Mine is a 1989 Honda NT650 Hawk GT. The bike is known as a cult bike since it was only produced for about 4 years. It’s known for its outstanding handling. The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Motorcycles describes it as “…more fun on a twisty road than just about any motorcycle I’ve ever ridden, and one of my greatest regrets is not buying one.”
Since my experience in riding is very limited, I don’t have much to compare it to yet, but I have to agree that it’s awfully fun on twisty roads!
(I’m just posting a pic of me on my bike for friends and
family to see. Motorcycling fans can see specifications below.)
The following is
from the For Sale website the former owner created when selling it.
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History I am the 4th owner on this bike. This motorcycle was purchased new in September of 1991 from a dealer in Sacramento. A coworker of mine purchased it from the original owner and made some performance modifications to the stock bike. He changed the rear shock to a Fox [EDIT: turns out it’s actually a Progressive shock, not a Fox], added Supertrapp exhaust, rejetted the carburetors, changed the seat to Corbin, and ran lower profile tires. My brother-in-law bought this Hawk in October 2000 (with only 6,800 miles on it) and used it for learning to ride. He had one 25 mph spill while rounding a turn strewn with gravel. Damage was limited to scratches on the mirror and bar end, and a bent lever. The crank case, frame, tank, and bodywork remain intact. After 2 years on the Hawk (about 4,000 miles), he gained enough confidence to upgrade to a VFR. I took title of the Hawk to become its 4th owner and have since put about 5,300 miles on it. I like the Hawk for its nimbleness and comfortable upright seating position. My typical ride is a 100~200 mile loop around bay area backroads. I added the Givi windshield for comfort, removed the Supertrapp to replace it with the stock muffler to reduce noise, and made cosmetic alterations such as shaving the rear fender/license plate holder and replacing the rear turn signals with Lockharts. Fortunately, no mishaps while in my possession. I am selling this bike to make room for my new ZRX1200. |
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Description This Hawk has always been garaged and adult owned. I don't know the age of the 1st owner, but the last 3 owners were all over 30 when they had this Hawk. My coworker kept 4 motorcycles in his garage and took very good care of each of them. My brother-in-law and I performed all regular maintenance on the Hawk ourselves. We've replaced the oil and filter, spark plugs, air filter, fuel filter, and flushed the radiator and hydraulic fluids. We have not done a valve job on it yet since the bike hasn't reached 20K. For a 12-year old (or young) bike, this Hawk has very few miles on it. It is not in perfect condition, because of the cosmetic scuffs and scratches that come with regular use, but is considered in good condition. Mechanically, it is still a reliable and well maintained all purpose bike. It has never broken down on us--after all, it is a Honda. The bike tracks straight and is stable beyond 90 mph--it can reach 105 mph, when called upon. Cornering and handling is smooth and predictable, nothing squirelly. The rake and lighter weight of the V-twin help it respond much closer to a sportbike than a cruiser. The seating position is upright and neutral, so your wrists and back can tolerate longer trips. Engine vibration is light, compared to typical cruiser V-twins, but will be more pronounced than Inline-fours. I added an NEP throttle lock to stretch my hands during long freeway stints and consider them a must-have accessory for any motorcycle--regardless how smooth their manufacturers claim them to be. The seat height on the Hawk is relatively low. With the Corbin saddle, you drop another inch. This could be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how long your legs are. Those learning to ride, have shorter build, or commuting will appreciate the extra sure-footedness that comes with a lower seat height. Those over 6' who like to do long distance touring will find their knee angle cramped like other sportbikes. Along included with the bike shown in the photos above, I am including a rearstand (for single-sided swingarms), the stock seat, a Supertrapp exhaust (with headers), a shop manual, the Givi screen, and the stock rear shock. |
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Specifications Some Specifications from June 1988 Cycle World Test (unless noted) List price: $3995 Weight tank empty: 393 lb Weight tank full: 412 lb Weight distribution tank empty: 46.9f/53.1r Weight distribution tank full: 47.1f/52.9r Fuel Capacity: 2.9 gal Wheelbase: 56.3" (56.0" 1422mm*) Rake/trail: 28.0 deg/4.7" (27.0 deg/4.4"*) Handlebar width: 26.6" Seat height: 30.4" Ground clearance: 6.1" GVWR: 745 lb Load capacity (tank full): 333 lb Electrical power: 300w @ 5000 rpm Battery: 12v, 8ah Headlight: 60/55 halogen Engine: 52 deg v-twin Bore & stroke: 79x66mm Displacement: 647cc Compression ratio: 9.4:1 Valve train: ohc, 3 valves/cylinder, threaded adjusters Carburetion: 2x36.5mm Keihin CV Oil capacity: 2.9 qt Sprocket sizes: 15/44 Gear ratios, overall:1 1st 13.29 (12.78*) (14.38**) 2nd 9.73 (8.7*) (9.78**) 3rd 7.76 (6.71*) (7.53**) 4th 6.41 (5.42*) (6.1**) 5th 5.55 (4.47*) (5.02**) Front suspension: Showa non-adjustable 41mm w/ 5.5" travel Rear suspension: Showa adjustable pre-load w/ 4.7" travel Front wheel: 2.5x17" Rear wheel: 4.5x17" Front tire: 110/80-17 Rear tire: 150/70-17 Front brake rotor: 12.4" Rear brake rotor: 9.4" 1/4 mile: 12.7 sec @ 102.97 mph (12.89 sec @ 99.87 mph*) 0-60mph: 4.0 sec (3.95 sec*) Measured top speed: 115 mph Braking distance from 60 mph: 116' (121'*) * July 1988 Cycle magazine test ** February 1990 Cycle magazine test |
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Links For more information about this type of motorcycle, check out HawkGT.com. Here is an example taken from their site: C.1 NT650 (United States) The NT650/Hawk GT/RC31 was
introduced in 1988 and produced through 1991. The bike's main distinction is in
it's frame and swingarm. The dual spar aluminum frame and single sided
swingarm (licensed from ELF) were pretty high tech in 1988. |