[net.cycle] Anyone know anything about Honda Hawks?

bill@allegra.UUCP (Bill Schell) (05/19/85)

Hi. I'm a new rider (just finished the MSF course) and am contemplating
purchasing a used 1979 400cc Honda Hawk as a first bike.  It has about 16k
miles on it.  Does anyone have any experience or opinions on this particular
bike?  It would be nice to know if they are famous for losing both wheels at
40mph or something similar.

Thanks,
	Bill Schell
	AT&T Bell Labs, Murray Hill, NJ
	(allegra!bill)

dougs@teklds.UUCP (Doug Schwartz) (05/20/85)

In article <4130@allegra.UUCP> bill@allegra.UUCP (Bill Schell) writes:
>Hi. I'm a new rider (just finished the MSF course) and am contemplating
>purchasing a used 1979 400cc Honda Hawk as a first bike.

Ah yes the Hawk.  Nice bike.  The first new engine out of the new (1978)
Honda motorcycle research facility.  They have a three valve head, two
intake and one exhaust, and a chain driven counter balancer.  The only
"problem" I encountered with them as a service manager is the too many
people failed to keep the counter balancer chain adjusted properly.
We never experienced an engine failure, but they do make racket when
the chain hasn't been adjusted periodically.

Personally, I found them a very decent, reliable, and moderately powerful
(in its day) machine.

Keep the rubber side down,

Doug (you make em I break em) Schwartz
Beaverton Design Center
CAE Systems
Tektronix, Inc.
Beaverton, OR.
tektronix!teklds!dougs