Alright,

So i have been looking all over for a superhawk, and have come down to a few option- all of which have similar price, mileage, and what not. One is a 1998 and 0ne is a 2000- the thing that draws me towards the '98 i have been looking at is, well- it is red, the 2000- yellow- i can get past the color- I think the 2000 would be better even though not many changes took place until 01. So.... am i right to lean more towards the 2000 in yellow?

let me know.

thanks

craig

 

Craig,
You and i have spoken- and reading thru the forum. The question of bigger cams(more Proformance) have came into play.
Yet -really comes down to " HOW FAST YA WANTA GO?"
cause we "ALL" know red is faster......
allchaos/ has struck........

 

right- I agree red is faster- but... yellow isn't anything to scoff at.. is it?

there must have been some things added on in two years.

 

If you have to "get past the color" then I suggest the '98. There is little difference between a '00 and a '98, though some have indicated the cam grind is more agressive on the '98 & '99 SHawks.
"blue book" value of a '00 is likely higher than a '98 but at this point both years have likely devalued as much as they are going to, so condition and mileage is the real factor.

 

If the bike is more than at the most five years old, ie in this case both bikes... Then it comes down to condition, since at that point any one bike isn't any more "new" than the other... A '00 bike is at this point 10 years old, ie all the "age related" problems will be there just as much on the '98... Ie ageing rubber parts and such...

Look at condition and maintainance, compare is you get some aftermarket parts that you consider worth any money, and then if all that comes out even, go with your heart... Ie if you prefer one color over the other, get that bike... (That even goes if you prefer yellow... *shudder*)

No matter what of these two bikes you buy, I'd start with doing the big service on it, including replaceing any and all fluids and at least checking if the airfilter needs replacing... One of the other guys on here just discovered that his new to him bike didn't have antifreeze, not a nice surprise...

I'd also include swapping the fork fluid since I'm willing to bet a substantial sum of money that nobody have swapped that in the last 10 years, and it will at this point smell like rotten eggs, and have the damping properties of the same...

CCT's and R/R will also go on the list of things to-do... Plus cleaning and greasing any and all bearings... Cleaning and sealing any and all electrical contacts and groundpoints... Checking all hoses for dry cracks... Loadtesting the battery and measuring the charging system...

That's my list of things to do, just for starters... But I'm probably a bit odd... I usually end up with any vehicle I buy stripped down in it's constitutional parts within a week...

 

I say get past the color in jest- slightly- I like the red- it looks sharper- but they yellow has grown on me- the guy who bought my Hawk gt- rode his 2000 vfr (yellow) over- and it kinda changed my perspective on the color- and besides- it is just a color right? The vtwin engine is really why i like the bike-

oh- I almost considered getting a vfr after i rode it, but it seemed less fun than the superhawk- there really is something to be said for the vtwin.

 

Oh- and I am convinced the Superhawk in Black- looks terrible it might as well be a katana

 

+1 on checking for maintenance. Go look at both of them and you can usually tell which owner has taken better care of the bike. Even better, ask them what they've done to it in the last couple of years. The bike that I bought with a pristine chain and owner's manual included turned out to be very well maintained. I also learned the hard way and bought one that was rattle can painted and had cracks in the tail... not so nice underneath...

+1 on old technology. These things are carbeurated sport bikes. You're not missing out on anything significant from a '98 to an '00 that you'll notice. Get a new 600rr if you want new techology (but you've already mentioned the v-twin character)

Good luck on your buy!

 

I just sold my 89 hawk gt- the superhawk is new technology.