HawkGT NT650
The Honda Bros HawkGT NT650 was designed by Toshiaki Kishi and was the second Honda with Pro-Arm having the model designation RC31 coming immediately after the RC30. The RC model designation is for bikes up to 750cc, though the Pacific Coast (PC800) has an engine of more than 750 cc and a model designation of RC34.
The bike's main distinction is in its frame and swingarm. The dual spar aluminum frame and single sided swingarm (licensed from ELF) were pretty high tech in 1988. The mildly tuned motor is descended from the VT500 and has been seen, in one guise or another, in several other models.
US model
The NT650/Hawk GT/RC31 was introduced in 1988 and produced through 1991.
Europe model
A cousin to the Hawk GT, the Revere was available in Europe. The steel frame, shaft-drive, larger gas tank, longer rear end, and 600cc motor differentiate it from the Hawk GT. The NTV650 replaced the Revere and added the Hawk motor, moving it up to a 650. The NTV650 was replaced for 1997 with the Deauville, basically an NTV650 with full bodywork and hard saddlebags - not too different in general appearance from the PC800.
Japan model
The Bros came in two versions (400cc and 650cc) for the Japanese market, when Honda stopped selling the Hawk in 1992 they continued the Bros in Japan for one more year.
The Japanese version of the Hawk GT, the Bros, resembled the Revere rather than the other Hawk designations. A close ratio gear box (which drops into the Hawk), different wheels, and lower clip-ons were the major changes from the earlier Hawk GT.
Sales
The price for the Hawk GT when new was just a couple hundred dollars less than the torquey power delivery and easy cornering. With a top speed below 120 mph and a 0-60 mph time of about 4 seconds no one is going to fear the straight line performance of the Hawk. Find a favorite section of tight twisty road and the story changes.
