Modern Cafe...???

C

ChrisVCR

New Member
This might be opening a can of worms but I am looking for some input. Though I am a huge fan of classic bikes whether British, Japanese or Italian, I have walked into a deal to good to pass up on a Hawk GT. There of course is a big following for these classics but I did not want to have a sport bike, but it is a twin and a great bike. I want to turn this into modern interpretation of a classic cafe bike, something black and British looking. I have in mind to take everything apart, detail, paint, polish etc and perhaps do a seat section that is more of a classic bum-stop than just putting a modern race tail section like most guys with these do. I would even put spoked wheels on it if it were not for the single sided swingarm. What do you guys think, any ideas? I just wanted it to look more "cafe" than streetfighter.

JeffHawk1.jpg
 
I wouldn't go too far with it, the bike looks good as it is. No point in retrofiying something that looks this modern, it'll just turn out too mishmash. Maybe a seat cowl for a solo look. Or paint the bike a dark metallic green with some gold pinstriping. That headlight fairing looks like an add on from another bike.
 
While it will be tough to achieve a really 'retro' look with the swingarm, mag wheels and exposed frame, you can make it look a lot more 'classic' with perhaps some simple changes.

Go with a single headlight bucket and traditional gauges. An Acewell unit might suit the project, as it looks a bit more like an old analog gauge but is fully digital and should mount up ok.

The challenge will be the tank/seat combo. is the Hawk tank an actual tank or is it a cosmetic cover?

If you want to go all-out and spare no expense, perhaps you could adapt spoked wheels to the bike somehow (may not be as much work as I think - not sure how the wheel design changes when you go to a single-sided swingarm). A custom alloy tank/seat combo would look great and could have some classic curves in it, but that would likely cost you more than you paid for the bike!

At the end of the day, I love the Hawk and think it looks just fine in its original form. It's a bit of a collectors item, and restoring it to its original form might be the best route to go from a cost and investment perspective.
 
This might provide some inspiration from a Honda perspective.

B0000158.JPG
 
Yes, all very good points. I have always loved the Hawk GT and might just have to clean everything up and do the solo seat thing and just have a good rider. Though a bit rough looking the bike is in good shape with a fresh 700 motor in it, the F2 front end, Fox shock and a bunch of other goodies. Maybe I should put that cafe effort into the 65 Superhawk I found or or the CB750F project I found and just make a nice bike out of the Hawk......
 
Just a thought,...Someone posted a pic of a SV650 & an SV1000 all dressed up with Vintage farrings & seat, that looked real cool, (in my opinion).
There was some debate on wethere or not the pics were "photochopped". I cant find the original thread but if you can track that thread down, or if someone can point you to that thread, it might give you some inspiration on what a modernsport bike looks like with vintage skins...

That being said, I agree with the the other guys, that bike looks great as it is!! ;D
 
Whatever you do leave the wheels alone. Other than it being a logistical nightmare, spoked wheels on a single-sided swingarm with an aluminum spar frame would look strange.
 
ChrisVCR said:
Yeah, those are good looking but I believe a photochop as well.
Click to expand...

Sure.. be that as it may, it give you a pretty neat visual on what a newer bike would look like with vintage styled skins...
If I ever woke up one morning to find a sport bike in my garage, Id be calling Pat Cowan after breakfast to find out about getting a upper & lower farrings made, (to look like the black sv650), for the bike...
 
Wow, that bike is badass as is!

If you do change it, I'd be very minimal about it, with perhaps different headlight and guages, and some retro paint. Personally, I'd leave it.
 
Well, spokes might not look right on this bike, but BMW made a go of spokes and a single sided swingarm and it didn't look too bad ;)
 
Darn, that is a sweet looking 650 as is. I love the HRC paint scheme as well, and wouldn't change it if it was me. I'd say just clean it up a bit and safe the cafe look for another ride. For this one I'd clean up the wheels (can see the scratches and chips from too many tire changes), and go with a plain headlight, or maybe have a cafe style fairing made up like the p-chop on the SV Noel posted. And that's it. You've got a performance machine there - it'd be tough to blend in the retro style without sacrificing some of that IMO.

Cool ride though... wish it was mine.
(PS Love that beetle in the garage - very sweet!)
 
Tintin said:
Well, spokes might not look right on this bike, but BMW made a go of spokes and a single sided swingarm and it didn't look too bad ;)
Click to expand...

Oh yes it did, peeewuuuuuy :p Made my list of ugly bikes on GTAM:

http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=49093&highlight=ugly+bikes
 
Hey - don't get me wrong. James Bond and I do NOT share the same taste in bikes, and along with the mammoth Triumph cruisers, this BMW is about the ugliest BMW ever made. But, the spoked wheel on a single sided swingarm didn't look too out of place.
 
The frame on the hawk is too modern. Maybe fab a trellis style tubular frame and hide the radiator and you could get a way with a retro/modern cafe look. I love the beetle though. Sweeet ride! Its making me miss my oval window and 70 convertible. Is that an Empi roof rack? Sweeet!
 
I'd say try your own photoshop of the half fairings similar to the black SV650.

That's the closest and nicest example to a modern cafe that I've seen... Photoshopped or not.

Of course you could always just tidy the bike up, fix the seat cowl, and sell it (considering you say you got a great deal on it), and use your profits to get a standard bike to cafe.
 
Leave the Hawk alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It looks sweet just the way it is!! Look at the brakes on that little fugger! WOW!! That seat looks about the same as the VTR 1000 Firestorm/Superhawk. I bet the solo seat cap from thr 1000 would snap right on yours!
 
Tintin said:
Hey - don't get me wrong. James Bond and I do NOT share the same taste in bikes, and along with the mammoth Triumph cruisers, this BMW is about the ugliest BMW ever made. But, the spoked wheel on a single sided swingarm didn't look too out of place.
Click to expand...

Not to mention those BMW spoked wheels were tubeless!! Very innovative IMO.
 
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