Bimbling vlog #1 ※ Missing bolts, smelling the roses, E10 fuel, locked arms, track day!

[@zookr]

Like your two videos on your Hawk/Bros bike - I'm currently on my 2nd one since the mid-90's & was lucky to find #000013 available here in the States! The 1st one I had, reluctantly sold it @ close to 20K miles (after crossing the entire country & back w/it). One thing I did to ease the long jaunts with was to bungee net a small pillow on the tank, that way I could comfortably crouch into a tucked position (w/Targa fairing). I purchased a 19L tank from NE to adapt to my current Hawk, hoping to increase my range from the paltry 3.2gal. version. My bike has been modded w/the RC51 front forks, so I purchased the twin wavy rotors/Ti hardware for it as well + RC51 riser clipons. It also came w/better than stock frame monoshock, but I added Brembo rear brake, 17t rear sprocket, 520 chain & 4° advance timing gear for better acceleration. I really wish that I had this steed as a motorcycle messenger when I lived in Los Angeles, but instead I rode the Honda Sabre 750 shaft drive back in the late eighties - $400 for a used bike was a steal back then. Hoping to be back on the road here in a few more weeks & commute to work instead of my 4 cylinder pickup, much more fun on 2 wheels! Stay safe & will subscribe.

[@RikkyTang]

I do hope to "tart it up" a bit with a headlight fairing and belly pan one day, but until I get the engine refreshed/replaced mine won't be going on any long trips. I'm not sure how many of my vids you've seen (I do have a Bros playlist) but I also have the ignition advancer and 17t front sprocket (the sprocket is a great upgrade). This RC51 must look awesome on the Hawk! I've recently converted to conventional handlebars too which I really like... video to come in the near future. Thanks for subscribing on the basis of the Bros - I don't think many of my subscribers come here for this bike so that's very much appreciated!

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

One "like" more. :) This bike has a nice sound for a twin. :)

[@RikkyTang]

Yes nothing quite like the sounds of v-twins!

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

@@RikkyTang I agree with this. :)

[@marcbrasse747]

No Ricky, it's not ony you it's also the bike. The ergonomics of the original Hawk are very uneven. For clip on style handle bars the pegs are just too far forward. Just liek the meagre tank volume thsi might be acceptble for the american amrket, for which it was developed, but for European riders it is very "meh". I am a fanatic ducked rider so I didn't make the stretched arm mistake but in stead a right pian in the back because it made me lock up there in stead. My cure: I like to have the pegs just in front of my boots heel section because you then have your feet millimeters from the braking and gear pedals. If set up properly you only have to toe in a bit and your spot on the pedals. My cure therfore was to construct extra brackets that make the pegs move 60 mm (a bit more then 2 inches) backards and about 25 mm upwards (1 inch). In practice this brings the pegs a bit foward of the point where the rear forks cros the front of the rear tire (when eseen fron the side), which is basically the classic sports / racing position. It has transformed the seating posiiton to one I can basically keep up all day. Takign a short rest every time that I top up fuel every 150 km / 95 miles or so i snow enough to unfo;d meyself jsut enough to do another session.. Since you are an upright rider a higher set of bars will probbaly be better for you but whichever way one looks at it.: The original ergonomics stink. About an earlier remark of yours that you find the bike a little rough. Remember this is an inherently unbalanced narrow angle V-twin so there is a little bit of Harley blood in the concept still in spite of all that japanese technology. It picks up beautifully at about 1500 to 2000 revs already but then feels a bit uncivilised and grumpy in the 3000 to 5000 range. Above that it however starts to sing again right up to the 8500 rpm redline actually feeling happier then before. So if you experience the same behaviour it is simply in the bikes genes. It plays grumpy when doing real word speeds. The high mileages Hawks, NTV's an Deauvilles reach however prove it is acting more difficult then it is. One should probably call it (female?) character! Be seeing you! Keep up the good work! :-)

[@RikkyTang]

I'm am definitely more of an upright rider than you Marc, in fact I would prefer the footpegs to be lower down and further forward (together with the tubular handlebar), however I realise that this makes it less of a sporty middleweight (for an 80's bike). I think this says more about my changing tastes as I get older than it does about the bike! I can't imagine footpegs that are over two inches further back and one inch higher than standard! But that is part of what makes the Hawk a great bike, people like the basic machine enough to modify it to suit them better. Yes I do find the bike rather rough after 5000rpm... its true what you say about the design of the engine not being inherently balanced but I just think my particular donkey is a bit tired! It feels smoothest at around 3-4000rpm actually. I'd love to try a model that has a known history and a good engine to compare the two. Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it 😊