Back on the Track

[Blue Mist]

I did my first trackday of the year on Monday at the Ducati Revs Ohio event.

I have a new (to me) Hawk GT (Bros) track bike - the chassis, paint, decals and bodywork are those of the DuHawki, built by Phil White.
The wheels are from a CBR600F3 and a VFR750. The forks and brakes are F3 also. The motor is the 60 hp 663cc motor
that JD Hord built several years ago, transplanted from the Hawk that was my street bike, then my race bike.

I crashed my Hawk in the last race of 2004 and it sat for a year as I played with a 90 hp SV690. Now I'm back to the Hawk for trackdays.
I may race at Barber this fall. Though the Hawk would need a lot more motor to be competitive, I still like riding it.

After the Crash - Barber 2004

http://home.columbus.rr.com/snowpeek/pics/barber.jpg

The new look.

http://home.columbus.rr.com/snowpeek/pics/4m.jpg

http://home.columbus.rr.com/snowpeek/pics/6m.jpg

http://home.columbus.rr.com/snowpeek/pics/12s.jpg

[Promethean]

Oh my precious! That's a sweet looking ride. :D

[DJ Down Under]

Very nice...very very nice...:023: ...how's it go?....any action pics?

DJ

[Blue Mist]

As yet there are no action pics. It was a busy week for the track photographer. Since it was my first trackday of the year and I'm always slow to get back in the groove, I was riding like a novice anyway. Chances are the pics won't be so good, but I plan to do a few more trackdays before the season ends.

The bike corners and stops quite well. At only 60 hp, with a 5-speed street gearbox, it is not big on acceleration. It has been a good bike to learn on, because it requires that I maintain my speed through the corners. I go to the track to corner hard, and this bike is good for that.

I spent one session Monday chasing an SS Duc around Mid-Ohio. He always gapped me a little on the straits. He shifted gears twice while I was in fourth waiting for fifth. The Hawk needs a close-ratio transmission. I caught the Duc in the Esses, and then he held me up a little the rest of the way. After 3 laps I showed him a wheel at the entrance to Thunder Valley, but he outran me just enough. Two laps later I was able to get beside him one turn sooner and after slipping past I never saw him again.

I passed plenty of smaller bikes: a motard, a couple each of SV650, 749 and Super Sport bikes, but none ever passed me back. That made me feel pretty good. Next time there will be a faster crowd and I'll get flogged. :)

[Wild Will]

Undoubtedly the finest NT 650 imaginable. Nice job; first cabin.

[TorqueMonsterMT-01]

I truely loved my Hawk GT. It was a great bike. Reading your post brought back some fine memories. Yours is really nice.

You know, you can still by the transalp 750 jugs and heads. I had these with a load of TBR stuff on the inside. It was a paintshaker past 8k, but much faster than stock. TNR used to make some ratoi altering stuff to. I never got tyhat far.

[BobFV1]

That bike looks like a lot of fun - thanks for the pics!

[supermotoC]

After my grey-mkt RD350LC & RZV500, my Hawk GT-647 was THE bike that forced me to (learn to) carry speed in corners. That bike has big, wide handles on it. Many a GPZ was humbled on Stunt Rd. & Malibu Canyon in the late 1980s. There's a couple RC-31s in the DFW area w/< 1k miles on them - I'm very tempted to get another.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mcy/189208080.html

http://www.hawkgt.com/photoalbum/albums/userpics/10092/normal_bike%20008.jpg

[Blue Mist]

Weak, but all I have so far.

trackday at Mid-Ohio (http://www.splitsecondphoto.net/products.php?cat=2109)

[DJ Down Under]

No not weak...looikin' good....and getting the knee down...nice..:thumb:

DJ

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2666.jpg....http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2667.jpg

[geechie]

Very nice indeed. I like to see a man who knows how to have fun!!

George