Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles

> Curtis Jackson sez:
>
> I picked up the manual myself this afternoon. I found it to be less
> than informative on the subject, but lots of folks wrote with helpful
> info, and I don't think I have any serious problem.

  My Hawk exhibited the same symptom as you describe which was just
  a puck riding against the disk with more pressure than before due to
  a small alignment difference upon re-installation.  Pumping the brake
  to even out the pressure and confirming with a feeler gauge brought it
  all back to normal.  Is this what your "scrape" was or were you rubbing
  up against the brake housing somehow?

>} Frank Perdicaro sez:
>}
>} Please tell me which Metzlers you choose.  I was thinking of
>} ME33A/ME55A combo, with stock sizes.  A local Hawk racer suggested 
>} the CBR600 front wheel conversion and running ME radials front and rear.
>} A bit too rich for me, I think.
> 
> Yeah, I'm not into racing the thing, just havin' fun on twisties.
> I was warned off the racing rear tire (forget the model) as being too
> soft, so I just got the ME33 front and ME1 MBS rear. The front was the
> same size as the Excedra; the rear took me from the 150/70 Excedra to
> the 160/60 Metzeler. Be forewarned that if you get this size tire you
> will have to do a minor dance to get it between the drive hub and the
> exhaust, but patient and judicious wiggling will get it into place
> with no ill effects.

  I also went with the Metzlers, Comp Ks in ME33 front and ME1 MBS rear,
  both in street compound and they have done well.  I did manage to get a
  little too exhuberant on one particular right-hander and grunched the muffler
  pretty good.  This caused the rear to lift and slide.  A quick (adrenaline)
  jab with the right foot got the muffler off of the asphalt and let the
  Metz grab and smoothly come back under.  A less predictabl tire probably
  would have had me down as a low side or launched as a high side. So far,
  3500 miles and the rear is ~2/3 worn on the center and about ~1/3 worn on
  the shoulders.  When I ride the local canyons, I keep the Hawk pretty well
  up there in the "fun zone".  Looks like 5,000 is what I'll get out of the
  rear.  The front is only about ~1/4 worn all around.  Good skins!

  When re-installing the rear, the additional width problem was mitigated
  by letting the air out and then pumping it back up after it was on.  Made
  it much easier to get the rubber past the "pinch point" between the disk
  and the muffler.

  One tip to other Hawk owners, the "Authorized Honda Dealer" I took the
  rims to for tire mounting did not have the appropriate cones to place on
  their balancing jig to accomodate the rather large center hole in the 
  Hawk's rear hub (they've since gone out of business, couldn't happen to
  a nicer bunch of idiots!).  I had the nitwits order a second convex locating
  washer (the one that slides onto the right side of the axel behind the
  axel nut and washer) and by using both on the left and right sides, will
  fix the wheel to a conventional balancer.  Something handy when your
  out here "in the sticks" of Colorado.

  Cheers,
  Victor "Dances with Wear Patterns" Johnson
  ------------------------------------------