A Dual Sport For Motorized Bike Builders?
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- Опубліковано 10 січ 2024
- Is the counterbalanced China thumper a good option for your first dual sport motorcycle? I'm going to find out.
Taking a look at the Hawk X 250, and talking about some of the things you can look forward to and prepare for if this is your first bike.
Hawk X: txpowersports.com/rps-new-haw...
Thank you @MotoCheez for your build video!
• NEW 2023 Hawk X 250 Co... - Авто та транспорт
Love to see the step from motorized bikes to chinese dual sports! I have a brozz recon, another counterbalanced, carbureted bike which hopefully won't shake itself apart.
How many miles and how has is been for you so far?
I have a 2020 Brozz with about 6K miles. Only problem so far was a leaking fork seal. I have made most of the typical mods. Ported head, 4 degree advance, Honda clutch springs, battery, chain..... They are great fun for the money.
I looked into an amazon dual sport a couple years ago, but ended up getting a street legal 70s enduro. I can't say I have much regret, other than trying to find an original carburetor. It might be 49 years old, but nothing stops it. I actually got around to tracking my gas consumption last summer and it's close to 50 mpg.
Sweet find!
I bought a 1994 Yamaha XT225 dual sport bike brand new, and rode it for nearly 30 years, and 63,000 miles. I'd say it paid for itself many times over. But last year, at age 64, I parked it, and never rode it again. I developed fairly serious arthritis, and it got to where I could no longer get on and off the tall seat without standing on something. I did that for a while, but realized I had another problem. I live in central AZ, where we have a type of thorn called a "goathead" Flat tires from these thorns are very common, especially when you have tube type tires and ride off road. I've repaired dozens of flat tires out on the trails over the years, but as I got older and my arthritis got worse, it got harder and harder. I finally realized I would not likely be able to do it by myself out in the middle of nowhere anymore, and would be stranded in a very dangerous area. A couple months ago, I finally sold it. If you are going to ride a long way out in the middle of nowhere by yourself, I strongly recommend that you be prepared for flat tires. Fixing a flat on a motorcycle is quite a bit more complicated than on a bicycle. I had a luggage rack on my bike, and a steel milk crate (like this one tinyurl.com/mv7crjnm ) bolted to it. I carried all my tools and parts in that milk crate. When (that's "when", not "if") I had a flat tire, I took everything out of the milk crate, unbolted it from the luggage rack, flipped it over, and lifted the bike up on it, to hold it up while I removed the wheel.
I chose my honda 125cc for its price and simplicity. It's not by any means a trail bike or even a dual sport, just a basic little road bike, but that's never stopped me from hitting the gravel. As much as I loved building the motorized bikes, the legality issue is too much risk, considering local police had been bragging about putting e-scooters of all things, onto tow trucks to impound.
My little bike means that I can continue to explore without the stress of some bored cop having a bad day.
I started building motorized bikes in 07. The timing of this video is perfect. I've been looking at a hawk and I was considering purchasing one this week. Great video, thanks 👍
Your optimistic candor is refreshing, thanks for the review. I too made the mistake of purchasing a non-counterbalanced 250 which soured me off of Chinese imports, I won't make the same mistake twice. Your shout out to MC was warranted as he is quite the mechanic and a solid resource. The China Riders forum is another good source of information for riders & builders. Keep us posted.
Thanks man! Indeed MC has saved us all so many headaches.
Not sure if i wanna get into this motorcross/motorized bicycle hobby, the only thing i do is play video games so I've been kinda interested in trying this out, i know bikes with a motor can be dangerous but they look soo fun
As someone who has lost interest in gaming not to long ago and built one of these motorized bikes, it's a very fun and cool hobby and you will learn alot
Cabin fever is starting to get to you, I feel for ya.
As a gamer myself I hold nothing against you. The good news is, gaming is a great way to kill time while you are waiting for you new bike parts to show up ;)
Beyond dangerous, been riding motorized bikes with no brakes or lights for a year now. Only almost died twice, but man is it fun.
haven ridden bikes for the past 35 years some the best things that can be done are safety wire locking nuts ( the method to lock the nut in place after tightening with the bolt using a lock wire. A piece of stainless steel wire passes through a hole in the nut and gives a lock wire load to the nut and other ends tighten to the body. So the nut will not get loose itself). quality chains(like d.i.d) and sprockets ( supersprox), clean and lube (pj1)your chains , fork oils (fox) oil and air filters (k&n with prefilter (outerwears) , tires and wheel balance (dunlop or pirelli), big problems with gas tanks that come with age so have your tank sealed . hope this helps you out
I can't wait to hear about upgrades to get more power out of this!
It looks good, and sounded smooth too. Did you make it to Grandmother's house? You went over the river and through the woods... ;)
Now, about that door-dash. Yes it can
I had the TBR7 and it was ok until I hopped on a yz450fx lol! I had to replace a couple chains and the dampening bushings until I switched to honda oem parts then I sold it. Great review thanks for sharing!!!
The hawk is a decent upgrade from a magician. The only thing it lacks is 60 mph gearing..(slight change in sprockets)
Thankfully they did gear up the Hawk X on the front sprocket so it's not screaming at 55mph.
So far I'm happy with the speed it can reach. Mainly due to the fact that I can take back roads almost anywhere around here.
@@LAHover that's good, I'm glad they did👍
Great review 👏
Thank you!
Check your mileage against a gps. I had the older version of this bike and the speedo reads in mph but the odometer is in km. It got noticeably more powerful when I cut the guts of the cat out of the exhaust and with a gear swap it was able to get up to highway speeds (60mph) no problem. I think I topped her out at 71 on flat road and 80mph downhill on the Rigolets bridge. That being said, I had about a 40 minute drive to work and my hands were numb from the vibrations every day, so a balanced motor would be a well deserved upgrade.
Thanks for the heads up. I retraced my step on google maps and the miles looked good, but I'll throw the GPS on the handle bars for my next ride just in case.
I've owned a lot of motorcycles (Japanese and European). Most speedometers are off compared to a GPS. The speedometers usually read about 10% faster than the GPS. I trust the GPS over the speedometer.
Hello I had a video idea for you. When you had made a video on what engine you should buy, it did really well so now you should make a video on what bike you should buy just a little idea.
That rear blinker is holding on for dear life Lol
lol looks like it, but they are soft mounted on rubber standoffs. I guess so they can whack a branch without ripping off.
Hey LA hover been a while i started with the 50cc kit now am on a 200cc Honda CG clone but im in love with mine.
Ride on!
Does it have a wet clutch that can take a good bit of slipping while off-roading on tough terrain?
that hawk x 250 actually looks intetresting ive been considering upgrading from my mini bike to an amazon bike not sure if i want to go dirt bike dual sport or strictly on road
im also entertaining the idea of
making my mini bike street legal
any info tips suggestions la hover or anyone has would be helpful
Man last summer i bought a BT100 and asemmble it my self. i rode it for 2-3 months and the chain broke on me on the trail. i left it that way in my garage, i got car license and forget about it. Recently i bought a Honda XL 600 in 50/50 condition that im going to fix after 3-4 weeks bcs of cold weather. I love calm ride on trails, and i needed something more efficient, i got stuck in the mud few times with my Bike BT100 🤣 it was verry funny bcs i was with sneakers on and when i was trying to push it i was slipping 🤣. But this BT100 gonna stay in my heart as my first project.
Those BT motors seem to just push on forever. Good times! Ride on
@@LAHover when i bought it i was super exited and every night before sleep i used to watch your videos. good times. i loved it but my bike was without any shock absorbers and the bumpy road was breaking my kidney stones and my tooth fillings 🤣
I have 2021 Titan -XPro 250 I upgraded the carb and new bars.....Im not winning a motocross but love tearing up the trails....I went the 28mm nibb's carb flange style....003 for both intake and exhaust
Thanks for sharing
Welp I need to get my personal bias with dual sport bikes out within probably months, for it looks promising for possible camping bike
@LA Hover, what brand of motorcycle do you recommend for me? I am looking for a cheap upgrade to a 1978 PUCH MAXI. I want 1979 or newer motorcycle. I am 5'2" tall, I can fit on a Huffy Cran Brook really well. Just to give you an idea of size. I have a E-DASH electric bike that I am going to sell soon because its electric. I want to keep my 78 PUCH, I am rebuilding the engine to it now. I have been motorized bicycles since 2022. I started off wanting a scooter. I just want a small bike that is all 250CC or less is fine by me. I want something I can wrench on and make run again. I'm willing to spend in the $750-$1500.00 price range. I am also a light weight as well. I got a Samger 100CC kit in the mail as well. That will be built to sell or for personal use. Thank you for your info-W
Would you do like a dirt bike build on the Magician 250? like strip everything electrical off and just keep it like a Rat rod bike for thrashing? really like the motorized bike tank on the Magician.
Not a bad idea, she already has the natural rust look from sitting out in the rain for years lol... At least the motor always ran good :)
You ever thought about a yamaha tw200 it's a solid offroad on road bike or something like a honda trail 125
Are the next videos on how to get those thing’s registered and titled? I had a Xpro 125 knockoff of a Kawasaki Z125 and the DMV basically laughed at me for trying to get it registered
I can only comment on my own experience here in Louisiana.
I took the title to my insurance office, the agent had a little trouble finding the bike in their system.
After a few minutes she was able to set me up at $10 a month.
I took the title, bill of sale, insurance paperwork, and my drivers license to the DMV.
After paying the taxes and registration (about $200), she handing me a plate and registration papers.
Had the whole thing done in about 30 minutes.
I wish you good luck in whatever state you live in, they are so different.
If you're able to buy another adventure bike later on, I'd suggest going with a Honda. Honda is known for their reliability, so you'll know you're getting a good quality bike.
The XR150L is looking good, hopefully they will keep enough in stock.
Might be a perfect beginner bike.
@@LAHover Maybe, but only time will tell.
@@LAHover I sat on one the other day, felt good for the price. a second hand tw200 is a great bike too, dead simple.
Nice motorcycle get a free flowing exhaust and after market carburetor and you would be much happier
Thanks for the tip. If she makes it to 5K miles I'll start investing in some upgrades.
Hey just curious to know, do you still have a discord?
I ran out of time and energy to stay on top of it, so I shut it down.
What happened to the discord?
I love the Hawk; it's a great bike for being a Chinese bike. Unfortunately, it's become harder to justify getting one now that Honda has brought the XR150 to the US. Yes, it's technically smaller than the Hawk, but the Hawk engine is a clone of the XR with a big bore (as far as I'm aware). The XR isn't much more expensive and is a much higher quality. I think the only place this bike has left is for people who are interested in customizing the bike for cheap.
The XR has cut corners. It has drum brakes in the rear. I've seen photos of poor weld quality on the frame and other cost conscience budget cuts on the bike. Not bashing it but the hawk is still viable and a pretty good price difference still. I know because I considered both before buying.
I enjoy My Honda Grom, But I do not understand why in Washington State, why the license cost more then my new camp trailer. $45.oo more. WTF Washington.
over where i live in New Zealand, the registration fees for a motorcycle is around $600 NZD per year compared to car registration which is only around $100 NZD. The excuse for that is the death toll and injuries compared to cars, hence why it cost significantly more. But yes it still sucks.
Democrats?
Wow, yeah man that sucks. Registration and insurance here in Louisiana is so cheap I never even bothered taking if off the magician. Reg is like $15 every 3 years, and $9 a month for insurance.
Each state is so randomly different.
😛
Throw a 2 stroke engine in there when the stock engine dies.
Motorized biking is a fun but money pit hobby, I bought a ktm 500 and never looked back. I still collect beach cruisers though
Now that is a sweet bike! Ride On
Ya know, if it weren't for the word hobby in that sentence I'd have to call you a liar.
It is a hobby for you guys and not simply how you live so I guess there is a difference.
My point is as far as vehicles go these are dirt cheap. Basic maintenance of a car or truck tends to cost more per year than simply buying a whole new bicycle kit. Hell you can likely buy a whole new dual sport for the cost of yearly car maintenance.
Hello, it's Jen from Freedare eBike. We've emailed you about a potential collaboration and are eagerly awaiting your response.