This is a long story so bear with me. About 2 years ago I became interested in motorcycling. Due to my funds at the time, I could not jump right in and begin my interest until I had some of my debt paid off. During that time I tried to do as much research on what kind of bike I wanted and what I should start off with. I knew that I did not want something too small that I would outgrow and I did not want something too big or too fast that would spoil the experience. I looked at all different types of bikes. The first bike I wanted was the Superhawk for no other reason than it was a bike that someone I know at work suggested would be a good first bike. I thought it looked ok, but I soon moved on to other bikes I was interested in. Other bikes I was interested in for periods were the Honda VTR, Yamaha FZ1, Yamaha R6, Triumph Daytona 650, Triumph Speed Triple, Ducati Monster S2R. But for various reasons, the Honda VTR (too expensive), the Yamaha FZ1 (too much bike & too high insurance), the R6 & Daytona 650 (too race inspired), the Monster S2R (too Ducati). I had almost settled on the 05’ Speed Triple when I went to look at one in person about a month ago. I found a blue 05’ model at shop about 40 miles from my home. When I first saw it, it did not look the same as it had in the angle views in the magazines. Quite frankly it was just too damn stubby! While I was up at the shop, I noticed they had a 05’ and a 04’ Superhawk. I sat on the 05’ Superhawk and I thought that it felt pretty good (mind you I have never ridden a motorcycle in my life). I did not like the color of either the 05’ or the 04’. On the way home from the shop, I had remembered that at another shop about a month and a half earlier during my FZ1 phase that I had noticed a blue Superhawk. When I got home I started doing more research on the Superhawk on my computer and found out that Honda only made one color a year for the Superhawks but the specs on the bike were basically the same for the past five years. I also surmised that since the one I had seen was blue, it must be an 03’. I checked the insurance quote for and 03’ and compared it to the 05’ and there was an $800 difference per year. I called the shop the next day (I believe it was a Tuesday) and asked if they still had it. They said they had just sold it but that they had one left they were putting together to put out on the floor. I figured, okay, I will go check it out on Monday since I have Sunday and Monday off. During the build up that week to go see it, I told my girlfriend that if the bike was around $7500 that I just might buy it. I did not care if I knew how to ride or not, I did not want to let the blue 03’ get away from me. Well, Monday came around and we went to the shop only to discover the bike sold the night before (Sunday). What I let down! My girlfriend and I got in the car and did not speak for about twenty minutes. I had to go to a meeting at work after we left the store. I talked to a few guys at work and told them the story about what had just happened. After the meeting I told the story to another guy who owns a bike and he suggested that I call an actual Honda Motorcycle dealership and suggested one that was close by. I gave them a call and the salesman said that he had two left. When I arrived there, I saw it immediately. I walked up to it and saw that the price tag was $6999 and it had .1 mile on it. I said “I’ll take it”. I asked the salesmen if I could leave it at the shop for a few days until I arranged transportation to get it home. The salesman offered to ride it home for me and I gladly accepted. Not 15 seconds after he pulled the bike in my garage, a torrential downpour hit and lasted for about 10 minutes. He just missed the rain. I tell myself that this good omen means I will never crash my bike (lol). So for the past three weeks or so I go out every morning to my garage and admire my new toy that I cannot ride. I have signed up for a Motorcycle Safety Class, but it does not start until July 8th so I patiently wait. Any words of encouragement or tips anybody might have on what I should know about this being my first bike would be greatly appreciated. Please, no comments about how this should not have been my first bike because it is too late now. Glad to have found the site. Thanks.
David Hill

 

IMO its a tricky bike to learn on, meaning that its heavy, compared to say, a 600/650, and that there is a lot of power on tap down low. She's a bit of a beast. With inline 4's you get wiggle room with the throttle, you don't with a big twin.

Suggestions:

Do LOTS of empty parking lot practice to get a feel for the bike, figure 8's, circles, panic stops, etc.

Obviously take a good safty course

 

I rode a 750F 82 for 23 years (second bike) and when I got the Superhawk about a month ago the two biggest things that I found took some getting used to were: 1. Riding position: slightly higher bars such as heli are on my shopping list, and 2. you have to be very careful with throttle position at low speed (parking lot or stop-and-go) or you will have some very jerky movements or worse.

 

Welcome. I'm sure that everyone has an interesting story about how they got started (except me) but your story falls right in line with how I decided on the hawk. I have always had partial to no faring bikes, and that isn't about to change. I was teetering between it and the TL1000S and then I saw the blue. Even though the TL had some features I thought were nice I liked the style statement that the hawk made better.

 

Love the superhawk I've owned mine for five years now and have no plans to sell any time soon. The one word of wisdom I have for you is to be real careful in first gear with the throttle. Everyone eventually gets the urge to whack the throttle open, and if you don't know what you are doing and crack it too hard and too fast this bike will put you on your ***. Other than that this is a real fun bike just get used to it first and if you plan on seeing what it can do stay out of first gear. Short list of improvemnts to a stock hawk, braide brake lines for better stoping power slip-on exhaust so everyone elese can hear you(espeacially helpful in the land of the blue hais in s.fla) and a softer seat ala corbin or seargent. Some like the heli bars to raise the seating posistion for more upright riding but Ilike it the way it is stock.

 

Sorry forgot the d in braided.

 

Welcome to Fantasy Island, where newbies get Superhawks as their first bikes! LOL. Outstanding.

I totally agree with Norrth, find a vacant parking lot and practice, practice, practice take offs, rapid braking, figure 8s, obstacle avoidance, and countersteering.

Learn about target fixation and how to avoid it. Learn how to read road surfaces and negotiate railroad crossings, rain grooves, and oil-based marking paints. Practice jumping curbs at slow speeds as an emergency out. This has saved many a motorcyclist from becoming the meat in a car sandwich.

Mindset is everything. Make yourself visible, stay out of blind spots, and always assume cage drivers want to kill you. Think two steps ahead and you'll always have the advantage over the oblivious SUV soccer mom cell phone junkies.

Invest in good gear, and wear it ALWAYS! Whether you're riding cross country or to the corner bodega, good leathers and a good helmet will save your life when a crash is unavoidable. Nobody wakes up one morning, looks in the mirror, and says "I think I'm gonna crash today, I better wear my gear." It's too late to consider the wisdom of good gear when the asphalt is chewing your flesh off like a cheese grater.

Be smarter than your buddies. If you slow down, they'll slow down...maybe just enough to keep from crashing. If they're not your buddy, and they keep going too fast and crash, you'll want to laugh and keep going. That's your choice. Good guys stop and help. Riders help riders. When you're in trouble, another rider will help you. That's what we do.

Hope to hear more from you on the forum. Ride safe.

 

“Target Fixation”

Definition: A motorcyclist often inadvertently looks at an object and finds himself/herself headed straight for that object. This is target fixation and must be avoided. It's also said that "you go where you look." To avoid an object, don't look at it. Look where you need to go to avoid the object. Avoid target fixation.


just so the newbie knows. good luck. :wink: