HawkFanatic

So I just bought a 98 Superhawk and I am VERY pleased with this purchase...

This bike handles and rides like a dream, corners like a champ and WOW talk about low end torque!! after about two weeks of riding I think I have downshifted ONCE to pass somebody.

I am coming from a 93 VFR750 and thanks to a run in with a deer on Foothill Rd in Pleasanton, CA that bike is now soda cans...hehe

The Good so far:
-A fist full of throttle means something on this bike...wow...
-every bit as comfortable as my old 93 VFR (I loved that bike)
-corners better than the VFR
-the ride is smooth and comfortable

the bad
-Holy Crap the mirrors suck! (But thats about it for the bad)


Questions so far (if you guys have a second)

#1) The mechanic who swapped out the rear tire said it was a bitch to get on and the wheel probably wasn't from this bike. It looks like the superhawk used a 5.5" wheel and a 6" is whats on there now (with the 5.5" wheel spacers i believe) Sooooo Are there any 6" wheel spacer adaptor kits around? Does this wheel even look like a VTR wheel?

#2) As I said above the mirrors SUCK!!!! Are mirror extenders worth it?
What have you other guys done?

#3) As you can see in the custom (ie: homemade) fender eliminator the seat lock was removed. The guy before me took a hack saw to the rear fender/license plate/turn signals. Does this matter?

#4) The front turn signals were also missing, I ordered some online, but when they arrived the package said "Marker lights - NOT APPROVED FOR DOT TURN SIGNAL USE" Does this matter?

#5) The bike seems fairly stock, what should the first upgrade be?

#6) Anything else I should know about a 98?

Thank you for your time gentelmen...

Death Cattle

#2. mirror extenders are worth it. i dont need any, i think the mirrors work just fine how they are, but its definitely a matter of preference.

#5. exhaust. jardine, leovince, devils, or yoshimura seem to be some of the better choices.

#6. i have a '98 and the only probelm ive had so far has been the regulator/rectifier, which i swapped with a yamaha r1 r/r. its a much better unit and its an easy swap.

sorry about not answering your other questions, im still fairly new to this also.

Death Cattle

also, i dont see why it would be a problem that your seat lock isnt there. if you can still take the seat off its not too big of a deal, it just wont lock. im sure you could rig something up though if you wanted it to lock.

nfbzike

#1) The mechanic who swapped out the rear tire said it was a bitch to get on and the wheel probably wasn't from this bike. It looks like the superhawk used a 5.5" wheel and a 6" is whats on there now (with the 5.5" wheel spacers i believe) Sooooo Are there any 6" wheel spacer adaptor kits around? Does this wheel even look like a VTR wheel?

That wheel looks factory to me. I have the same one on my bike no problem. EDIT/ on second glance perhaps it is different. so i have no idea/

#2) As I said above the mirrors SUCK!!!! Are mirror extenders worth it?
What have you other guys done?

Yep the mirrors do suck. Ive seen mirror extenders work great. Up to you if you think being able to see is worth the goofy look

#3) As you can see in the custom (ie: homemade) fender eliminator the seat lock was removed. The guy before me took a hack saw to the rear fender/license plate/turn signals. Does this matter?

No, i did the same thing, he just cut it a little higher than most people.

#4) The front turn signals were also missing, I ordered some online, but when they arrived the package said "Marker lights - NOT APPROVED FOR DOT TURN SIGNAL USE" Does this matter?

Are they flush mounts? They probably just dont have the proper visibility from the front to be a turn signal. It only matters if it matters to you. Using those decreases front vis. over stock but they look better.

#5) The bike seems fairly stock, what should the first upgrade be?

Personal opinion but i would look up "baffelectomy" in search. I think there is even something in the knowledge base. I liked the way it changed my stock pipes.

#6) Anything else I should know about a 98?

All 98's came red

Thank you for your time gentelmen...[/QUOTE]

divingindaytona

3) Do you have any access to under the seat? Normally I store my insurance, proof of ownership, honda toolkit, bungie net, and owners manual under the seat.

There isnt a lot of storage space under the seat, but anything helps.

4) Turn signals - if you live in a state where they inspect vehicles they may call you on it. A REAL PICKY cop may call you on it, but highly unlikely. At least in my experience.

5) exhaust should be the first mod, and then a jet kit

Also welcome to the forum

SlowHAWK

That's not a stock rear rim... looks like it might/could be from a CBR 929/954.

J.

haknslash

Yup

HawkFanatic

Yeah thats what I was thinking a 929/954 or maybe an RC51. So then I am back to the origionall question...does anyone make a 6" wheel spacer kit for the hawk?

Thanks everyone for your answers

SlowHAWK

Not that I'm aware of... with the VTR most "mods" like this are custom in nature... as in someone cuts there own spacers or retro-fits something onto the VTR form another bike...

Unfortunatly there is not a ton of aftermarket suppliers for this bike beyond exhausts, seats, undertails, and rearsets.

I am curious how it fits up, and how close the chain is to the tire.... I know a few people have been interested in putting a 6" rim out back, but most believe it wouldn't fit.

J.

HawkFanatic

As the mechanic was telling me, it didn't fit. The swingarms were essentially pulled apart to make this work. As of right now it spins freely and rides great, BUT what will happen over time?

drew_c14

The big question is are you running a 190 or a 180 rear tire. If 190 is the way you want to go then keep the 6". If you want to return to stock rim you'll have to deal with a 180, which is a better handling tire anyway.

HawkFanatic

OK so I took a closer look at the wheel and on the side of the wheel facing towards the ground when the bike is on the side stand (kinda hard to get at) it says

Kawasaki
J17XMT5.50
R-1384

Here is a pic of that rim;

http://www.motoso.de/kawasaki+zx+9r+...-h16470238.htm


So it looks like this is a 5.5" and it was a 180 tire. Also looks like this was from a ZX9R or ZX900C.

.....soooo the plot thickens........

Also its worth mentioning that I know the mechanic is telling the truth about pulling apart the swing arms cause the axl does not come out far enough to cover the threads all the way to the locking thread on the nut

The chain looks straight, but the chain guard had to be hacked for the edge of the tire....

So the honda dealer that just did this service for me is also a Kawi dealer I am going to ask them.

I am also going to call some of the dismantlers around here and get some prices on an OEM wheel

Anyone else got a rear wheel for sale?

-Kevin

VTRsurfer

Definitely not a stock wheel, different spokes and the SH wheels don't have a hole in the center hub.

I got used to the mirrors and like them now, but I'm 5'10'' and weigh 150.

I thought of an exhaust system, but only for the sound. The stock setup has plenty of power for me and after over 18k miles it has gotten noticeably louder. Its also high quality stainless which means low maintenance.

For me the $420 spent on a Sargent seat was worth every penny. No more sore butt.

Enjoy the ride...Yeah, isn't that TORQUE great?

haknslash

Saw this one post in the classifieds section https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...ighlight=wheel

Here is one on ebay with a Dunlop Sportmax tire included ($139)http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda...spagenameZWD1V

HawkFanatic

OK this is even weirder....the e-bay listing says it was from a 98 Hawk AND is a J17XMT5.50

WTF!!!!!!


hopefully that other listing lives in the Bay Area so he can bring it over and I can try it out....

ugh this is getting lousy....

drew_c14

yeah, but the rim in that ebay add is a VTR rim, yours isn't

HawkFanatic

You think that matters? The E-Bay offering included a tire, I think I'm gonna call them on Monday and order it.

The other question then is; does a new tire go bad just sitting on the shelf? I had the honda dealer put a new tire on this wrong rim, should I return it? Or what can I do to preserve the shelf life?


Oh and like it was said above the 98's were all red from the factory, I am thinking this bike was wrecked. The title is clean, but it has been repainted (black) the wheels are the wrong make, the turn signals were missing and the fender was hacked off....

The honda mechanic said the frame was straight and nothing was horribly wrong, but I think things are making more sense now....

Thanks again for all of your input guys (and girls)!!!

-Kevin

Hawkrider

How the hell would the mechanic know if the frame was straight? You have to send the bike to someone like GMD Computrack to find out information like that. No cracks, sure. No obvious bends, sure. But come on....

I recommend you get the correct VTR wheel and then have the tire swapped back over. Is there a remote possibility that your Einstein mechanic somehow swapped your wheel with someone elses?

HawkFanatic

The correct wheel from Ebay had a tire on it that looked in good shape, what is the shelf life of the new tire? several years?

Hawkrider

Is it the same brand and model of your front tire? If so then keep it on there. Shelf life of a tire depends on how it was stored. If exposed to temperature extremes and/or UV then it's significantly less, like maybe 2 years or so.

HawkFanatic

Yes it is, good call

I could probably put the e-bay tire on the Kawi rim and sell it that way.....

Hawkrider

...or you could keep it wrapped in a plastic bag in the back of a closet, since the rear tire wears twice as fast as the front (at least for me, anyway).

sassage