In case anyone is interested, a 1989 Toyota code 8 B 2 was a great match right out of the can for the Model 97 Super Combat blue frame. Any auto supplier that mixes paint should be able to get you everything you need. I tinted this color a couple shades to match the Model 98 color. Not a ready to us...

Try a small C clamp next to the screw you are trying to remove. You are usually not fighting rust, as it has had a lifetime of oil bath, but you are also fighting the springs pressure on the taper of the screws seat, which is embedded into the softer aluminum.. Sometimes just a little give in the co...

I had a NOS blue brake stay arm from a Model 97 that I used to find the perfect color match. Same with the 98. If you can find a NOS painted part, it gives you the best match. No sun fade. I will post the paint code when I get back out to my shop. The bike has been gone a couple years. PS. Chevy ora...

Are you spraying paint over paint or will you be prepping a bare metal frame. There are direct to metal self etching spray can primers available that actually work quite well. Patience when painting or preparing for paint is the trick. I will use a spray can on a top end restoration, but the key is ...

It would be interesting if someone would weigh one before and after cooking. The oil and carbon soaked layer inside is sometimes pretty thick.

And yes, once cooked to perfection, serve with a red wine.

I have ridden with both the H2 and H3 and found both worked well when racing at a novice or intermediate pace in sand and loose soil. Ground clearance is great with both. Experts would no doubt have a preference on hard pack where power delivery is more critical. The H3 required more fit and finishi...

They switched to the recessed style front sprocket starting with the 94A when they went to the wider 428 chain. The recess allowed for the same amount of main shaft thread to be exposed to hold the sprocket nut, as they didn't modify the main shaft. The main shaft stayed the same for the 420 chain o...

Since we are making observations, the angled dipsticks from the 100 and common 125s covers interferes with the kick starter when used on the 97/98, keeping it from fully tucking in, and occasionally catching your boot.

I dont think it was an objection to the action of the stock 30mm forks that had us searching for something better in the old days. Thicker/thinner oil, spring spacers, air caps, all kinds of tricks for dampening were out there to try. It was the twisting of the tubes at the lower clamp and the vague...

Just in case their are some "new" to Hodaka members following this discussion, its the triple trees that cause the hurdle when trying to upgrade forks. All of the big 4 bike makers, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha used tapered bearings in the frame head, where Hodaka used what I like to...

Mid 70s Suzuki TS 250s used 34 mm forks that bolt right on and accepted Hodaka conical hub wheels and axles. If I remember they are totally different on the inside and used a shorter spring with a spacer tube. They fit great and I believe were softer than the SL 250s by quite a bit, but no internals...

The rear axle is the same model 92 thru 03. Not the same for the front though. The axle changed when they went to the conical front hub. I like the newer adjuster plates as the cupping of the plate centers in place better on the end of the swing arm as you tighten the adjuster nut. I like to snug th...

The early chain adjusters will work, but not be visually correct if you are doing an accurate restoration. The back plate was just a piece of open ended U channel on the early models, the later Toad style had the ends of the U channel capped and rounded off. Looks better and works better in my opini...

Looks like you have a Model 92 B+. In my opinion it was the best looking of the bikes Hodaka made. Red frame, lots of chrome and stainless. Should be an fun project. Lots of parts and advice available for this bike.

I have a pile of old Ace and Wombat clutch cables where the lower adjuster on the cable itself is broken in half, but never had an ACE or Wombat clutch cover with the threaded boss broken off. I believe when they made the cable end bigger and stronger on the oil injected models to fix this, they tra...

Remember the round post does not move. Simply making the flat pivot point wider just tilts the shoes. You need to increase the post diameter also. This is why double leading brake hubs were the hot setup before disc brakes took over. This is also where a slightly over sized shoe comes in handy. It i...

Cycle dealers will have an appendix to their brake shoe catalogs that will list shoe width and total diameter. There are dozens of options. I used to order a shoes a couple millimeters larger in circumference and modify the round end to fit the Hodaka post and grind the flat end to custom fit my dru...

When I get a puzzle like this, consistent and unexplained, I like to eliminate the obvious. Remove the air cleaner and test ride. Remove the exhaust baffle and test ride. Remove the carb bowl and watch the fuel flow, push up the float to confirm where it stops. Check full cap vent and carb vents. Fu...

Lots of good advice available here. Soak it all in but use what you want. We all get excited when someone new gets bitten by the Hodaka bug. So some basic info any shop will need. Your bike started at 50 millimeters standard bore. Damage to you liner means you now have 4 options left. Bore to 50.25 ...

A couple things you can do before you go any further. Confirm you have a Super Rat cylinder.Many Hodakas were owner modified to keep them running years after parts dried up. Your jug should have 4 studs holding on the intake flange, the Ace 100 uses 2. Clean the top of your piston off with solvent o...

I ran 14 and a half inch eye to eye Works shocks on my 125s after swapping to the 34 mm forks. I used lighter springs as 250 SL springs were meant for a very heavy bike. Seemed to be the best balance. If your 14 inch shocks are good, you can try the forward upper shock mount or drop the forks and in...

I agree. Sounds like classic restricted pipe syndrome. Idles fine but any attempt to increase rpms kills the engine. I dont know why they idle so well with a plugged pipe, but enough exhaust gas must be able to escape through even the most gummed up pipes. You wont believe how much lighter a clear p...

I would take a quick compression test using a simple tester in the spark plug hole before I went any further. If it is slowing down under increasing loads, it can be the fact that the original 6 or 7 horsepower it had when fresh is now considerable lower. It takes a lot of power to keep a 40 year ol...

Dental floss can be used instead of fishing line. Its pretty tough stuff. Not sure that would have helped. Getting these off with all the back painted finish is never easy. I have had luck touching up the black and red from the back. Clear off the old paint and give it a shot. Nuttin to loose and we...

Well that must have been a different problem we solved with WD 40 because it does slightly soften hardened carbon some, but not the solution I remember. We may have added it to a solvent with a high evaporation rate that was stronger when soaking pistons in open containers. I worked with some old sc...