What Rubber should I use on my Hawk?
 

OK ....I know I am opening up a can of worms wanting to get people's opinion on what tires do people prefer on the Super Hawk, especially when the bike will be used for the track as well as street. I had very good experiences with the Mich Pilot Power 3, but they have stopped producing this tire and you cannot get the front tire. You can get the Pilot Power 2CT but not sure if that is what I should get...... and would it be suitable for the street or track.....
I am reading about the Dunlop Sportmax Q3 and it sounds like a good choice. Anyone who has been on the track with the Hawk.....What Say You?
Look forward to hear what the Forum Thinks.
Thanks

I used the Q3+ on the track this year. I never had any problems with grip. I felt i had to really wrestle the front end to keep it going around the long wide corners and they didn't turn in well. I like my Metzeler M7rr's much better.

I've never tried MIchelins on my Hawk. I have been through several brands and have settled on the Stones. The BT016 is a great front tire. I did a track day on it last year and my front never once lost grip or felt squirmy. I have the 023 on the rear (for more street mileage) and it did move around a little. I planned to get the 16 in time for this years jaunt @ Summit Point.
I work @ a bike shop and have gotten lots of feedback on tires, not specifically for the VTR. Lotta guys love the Q3's but they are not known for good longevity on the street. Same for the new PowerRS. I'm seeing the regular guys squaring off the rear already. Another tire I would consider you research more is the Metz M7RR. I mounted a set for a friend who rides a EBR RX and he loves them. Big twins aren't exactly very nice to the rears.

I'm new to the Hawk, so I am curious as well. My plans are to use the bike as a commuter/tourer with some track days sprinkled in. I plan to buy a second set of wheels/tires for the track, so my question would go two fold. Longevity/quality for the street and grip/feedback for the track.

That is whet I do..
I have every day tires Pilot Road 4's
and a second set of track day wheels running Pilot Powers currently.

I tried the Dunlops and found them to be too angular, making turn in taking more effort, and then falling in after initial turn in. Not a good feeling and grip was no better then Pilot Powers

Tires are such a personal preference, compile a list of what everyone says they like, subtract any tire you have a dislike for from previous experiences, then work your way though the remaining choices.

When a new tire model comes out.....Start all over again..lol

Don't forget about how cool the tread pattern looks in your calculations.

For a moment there after reading the topic, I thought I was in the wrong forum....

I thought that the tit le (oops space got in the way) would get people's attention:eek:
Any way...I am looking at the Pilot Power 2CT. I have been very happy with the Pilot Power 3, so I am going to keep with the same brand that I am comfortable with and hope it is not too different. My thoughts are that the CT's are softer rubber, so they will not last as long. When I am on the track, I am not the fastest there, but I love it when my knee gets close to the ground and I am going past the guy on the outside of the corner. If my knee does hit the tarmac..under control.. I will probably wee myself. Also these tires are fairly inexpensive for their quality...I think.
More thoughts will be accepted.

Wheels to go with Tyres
 

Here are some straight wheels that I purchased on Ebay sanded them and painted them with Duplicolor Wheel paint. All ready for my Pilot CT2.

We sell more of them than any other tire. The Michelin literature/guides show the Pilot Power 3's for use on trackdays, not the 2CT. So I'm not sure on your softer rubber idea.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sup...e2b336f7d8.jpg

What I do not understand, why did they stop making the Pilot Power 3....obviously to upgrade that style....yet still make the 2CT an older version to the PP3. I can only think that the 2CT was made to be used only on the track and it has a softer compound that will not be efficient for road use......Maybe...?

On a different topic about my bird of prey
 

Have the engine assembled, have it all on the bike frame, started it up, and now I've come across a small oil leak along the front cylinder cam chain side.

All the bolts on the cylinder head were torqued down, of course, and then you have your two smaller bolts on the outside, where the cam chain is deployed.

Has anybody come across this crap before? I'm frustrated.

Should I have put extra Honda-Bond in that area?

What I'm probably going to do it complete the track bike and take it out on the street for a test run and see if there are any other small issues that occur. Outside of that, the engine sounds really tasty.

Senior thoughts? :lol:

I smell an oil thread coming...

Gloss black the way God intended and the way they should have come from the factory.

I usually apply a thin amount of Hondabond to the half circle cam dropout spots, especially the sharp corners. Never had one leak.

Clean really well, let dry, then using a can of cheap spray on dry foot powder, spray the side of the engine top to bottom where you suspect the oil leak..
Start up and let her leak a bit... Then look at the oil trace in the powder... Cant count how many times a oil leak source was far away from where it was observed

OK...I am 90% sure the leak is from this area. Is there a short cut to fix this oil leak... Or am I looking at doing the cylinder head gasket again...assuming it can be done without removing the engine. There is nothing on a caution with this area to apply Honda Bond....obviously if you have rebuilt these engines before, you might have experienced this.....so is there a sneaky fix on this?
To more Senior Thoughts out there...?

PS. to the Captain....The wheels came out great with the Gloss Black. I made a simple wood frame so I could spin the wheel with a heavy final coat and left it to dry for a week before putting on the new tires.

Hey Jack Flash
Was it you who made up those Air/Mixture screws that could be adjusted by your fingers for final adjustment. I would love to buy a set, if they are available.
Haven't found anything like this for my wife yet ! ....but I am still looking on eBay.:eek:
Hope you can help.....On the Air/Mixture screws...that is.:D

Ive only done top ends on this motor so far... not a full build..
In both of those top ends, heads were removed motor in frame and no leaks after following the procedures outlined in the manual with no extra anything added.

OK....This is good. I will check one more time to verify the leak....always thought that this Front Cylinder Head had bad foot smell...I am sure some powder will clear this up.

Thanks