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Engineer building Superhawk

3K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  EAJ 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi, new member here in Torrance, CA - South Bay LA area.

As I just posted in a project thread, I'm joining here because the Honda 305 specific forums seem to have gone down in flames. I’ve been working on a ’65 Superhawk for many years off and on, and am finally getting the sense I’ll be able to ride it again soon. I'm a mechanical engineer by training and I work for a major turbocharger manufacturer designing & supporting racing turbos for top-level motorsport. I've worked with LMP1, WRC, DTM, GT, and Rallycross manufacturers on lots of projects over the past few years. Before that I worked on commercial aftermarket turbos for about 7 years, like the performance-oriented units you'd find in kits and for sale by tuner shops and the like. Most of my spare time is devoted to prepping and racing in the 24 Hours of Lemons series with my Black Iron Racing BMW E36 (El Dorado Camper conversion). I recently got my wife involved in trackdays and have a Miata for that purpose. My main vehicular disability is for Volvo 240s, and I have 3 of those. And occasional offroad trips in an FZJ80 Land Cruiser, and dirt bikes over the years.

Here's what my bike looks like as of this weekend:



Why the Superhawk? In college I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and really got into it; then got curious about what make & model of bike Robert Pirsig was riding and referring to. He never mentions it by name in the book but I did some research and found the Superhawk. This bike was well before my time so I’d never heard of it, but instantly felt drawn to it. In 2003 I found a black '65 on ebay in San Diego county and paid about $600 for it. It was in terrible shape but seemed complete enough and cheap enough for a college kid to resuscitate as his first bike.

Didn't look so bad from far away over the internet. This was one of the original ebay pics from the seller back in 2003.



My dad had been into motorcycles for years before I was born, mostly dual sport / scrambler style bikes. He did a lot of riding out to the desert, exploring, and then riding home. I have a 1971 Yamaha JT1 Mini Enduro that he passed down to me. He bought it for my older brothers when they were little tikes. I didn't start riding motorcycles until just after high school, but have been involved ever since, off & on.

List of bikes I have or had:

  • 1965 Honda CB77 Superhawk
  • 1968 Honda Z50 Mini Trail
  • 1971 Yamaha JT1 Mini Enduro
  • 1981 Honda Motocompo
  • 1998 Kawasaki KLX300
  • 2003 Suzuki SV650
  • 1972 Honda CT70

Looking forward to discussing with you guys here, while I get my Superhawk back on the road.
 
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#2 ·
Nice bike background, similar to mine with my Dad getting me involved, and himself re-involved after a 15 year break to raise the family, when I was 14. I can appreciate the evolution of it all over the years and the hand-me-down bike, though I didn't have any brothers. You've had an interesting mix of brands and bikes... I've been almost exclusively Honda since age 14, with only a couple of outliers (Kawasaki ZL900 Eliminator, Hodaka 125 Wombat Enduro). Interesting that your work is high performance involved, there may be some here who will want to pick your brain... good to have you, looking forward to lots more on that CB77 thread. I always wanted a CL77 with the red frame, just never got one while younger when the opportunities were far greater. Instead, I now have my 450 hot rod with a red frame to partially fill the desire
 
#3 ·
Cool - I will check out your 450 for sure.

I forgot my only modern street bike, just added to the list above. The SV650 v-twin was torquey, fun, and cheap. Great for commuting in the LA area, if you can stand to do that. I only could do it for about a year before I decided too many close calls for comfort, and just ended up moving closer to work and driving.
 
#5 ·
Yours Truly, on my shiny new (blue) 305 Superhawk, back in '64.
Hell bent for leather........
 

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#15 ·
That is an awesome pic!!
 
#7 ·
My Dad got his discharge from the Air Force while stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1966. The Air Force wouldn't ship his '65 Superhawk, so he rode it from Fairbanks to Lexington, Kentucky. The Alcan Highway was still gravel then. He has great memories and great photos from that ride. My brother and I bought a Superhawk to restore for him when he retired, which is what hooked me on Superhawks. I've never ridden one more than 300 miles in a go, though.
 
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#10 ·
I've never seen Ed on here. I agree with you about his wealth of knowledge. It is a shame that the 305 site is disintegrating. There is a treasure trove of information that will soon be lost.
 
#14 ·
So you're foot-shaming me ???
I'll admit it, I got big feets alright.
Maybe you were just admiring my combination road-race/work boots?
How about those ultra hi-tech bubble goggles (all the rage in '64).
 
#12 ·
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Great story there. My family was in the motorcycle business, for many years & I started riding on the street, when I was 13. I bought a 1966 CB72 (250 Hawk), when I was stationed at Misawa AFB in Northern Japan & did my own thing with it. Sadly, I didn't get around to breaking it down, like some did & ship it home, to be able to afford to get it here. anyway, The photo, was hat my weekend activity was, during decent weather. By the way, I outran that Suzuki dirt bike. Good Luck with your build. Looking forward to it. ;)
 
#13 ·
Welcome the the forum. Sorry to hear about the 305 specific site wasting away. I have seen that on one of the Goldwing sites. A few key people drop out and if there isn't anyone to pick up the slack they seem to just fade away. This site seems to have a broad MC model base and keeps getting new people like you involved. I'm sure you will be making great contributions to the collective :)

The CB77 is a great bike, they have seem to have dried up in the used market or people want crazy money for them. They represent the earliest of the Honda twins in terms of styling, but they were a break through for performance and manufacturer-ability (if that is a word). If you trace the evolution on the Honda corporation, the 305 was a break through. I don't know how long it has been since there has been an active 305 project on HondaTwins, but it has been a while. Looking forward to following your work.
 
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