike but the hawk definitly needs a little work for the track.

I'm looking for the bare minimum here. Suspension and brakes, tires, ground clearence. What's the cheapest way to make all this happen? New shocks are still $800+ right? Fork re-builds...who does them?

You are in luck because all of those mods come on an RC-51. It even has a little more power.

indeed for a "competitive" track bike the cheapest way to go is to get a different bike.

But really the fastest person on the track is more likely to be the best rider no matter what he is sitting on.

Budman had one he was selling that was all set up for track use and I beleive he was only asking $2K for it. Have a look at the classifieds....

I can't believe what I'm reading, Auron wants to take his Hawk to the track, and all he get is, find another bike........

Auron, your biggest bang will come from having your forks revalved and setting your rear shock preload and sag to your track ready weight (helmet, boots, gloves, leathers), and upgrading to SS brake lines and changing to a more aggressive front brake pad compound. Further suspension tweaks can be dialed in at the track, as you get a feel for how the bike handles bumps & loads. The latest sticky tires from Michelin, Bridgestone, Dunlop, etc will also make a world of difference on your cornering speeds. A track riding skills class can also go a long way toward improving your pace. (you often can also get suspension tuning help from some of these providers)

Have fun, and wring that Hawk's neck.

Perhaps I am misreading.. but I read:
In other words he currently doesn't have a bike and is looking for a track bike..

Thus my answer that the Hawk (while an awesome bike) isn't the best track tool out of the box.

I could have misunderstood him though.

Yep, that's how I read it too, hence my advice to him.....

Just depends on what he wants to do at the track though. I've found the hawk to be a fun track bike with just the basic upgrades for suspension. I haven't even done the SS replacement for the brake lines but it still works well enough during a 20 minute session. do the cheap footpeg raise mentioned in other threads for better cornering clearance for your feet and you're good to have fun all day long.

However.....if you want something to be more competetive and/or race, I agree that there are other choices that would server you better.

Definitely raise the footpegs, or at least remove the peg feelers. I don't pretend to be that fast, and I was dragging my pegs through the turns immediately (in part because my body position probably sucked).

how much are you willing to spend? I see plenty of 1000rr s on c-list for under 6k. No matter how much you put into the hawk it will never be as fast as one of those. Although if you buy one your ass and rists will hurt all the time.

It actually needs very little to be great fun. My Storm track bike had no mods to the front, but did have an ohlin rear shock, a braced swing arm and some rearsets. So to be honest a standard Storm would be great. The main factor is riders skill by a long shot. So my advice would be (and I know you won't take this, because I didn't) is to buy a well looked after Storm and spend the 800USDs on rider training rather than suspension upgrades. It will make you a lot faster than any bike upgrade.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Gilson, that advice applies to performance upgrades too. Learn to ride WELL, and you'll far surpass what upgrades would do for you. :)

+1.

Well normally I would agree but the SH front end is so badly set up stock that it would be worth going through it before really pushing the bike.

The answer to that question is rather tough having no idea where you are located at and if you would like them done locally or what to ship them somewhere....

And while a good rider makes the difference that stock front end does not inspire confidence. I rode my buddies gsxr 600 and wow I felt like a pro when I would lean in on a turn. My point is that if I was riding a hawk and was able to race myself on a dedicated race replica, I would destroy the hawk riding version of my self. And if an RC-51 handles like the gixxer, the combination of torque and suspension will make for a bike that wont be beat by a rider of equal or even slightly better skill on a hawk. Price and comfort are the two things the hawk have going for it.

I agree... Get a set of spring for your particular weight in there and it makes life so much easier... The front and rear of the SH could very well have been from different bikes...

But do you need an USD fork? Nope... definitely not...

I've thought about the RC51 but I'm thinking I'm not a good enough rider to get the most out of it. Superhawks seem to be a little more amature friendly and less brain power to keep your weight off your wrists. The power seems like it would be easier to use. I really don't know...every track bike I've had has needed the basic work anyway so I figured I'd go with a cheaper and more friendly platform.

If you are taking it to the track alot you will feel much more confident on the RC and most likely be able to perform better. On the street is different. My wrists and butt hurt after a ride longer than 20 minutes on the Hawk. I cant imagine the RC. A lot of people on here will say the Hawk is a great compromise. If you do mostly track get the RC. If you ride street equal or more than track riding get the Hawk.

You could always get a sv650 that has already been setup for the track. They are typically going for around $3K.

9 out of 10 people on this forum would be faster around a track on a stock SH than on a stock RC, me included...

On a slightly worked over SH that same 9 people will still beat the time they could set on a worked over RC... And ride it comfortably on the road...

To me the math is pretty simple... But a well setup SV is also fun...;)