What a concept - A Girl Bringing Back Her 1966 Super Hawk

sarals · Post by **sarals** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 6:55 pm

Graham, which is which? They're both gorgeous!

Peter, yeah on the SV. I replaced the clip-ons on mine with a "standard" handlebar. It was an LSL Kit with a triple clamp and brake hoses. The bars cleared the fairing just fine. I loved the engine on that bike. It was torquey and smooth and economical. The bike handled well, even stock, but it was just too damn tall for a 5'3" little thing like me. I traded a perfectly happy '83 GS750ES for it, too!

peter4821 · Post by **peter4821** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 8:40 am

Well ya, I ride a 1200GS and at 5'11'' I am on my tippy toes. In retrospect when I ride my dream it feels so small like a mini bike. I ride with a girl that actually hops of her bike at a stop then does a flying start. She also does a seminar on how to pick up a bike. She has the boys gently set down the biggest bike in the parking lot, then she stands backwards and picks it up with her knees, spins around and strattles the thing like it weights 50 lbs.Does size really matter?????

G-Man · Post by **G-Man** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 12:11 pm

sarals wrote:Graham, which is which? They're both gorgeous!

Peter, yeah on the SV. I replaced the clip-ons on mine with a "standard" handlebar. It was an LSL Kit with a triple clamp and brake hoses. The bars cleared the fairing just fine. I loved the engine on that bike. It was torquey and smooth and economical. The bike handled well, even stock, but it was just too damn tall for a 5'3" little thing like me. I traded a perfectly happy '83 GS750ES for it, too!

Mine is on the left. Pretty much identical but the second one had a better choice of parts. At one show I went to a guy offered me a pile of NOS parts, most of which which I still have, just in case.......

G

sarals · Post by **sarals** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 12:20 pm

peter4821 wrote:Well ya, I ride a 1200GS and at 5'11'' I am on my tippy toes. In retrospect when I ride my dream it feels so small like a mini bike. I ride with a girl that actually hops of her bike at a stop then does a flying start. She also does a seminar on how to pick up a bike. She has the boys gently set down the biggest bike in the parking lot, then she stands backwards and picks it up with her knees, spins around and straddles the thing like it weights 50 lbs.Does size really matter?????

It didn't when I was younger! The CBX would have been a tippie-toer. The twin cam 750 was, for sure. My ES was not. There is definitely a method to picking up a heavy bike when you're small. The key, though, is not to have to!

sarals · Post by **sarals** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 12:21 pm

G-Man wrote:
sarals wrote:Graham, which is which? They're both gorgeous!

Peter, yeah on the SV. I replaced the clip-ons on mine with a "standard" handlebar. It was an LSL Kit with a triple clamp and brake hoses. The bars cleared the fairing just fine. I loved the engine on that bike. It was torquey and smooth and economical. The bike handled well, even stock, but it was just too damn tall for a 5'3" little thing like me. I traded a perfectly happy '83 GS750ES for it, too!
Mine is on the left. Pretty much identical but the second one had a better choice of parts. At one show I went to a guy offered me a pile of NOS parts, most of which which I still have, just in case.......

G

Graham, from the photo they're indistinguishable. Both are immaculate.

Do you think you'll ever have to restore her again?

sarals · Post by **sarals** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 12:23 pm

An update on the Old Girl. I am working eight consecutive day shifts, so I have not had opportunity to finish the rear fender or get the carburetors sorted. Ed offered to rebuild them for me, and I am going to have him do that. I just have to find the time to get them off the bike and get them in the mail to him!

G-Man · Post by **G-Man** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 12:33 pm

sarals wrote:
G-Man wrote:
sarals wrote:Graham, which is which? They're both gorgeous!

Peter, yeah on the SV. I replaced the clip-ons on mine with a "standard" handlebar. It was an LSL Kit with a triple clamp and brake hoses. The bars cleared the fairing just fine. I loved the engine on that bike. It was torquey and smooth and economical. The bike handled well, even stock, but it was just too damn tall for a 5'3" little thing like me. I traded a perfectly happy '83 GS750ES for it, too!
Mine is on the left. Pretty much identical but the second one had a better choice of parts. At one show I went to a guy offered me a pile of NOS parts, most of which which I still have, just in case.......

G
Graham, from the photo they're indistinguishable. Both are immaculate.

Do you think you'll ever have to restore her again?

I hope not, but I am tempted to build another one with a CB72 tank and wheels. It would have to have a 4-pipe exhaust just to show what Honda should have built...... I have seen CB72s with a 400F engine but things just don't look quite right.

Good luck with the 'old girl'....

G