Honda Hawk GT '88 Review
Honda Hawk GTI have heard great things about the Honda Hawk GT 650. For an older bike I think it is one of the most stylish with its single sided swing arm and angular features. Although naked v-twins are becoming more popular now, when honda introduced the Hawk NT650 in the late 80's it was anything but the norm. The motorcycle may be 650cc's but it is definitely an easier bike to control than other 600cc+ machines, this is because of the way the V-twin delivers the power to the rear wheel.
In fact, some riders have found the Hawk to be a bit sluggish, but for a beginner bike that is exactly what we want. Manageable power in a small package is what the Hawk is all about, and it does it well.
Another great thing about the Hawk is its modern styling makes it fit in with many of the newer bikes, but since it was made over 2 decades ago you can usually pick them up for pretty cheap.
Pros:
- Modern Styling (+2 cool points!)
- Naked bike = no fairing means little damage if dropped
- Low seat height!
- Older bike so they are cheap, usually $1,000-$2,000
Cons:
- Older bike, so you need to make sure its maintained
- No fairing = no wind protection
- Just a little sluggish compared to other v-twins.
1988 Honda Hawk NT650 Specs:
- 1/4 mile time = 12.89 seconds at 99.87mph
- Acceleratoin 0 - 60mph = 3.95 seconds.
- Braking 60 - 0mph = 121 ft.
- Horsepower @ 60mph = 8.36
- Miles Per Gallon = 41
- Load Capacity = 333.5 lbs
- Seat Height = 30.7inches
Speedometer Error:
- 30mph indicated, actual = 28.5mph
- 60mph indicated, actual = 54.0mph
Comments
Looks like the Hyosung Comet
It looks just like the Hyosung Comet GT650/GT250. I believe Hyosung has built a lot of bikes for Honda in the past. Is the Comet basically the same bike sold under the Hyosung brand instead of being sold as a Honda?
Hyosung is more closely
Hyosung is more closely related to Suzuki as far as manufacturing partners go. They've shared designers, but nto actual designs.
The GT650/250 are pure Hyosung. The guy who designed the SV650 designed them, but they share no parts (even though the engines look similar, they are different).
The closest you get to a rebadged Honda is a Lifan. Lifan is a chinese company that bought the design and patent rights to several old Honda dirtbikes. Needless to say, Lifan quality is not up to Honda QA.
Kymco is a taiwanese company that DOES manufacture Honda bikes. They sell their own 250 cruiser over here, one look at it and you'll see it is not even closely related to the Rebel.
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"The two seconds between 'Oh S**!' and the crash isn't a lot of practice time."
Re:
With bikes like this Hyosung GT650 Comet prowling the streets for ... build increasingly sophisticated products far cheaper than theirs, but when you looked closely in strong sunlight it was actually a very deep metallic blue. ..... Suzuki's new GSR600 has all this and more, and at a relatively.
this bike is from the
this bike is from the 1980's, i dont think comets were around then. plus i've never seen a hyosung with a single sided swingarm
'Tis a good beginner
This was my re-beginner bike. After an 8 year break from motorcycles, and a short flirtation with scooters, I fell in love with the Honda Hawk and had to get one. It's got a great following -- near cult following. I think it's a great beginner bike. It is a little pricey on the used market because of it's relative "rarity" status. However, good resale on the used market after you're ready to upgrade to a more modern, more powerful bike. I bought mine at a discounted price because of it's salvaged title. I'd recommend it to anyone.
this bike is from the 1980's,
this bike is from the 1980's, i dont think comets were around then. plus i've never seen a hyosung with a single sided swingarm
How's the parts market for
How's the parts market for this bike? I found a downed one here that supposedly only needs turn signals and the plastic tail but I could not find them anywhere online.
Never noticed this...
I've never noticed this review on here! It's been quite a while since I've had the chance to post though. I've been extremely busy ever since I joined a sportbike club.
That being said, as soon as I saw that picture of the Hawk as I was scrolling down the page, I said "Hey! That's a Hawk!". I ride with a guy that rides one of these. He likes it a lot. As far as I can tell, it's in great condition. This guy is not afraid to ride the Hawk to its fullest potentional either. He was the first guy I met at the first meet I went to. I think it was like a 1 PM meet at Sonic for a "spirited ride" (apparently spirited to them means triple digits the whole time). He was the only one there until I showed up. Then it took everyone else forever to show up. We went out to B.F.E. about 40 miles away... I think... down Route 65. These guys were leaving me behind like crazy. The few times I did see the Hawk, he was tearing up the twisties right next to a CBR1000RR that was riding 2-up.
So, from what I've seen, this bike can hang with the big boys. I should probably mention that the owner of the Hawk I ride with is an older guy, so he's much more experienced and knows how to get every last bit of performance out of it.
Finally, not to bash the bike, but I'm not into the whole "naked" bikes thing. I like the curvy/sleek look. If my SV wouldn't have had fairing on it when I was bike shopping, I would have never purchased it. It's all about personal taste and what your budget is though.
I hope my little tid-bit of actually useful information that's buried in my blabbing helps someone out there find the bike that's right for them.
Good Luck!
LOL....it's the craftsman and
LOL....it's the craftsman and not the tool...
Allen Dye
MSF Rider Coach
Track Day Instructor
Ironbutt Rally Finisher '03-'05
Though it is old ages
Though it is old ages motorcycle, it has a unique style. My uncle used one of them and I saw it from my childhood. I was then a fan of it and it's memory is still in my mind.
Liam Planket
Hawks are badass. So badass
Hawks are badass. So badass that they take a penalty in a couple of ASRA divisions! Airtech has street, race, and RC30 lookalike plastics for them. There's also some sick chassis mods to be done... seen pics of a CBR954RR front end tacked onto one. Definitely something I'd want to do, I despise single disc front brakes.
-XRayHound
I can see through GLASS!!!!
Love the Hawk
A friend bought one of these when Honda was suffering the last Great Recession in the late 1980's. He paid $2600 new off of the showroom floor in Denver, prepped and taxed. Whenever I fly to Denver, the Hawk is the bike I borrow from his large motorcycle collection. The chassis is so well designed the motor has no chance of doing anything the rest of the bike can't handle. The suspension is wonderful. The single-side swingarm is cool and functional. Maintenance is a breeze on the stock GT. The motor is a brick, thousands of miles of hassle-free riding. The seat is a little uncomfortable, but several aftermarket suppliers can fix that.
Lots of Hawks have been raced, so price used accordingly. If there are holes drilled in the bolts and nuts for safety wiring, it's a retired race bike. It still could be a good deal, but it has been thrashed.
As for getting "everything out of" this bike, I bet Kenny Roberts can do it, but you can't.
Thomas Day
Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly Magazine
http://www.motorbyte.com/mmm/
http://geezerwithagrudge.blogspot.com/
thomas@motorbyte.com
Thomas, you're right on. The
Thomas, you're right on. The Hawke is a ROCKIN' cool bike with great handles. And you're right on drilled bolts...those things got (get) raced like all get out!
Allen Dye
MSF Rider Coach
Track Day Instructor
Ironbutt Rally Finisher '03-'05