Hawk 250 Tire Guide
Tires are the one thing between the Hawk and the ground, and the stock sizes confuse every new owner at first because the numbers look nothing like car tire sizes. This guide expands on the tire sizing article I wrote years ago with what I have learned running different dual-sport tires since.
Reading the stock sizes
The Hawk 250 runs an 80/100-21 front and a 110/100-18 rear. The first number is the tire width in millimeters, the second is the aspect ratio (sidewall height as a percentage of width), and the last number is the wheel rim diameter in inches. So the front is an 80 mm wide tire on a 21-inch rim. Match those and you are good — see the full plain-English breakdown in the tire sizing article.
Inner tubes use the same size range. Carry a spare front tube on the trail; a flat with no tube ends a ride fast.
Choosing a dual-sport tire
The Shinko 244 is the popular Hawk 250 upgrade because it is a true 50/50 dual-sport tire — reasonable grip on pavement and real knob bite off-road, with decent wear. For mostly-street riders a more street-biased dual-sport tire wears longer and grips dry pavement better; for mostly-off-road riders a knobbier tire trades pavement manners for dirt grip. There is no single right answer — pick based on the split of your riding.
Whatever you choose, match the stock Hawk 250 tire sizes so it clears the swingarm and fenders.
Pressure for street vs off-road
Run higher pressure on the street (around 22–25 psi) for wear and stability, and drop it for off-road (around 12–15 psi) so the carcass conforms to rocks and roots for grip. Too low on the street and the tire squirms and wears fast; too high off-road and it bounces off everything. A small gauge and a trail pump are worth carrying — both live in the Hawk 250 maintenance supplies section.
This guide is written from first-hand Hawk 250 ownership and is meant to be useful on its own. Outbound links to the shop may earn this site a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Hawk250.com is an independent owner's site, not affiliated with RPS or Ricky Power Sports.
