the honda hawk was it the monster inspiration?????

[Howie]

So.....when you say the 696 "looks Japanese"....don't you just mean it's returning to it's true monster roots? 

Good one

[bdfinally]

I tried to buy one of those in 1994, for the whole year I'd run them down and find that they were selling for more than the original price, just a carzy idea to me at the time. A dealer finally filled me in, there were several guys in the country buying up every one they could get their hands on and shipping them in bulk to europe, where they had already attained cult status. Bothered me for years, until I saw a Monster.

[gearhead]

 I remember the little 400 Hawk that came out in the later half of the 80's.  It was called the CB-1 and was available in 88-89. I'd say Honda was ahead of their time with the two Hawks, the 650 and the 400 both. I'm happy to say that I got to try both of them out and would love to find either one today as I would snap them up.

[the ron]

So.....when you say the 696 "looks Japanese"....don't you just mean it's returning to it's true monster roots? 

ha, ha

the ron

[Speeddog]

I remember the little 400 Hawk that came out in the later half of the 80's.  It was called the CB-1 and was available in 88-89. I'd say Honda was ahead of their time with the two Hawks, the 650 and the 400 both. I'm happy to say that I got to try both of them out and would love to find either one today as I would snap them up.

I remember seeing those, and the GB500, in the showroom next to a Hawk.
The CB-1 was more expensive, and looked 'cheap' next to the aluminum frame and SSS of the Hawk.
IIRC, the GB was more $ as well.

I *may* have seen a CB-1 on the road a long tome ago, and I saw a few GB's on the road, but neither sold very well.

I've never ridden a CB-1, but it seems it'd be good fun.

[Dave R]

I remember the little 400 Hawk that came out in the later half of the 80's.  It was called the CB-1 and was available in 88-89. I'd say Honda was ahead of their time with the two Hawks, the 650 and the 400 both. I'm happy to say that I got to try both of them out and would love to find either one today as I would snap them up.

The CB1 was not called a "hawk"  just the CB1, it was an I4.  Honda did have a 400 and a 450 parallel twin called the CB4*0 hawk from 1978-1982 and eventually it turned into the Nighthawk series. 

[the ron]

The CB1 was not called a "hawk"  just the CB1, it was an I4.  Honda did have a 400 and a 450 parallel twin called the CB4*0 hawk from 1978-1982 and eventually it turned into the Nighthawk series. 

explain something to me, was the sss only available on the 600 or was it a certain year or model that had it

the ron

[SSSA]

The Hawk Gt NT650 had the SSSA.
Mines an 88.
This year it's 20 years old.

[Dave R]

explain something to me, was the sss only available on the 600 or was it a certain year or model that had it

the ron

On the NT650GT (649cc, w/c, 3 valve heads) often called the Hawk GT was Honda's first SSS production effort.  It was discussed elsewhere, those early GT's had the word "ELF" on the frame at he swingarm pivot point referring to the partnership with ELF who I would say successfully first applied the SSS to modern day racing.  The first 2 year models 88,89 in the US were blue or silver and then red only in 90.  What hurt them back then was the price...  MSRP in 88 was like $4099 I believe..  they sold great as 2 year old non current models and are highly sought after in the used market still.   In Europe it was shaft drive and called a "Revere"

[alan]

My favorite hawk GT. (From my local craigslist) The bike sold for only $2000
I wish i had bigger pictures.

[Scheffy.G]

On the NT650GT (649cc, w/c, 3 valve heads) often called the Hawk GT was Honda's first SSS production effort.  It was discussed elsewhere, those early GT's had the word "ELF" on the frame at he swingarm pivot point referring to the partnership with ELF who I would say successfully first applied the SSS to modern day racing.  The first 2 year models 88,89 in the US were blue or silver and then red only in 90.  What hurt them back then was the price...  MSRP in 88 was like $4099 I believe..  they sold great as 2 year old non current models and are highly sought after in the used market still.   In Europe it was shaft drive and called a "Revere"

Here's a shot of the ELF sticker off my Hawk:

Pay no mind to the grimey nastiness. Once you start riding one, you never want to stop to wash it... 

And it wasn't really the price itself that hurt the sales, it was the fact that sitting on the other side of every showroom was a full-fairing, racier-looking CBR for not even $1K more. While the Hawk was cool looking, nobody could really pin down what it was for. The chassis was way more advanced than any other standard/naked bike of the day and pretty much ruling it out of that category, but the engine wasn't up to snuff with current full-fairing sportbikes so it wasn't considered a sportbike either. A lot of people just played it safe and got a CBR instead and never even test rode the Hawk. I think if a lot of them took one out for a good ride they may have swung the other way...
There actually was a proper 400 version of the Hawk (not a CB1) available in Japan, and a lot of them made their way over to Europe as well. Who knows, maybe a couple made it over here too. The Revere was specifically the shaft-driven version, with some other smaller differences as well, but in Europe the standard Hawk was also known as the Bros. Eventually it evolved into the current Deauville which, of course, we don't get in the States.

[FireInTheHole]

I remember the Hawk being such a huge thing in the Bay Area when they were in their heyday. I also remember laying down in the park grass one day and trying to pick out the Hawks and the Ducatis.   

It's kinda funny when people get surprised about the bikes that Honda has put out over the years.  If they would nut-up and sell half the things they prototype or play around with they'd be at the top of my list.  Amazing engineers, almost always more efficient and faster, and will run forever.  They do all that and still manage to keep a soul in their bikes.

I mean, that cb1100r they were thinking about making is just sexay...

[Spike]

It's kinda funny when people get surprised about the bikes that Honda has put out over the years.  If they would nut-up and sell ha;f the things they prototype or play around with they'd be at the top of my list.  Amazing engineers, almost always more efficient and faster, and will run forever.  They do all that and still manage to keep a soul in their bikes.

I mean, that cb1100r they were thinking about making is just sexay...

I'll take one of those, please. 

[Statler]

I rode a 1989 hawk gt all through college and lawschool.  Loved it.  Sold it in 2000 for what I paid. 

Inspiration?    who knows...but the transition from hawk gt to superhawk to rc51 to S4RS certainly was smooth and easy and never felt like I was going backwards.

[the ron]

My favorite hawk GT. (From my local craigslist) The bike sold for only $2000
I wish i had bigger pictures.

is that a 916 front end?
the ron