Double G and all,
At the risk of sounding like a 'know it all' - the 450
Nighthawk is no treat on the highway for extended periods - to
maintain 70 MPH you have to run the bike at almost 5,000 RPM which
dramatically reduces the fuel economy, not to mention adding in a
considerable amount of highway buzz.
I also found that the 450 didn't accelerate particularly well
at those speeds - but mine doesn't have stock carbs, it has the carbs
from a 400. The accelerator pump might be the difference there.
IMHO - find a nice small 500-800 cc bike with at least four
cylinders - they provide better performance on the top end.
-Joey
On Tue, May 8, 2012 at 1:16 PM, Double G <gary_galle...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> The bike is well engineered. (I'm a former Honda tech.)..however heat
> build up can be a problem wide open for an extended time. Back off now
> and then, maybe find one rest stop along the way. Consider getting a
> bigger bike such as a 450 Rebel , 450 nighthawk, CM400, 600 shadow,
> etc. Many of these older bikes do not have a lot of miles and can be
> picked up for reasonable money. If it takes a while to find a bigger
> bike or trade up, be sure to keep an eye on miles and oil change. The
> oil change is the best insurance against engine wear and damage. Be
> sure to service your air cleaner. Keep your senses tuned to the power
> delivery while you are making your ride, if you sense a drop off or
> sluggishness, you need to pull over and let er cool down. Better fuel
> is better. Good luck.
>
> On May 8, 1:06 pm, BoonesDaddy <brandonbogar...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I'm looking for some input from anyone with long term experience with
>> the Nighthawk 250. I have a 2008 nighthawk that I bought with 3k miles
>> from a dealer. Since August 2011, I have put 8k miles on it with my
>> daily 50 mile commute, 20 miles of which is highway. So far this
>> little bike has held up great and saved my a ton of money on gas
>> versus my '97 Dodge Durango V8. However, I was just offered a better
>> teaching job that will require 72 miles on the freeway. It will be a
>> longer (but faster) commute for me with no lights, but I am worried
>> that I am going to prematurely destroy my little 250 by running it @
>> 70mph for 72 miles a day.
>>
>> So my questions are these:
>>
>> 1. Can my Nighthawk hold up in the long term for this commute?
>>
>> 2. If not, any suggestions on a bigger bike with great fuel economy?
>>
>> I will have to go through a dealer if I need to get a new bike,
>> because I don't have any cash on hand, so older used bikes are
>> probably not an option. I really want to hang on to this little bike
>> as it has treated my well, but if I'm going to destroy it, I will just
>> have to trade it in. Thanks for your input.
>
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