ca77-2111159

[Greener101]

Sorry guys.I inadvertently put an extra digit(one). The engine begins c77e and ends in 60. With the ones in between. As far as upgrades, I thinking HEI ignition, a160 crank architecture, and fuel injection for sure. Disc brakes would be sweet. Greener.

[Vince Lupo]

Might be an idea to consider getting it running and in good shape in its original configuration, ride it, then see if you want to make any of those 'upgrades'.

As someone who has likely spent more on his SuperHawk than anyone else in the history of SuperHawks (see 'Japan Meets Britain' in the 'Customs/Racers/Choppers' section), I think I can weigh in a bit on the subject of 'upgrades'. In the end, I can't necessarily say that all of it has been worth it, though I am head-over-heels in love with my bike (having said that, I've ridden my friend Scott's bone-stock SuperHawk -- it rides beautifully and I could have been just as happy owning that bike). EFI will not only cost a fair amount of money, but the setup, tuning, tweaking and testing to make it right might be more trouble than it's worth (there is someone on the Forum here who has in fact done an EFI conversion, so he'd likely be the 'voice of experience' for that). I think a properly set up and tuned carb would be quite reliable, so for all the effort of the EFI conversion, it might not be worth it vs the reward in the end. Electronic ignition would be a worthwhile expenditure (though I'm sure points wouldn't be much of a trouble), but not sure if disc brakes would be (don't what would be involved in that conversion!). Those upgrades you mention almost sound like you might want to consider buying a newer bike of the same size, but with all those features already integral with the design of the bike (how old is your grandson, BTW?). Not sure about the '160 crank architecture' or how changing the crank setup would be advantageous.

Guess it also depends on what kind of riding you/your grandson intend on doing with this bike -- if it's just around the neighbourhood, the odd backroads jaunt on a Sunday morning etc, I can't see why you'd need anything beyond what the bike already came with (of course I should talk!). But, if you're meaning to approach it as a technical and creative challenge (and time, effort and $$$ be damned!), then I certainly can't fault you for that.

BTW do you have any photos of the bike you can share with us? Maybe we can help out with suggestions if we had a better idea of what it looked like.

[Greener101]

Hey,Vince.I am sorry it has taken me so long to return a reply.You covered a lot of ground in your post,please excuse me as I do the same.First the scooter was a father's day present from my girlfriend.Is it a coincidence my grandfather had a 1964 when I was four.Who knows.As far as upgrades go,even though I am mechanically inclined,but my eight month grandson may grow up to be the opposite.I hope he and I have years to sort that issue out.Unless some comes forward with convincing arguments to not make the bike more user friendly I will stay the course.I am currently enrolled in a technical college and one of the perks of being a student is being able to get work done at a low cost(i.e. materials plus $25.00). We have an excellent local plater,Brown Plating (of Paducah,Ky), that I plan to utilize.I hope to use the scooter as an incentive for my grandson to be serious about his education.Until then my girlfriend wants to use it, as her Harley is too heavy for her.I ave read the production numbers were low on the early(1962) model dreams as Honda switched to the late model in that year(unsubstantiated).I do like the one piece gas tank with it's centered gas filler hole.I also like the lined knee pads as opposed to the checkerboard.I also prefer the medal badges to the plastic.I will replace the stock seat with an old school solo.I have also found a package rack for the rear fender(not the stock one,but one that follows the curvature of the fender). I am still lacking three main parts,the front fender,the rear fender,and the carburetor covers.Anyone's assistance in acquiring these parts will be greatly appreciated.I will add photos as soon as I can.Greener.

[conbs]

Greener, If you look at sales of 305 Dreams on Ebay, you will get an idea of the value of your bike. Prices seem to have come off a little in the last year. Restoring almost always costs more than the bike will be worth. I expect "upgrading" will give you the same result. Having said that, there are things you can do to reduce expense, like doing alot of the work yourself. In the end, as Gman and Vince have said the limiting factors are probably poor brakes and poor suspension.

One thought on the brakes is to have your brake shoes relined with modern materials. Search Vintage Brake and Speed and Sport on this site for discussion. They claim modern materials on shoes may perform better than early disc brakes. The main reason this deserves a lot of consideration is the limitations on your suspension. If you put the most advanced disc brakes that will fit on your bike, you would likely never realize the gain because your suspension will almost certainly not keep up. I am sure there are ways to improve the suspension if you throw enough money at it, but you will probably be plowing new ground.

These are very cool old bikes and have a character that is somewhat unique and enjoyable. I sense that either you or your girlfriend (or likely both) have been bitten by the 305 bug. It can be terminal. You should consider getting the bike running and roadworthy so you can just ride it. Spend time detailing it and you will be well rewarded.

As you ride it, you will likely find any number of issues just to make the bike really roadworthy and those will provide more than enough frustration and cost to keep you plenty busy. But, the grin factor from riding will give you motivation to endure them. After you get to the point where it is roadworthy, you will notice the things that you really want to improve and you can deal with those one at a time with minimized down time.

The last thing you want to do is take the bike completely apart. Unless you are more diligent that 99.9% of owners, your enthusiasm will fade long before you get it back to gether again. Without the enjoyment of riding it to spark your enthusiasm, you will likely end up selling it in pieces as a failed project.

One man's view. I hope it is helpful.

[Vince Lupo]

Ditto on the above -- I did have a 305 Dream a while back, and I have to say that it gave me more wide-mouthed grins than any other bike I've ever owned.

I'd say clean it up, get it running right, then go riding!

BTW I know Ronnie Brown and his work is top-notch. Several chromed items on my bike are from his shop