I've got a 1980 Honda 400T Hawk. I've been really happy with it, it's simple enough to work on, and it's format leaves it pretty open to adding accessories, I've been able to pretty mch dress it with old fiberglass bags, tour pack, windshield, crash bars, driving lights, etc.... the point is that I really can't afford a new bike that's set up for distance travel, so I have to make this one work as well as it can for the highway, which leads me to my problem/question.

Once you're in 5th gear, every 10 mph is equal to 1000 rpm. 50 mph is 5000, 60 is 6000, etc. The redline on the bike is 9000, and she tops out at slightly under 85, I really don't ever that fast, as she doesn't have enough weight to hold down at that speed, and I really don't enjoy running that fast anyway. The trouble is that if I stay at 60 or so, I get around 60 miles per gallon, but if I put another 10 on and cruise at 70, because of the high rpm, the milage is nearly cut in half. I got about 97 miles out of about 3 gallons of gas cruising at 70 or so. I'd really like to find a way to set the bike up for better highway performance, and highway efficiency; I've heard that changing out the rear sprocket and going to a smaller one will give it a little more top end, and that both sprockets and chain link size could also be a helpful option. I'm wanting everybody's take on this, I know that I'm asking an aweful lot of a small engine, but it's all I've got and all I can afford, so if anyone has tips for mods and an idea what it would cost. Thanks, folks!

Hawk, that sprocket idea would help but IMHO your bike is too small and light for SUSTAINED HIGHWAY riding, especially out west. It comes down to physics. just not enough weight and don't forget the wind. A 30 mph crosswind could be deadly for you. Were I riding your bike I would plan trips to avoid interstates and roads where the speed is over 60. I was running my Road King at 75 - 85 out west and cars and other bikes were blowing by me. That mileage thing is also a serious problem that all bikes experience, Including mine. I normally get 48 to 52 mpg below 70 but it drops to 40 or so at 75 to 80.

Drop the rear sprocket in tooth size. I'm not real sure what sizes are available, but dropping to the next size should help and not hurt low end too awful much.

Check out this forum. You can post the same question and see if some of the guys there might have some suggestions.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/DIYCruisers

Signed up for it and posted last night; got some pretty informative responses, but I'm still not sure where to pick up aftermarket parts for a bike that old... particularly a smaller rear sprocket. Everyone seems to think that that will work to help fix the problem, but a couple are concerned about losing low-end power. I'm not worried about doing any fast take-offs, I just want to cruise a little more efficiently at 65-70.

Oh, and Rex, couldn't agree with you more, like I said, I'm asking an aweful lot out of a 400 cc, 400 pound (stock empty weight before the accessories went on), bike. I wish I could afford something a little heavier in the 1100cc + family, but right now it's not an option for me. Hopefully, in 3-5 years worth of saving part of my tax returns, I'll be getting on a RoadKing or Heritage, there's been a few for sale in my area for around $10,000 on average, including a 2005 RoadKing for $12,500 from the HD shop. Oh, if only.... lol

I tend to stay off the highway for the most part, country 2 lanes are more fun anyhow, BUT, we're going to VA in Sept, and that's 8-9 hours by toll road, so I'm gonna have to suck it up and take a spare gas can with me for that trip if I want to get there in time to set up camp at a reasonable hour!

(Have had several people tell me to lose the windshield and I'll get better milage, my response to that is.... I've been brained by enough rocks and june bugs, thanks! lol) I'll pay the lost milage for that one!!!!

By changing the rear sprocket to a smaller one.There are two things that will happen.
1/ You will slightly better MPG but higher RPM!
2/ you loose low down power. That means simply, that when you come to a hill you will have to change gears more often than before. The way it's set up by the manufacture is the ideall for MGP and power.
Loose the screen that gives you something back.
The other thing is ride slower and enjoy the scenary. Take a little longer to get there.
Remember its not the destination. Its the journey.

In all seriousness, I think I noticed slightly better efficiency AFTER I put the windsheild on; it's a smaller, more angled one, and since I'm not a really small guy, I think it deflects the wind better than the wind hitting me in the chest. Can't really prove it, but it makes more sense, and I'm pretty sure I noticed something. Either way, it's staying. Like I said, too many bugs lol. I'm not talking about wanting to go 100 or anything, I just want to be able to cruise a little better. I've been around folks who want to run at 90 or so, and IMHO, that's just a little too fast. I do like to enjoy the scenery, the sound of the bike, and a winding two lane. Sometimes, though, the difference in getting somewhere in 9 hours plus fuel/food stops and 14 hours plus fuel/food stops is pretty big. I'll be seeing plenty of scenery the next day, and on the last day of our trip we'll be headed home, so I won't be so concerned about having light to make camp in; we may well take a different route home and take more time.

A couple people have told me that they did similar things to their bikes over the years, and that it was like adding a whole new gear, without too much low-end loss. I'm pretty sure that I'll try it, if I don't like the setup, I'll always have the old parts. Now... to find a sprocket and chain that will work...... hmmmm.

Hey Hawk, It will be do-able.I just realized you are only 23, my advice was given from y perspective. I did a lot of that kind of stuff when I was young. can be tempered. At your age it will be a lot easier. But remember this when you are 50+ and see if you would do it on that bike. LOL Best of luck to you!

LOL my Dad refers to me as "an old, worn-out soul" from time to time. I do almost all my own wrenching, both the bike and the cars, so I'm generally able to get a little more out of my stuff than most people would. In this case,  I don't WANT to do it, I'd love a better bike with more power and weight. My options are make this bike work, or quit riding for a few years till I can get a different one, and my opinion of that isn't really too acceptable for a youth pastor to express lol!!!! Like I said, I completely agree with you about the bike being too small for out west, I've been to Sturgis bike week often enough to have seen Harley dressers leaning hard into a sustained side wind riding across the plains... I know it's no joke, you can get hurt trying to do too much with it. I'm smart about it, if I was going out that way, I'd be taking slower, less travelled roads for sure! Thanks for expressing your concerns, though, I mean it. I'm glad to be involved with a group of people that actually care about each other, even though most of us have never met!!!!!!

 

E-Bay has seven pages of parts for that bike listed, about anything you could want except what I was looking for, an exhaust system. Factory mufflers hide potential horsepower on any bike. I would get a friend in a muffler shop to make a 2 into 1 collector, if your manifolds are 1" diameter pipes the collector should be 1 1/2' exit, find a single after market exhaust you like and make it fit. Can most likely improve the air cleaner design as well. Then bring it to a shop for a tune up, upgrade the carb jets to make it run right. You could pick up five horsepower and loose ten pounds of weight, now you can change the sprocket and move ahead.

OR.......... just leave it alone, the engineers already got everything out of it there is to get.

all true and good advise from all them folks ,try new fillters and exhaust ,try give her a service also ,might need one ??

sky the limit with bikes ,their is so much u can do to ur bike ,its just that not all of us have the cash to splash .

Could probably do an exhaust system for a twelve pack.

It's got dual exhaust, but NOT the stock system, (might be close, though). I'm keeping my eyes open for a system that doesn't end in trumpet pipes, mostly because I don't like the look... If I can find a set of straight mufflers cheap, I'd go for it. I've already had the carbs re-jetted, and replaced the air filter and plugs (not sure how to "improve" the filter design much). I was going to do a set of straight pipes without mufflers, but I decided against it. The club that I'm prospecting for is a three-patch club, and I don't really want to draw more attention by having illegal pipes on my bike, it's just not worth it to me to be that loud lol. I thought that I'd HAVE to re-do the exhaust to fit the fiberglass bags on, but I got them on without doing it, so I'm not trying to prend that piece of change yet.

I'm not too concerned with weight, in fact, with a gearing change like the one I'm considering, a little weight can add to the stability of the bike. Not much, maybe, but every pound helps some. I'm also pretty much done ADDING weight to it, lol. Empty weight is 400 pounds or so, I'm gonna guess that it's something around 450+ now. I'll be posting pics as soon as I finish painting the saddlebags, so you guys can see the machine in question. I'm actively looking for the smaller sprocket, can't wait to see how she rides after that.

can you tip the windshield back towards you any? aerodynamics here, if you can lean the glass back a bit it might help, i did it on a vstar i had it helped a little in the mpg, but more in the stability of the front end. just an inch or so makes a big difference, if it is like mine, i made little brackets and installed them on the bottom to push the bottom out, leaning the top back. good luck young man!

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/order_management/CatalogDirection.jsp;jsessionid=EE3EOTNRZ5G5ZLA0WTISM4VMDK0OWIV0

it has everything for metric, HD and Dirt exc.  just click on them fill in your info and you will get them in the mail for free ( I have the HD one and the Metric so order them all if you like)

Just an idea for you.

I can certainly explore some options there, I should be able to give it a little more tilt. Don't really see that being a problem in staying effective, so I'll give it a go. Cheap assist if it helps. I've got a fairly small screen, with a nice angle, but I didn't really play with possitioning much. Thanks!