I have used Dan Killian from the east coast area to ship bikes to Hodaka Days. Very popular with the Hodaka family. He's very active on the Hodaka Facebook page.

Sounds like your plates are sticking. They usually do this after sitting unused for long periods of time. The stalling when dropping into gear and not rolling free lead me here. I've had a few Hodakas that the plates would stick every time I took it out. Take the clutch pack apart and clean the fibe...

Play Dough also works. I use it on top of air cleaners when checking the hood clearance on custom cars.

I like to slip in a late model voltage regulator from a Road Toad on my Ace or Wombat restorations. The charging systems seem to get more aggressive as they get older. Especially now that original headlights are getting scarce and pricey.

Your bike frame is either a G or F model as they are almost identical. Yes the L motor is the later model. Your pipe has been modified to fit an Ace motor so an early Rat motor is a direct fit. A 93 top end is a direct bolt on and with the bigger carb and porting can be made very competitive. The Ac...

The model 98 rat motor used in the model of the bike in the photo is entirely different from the early model 93 SR based on the Ace 100 motor. The later 100 had a CDI ignition, reed valve and a close ration transmission and was more closely related to the 97 Super Combat engine. Both 100 engines wil...

I found it easier to just fab up a 97 chain roller bracket using some flat steel stock and welding it to the 03 swing arm. A lot less welding and leaves the swing arm integrity intact.

Yes it will bolt right into a Wombat frame. You would need to swap to an Ace exhaust and probably an Ace throttle cable. Wombat cable may be too long. The damaged area is cosmetic and very common. You can put a piece of tape behind it as a backer and just fill the missing area with black silicone. I...

Many moons ago I bought an early model Hodaka that had a twin cylinder Yamaha engine stuffed in it. I bought it for parts and while tearing it down found an aluminum tag about 1 inch by 2 inches with the word SUPER embossed in it. I remember asking Paul about it but he had no info. It appeared to be...

Nice tip, I use a carton knife blade slid in behind the rivit head. Like your method better.

I have bought and sold dozens of Hodakas over the last 50 years. The story i heard most was it lost spark, so we fooled with the points but never got it running. Thats why so many barn finds are missing the shift covers or have buggered up flywheel threads. . On oil injected models it was piston sei...

The defination of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. What are the odds that you got a defective heat treated main shaft, and by some odds got a second defective heat treated main shaft, when no one else seems to have?. I restored a SL250 this summer for a...

You could try cutting the center out of a countershaft sprocket and welding it to the face of the regular sprocket. Kinda like a splined washer. This would spread the load on the spline. The splined washer may have to be shaved a little on a surface grinder to give you enough threads to keep the spr...

I enjoy any post that adds interesting information. Thanks for the tip on the lipstick.

Maybe they were thinking black was easier for average Joe to touch up the frame?? All the other Japenese bikes had black frames and they wanted to fit in?? Now days red is the most expensive of the automtive colors. Cost issues? I have seen pictures of the prototype Wombat with a red frame and I wou...

Sounds like classic pipe plugged syndrome. A lot of baffles and screen in these later pipes. Bugs love to crawl in and get stuck in the spooge collected in there. I would spend a couple minutes and take the pipe right off. Its gonna be loud but you will get an answer in just a few feet.

Check the SC parts list showing the swingarm assembly. There is a spacing collar between the bushings. This may be stuck to the shaft. Your heat and penatrating oil may need to be concentrated on this area.

The 03 Wombat uses a 2mm bigger carb and a reed valve, along with porting upgrades over the Model 94 that makes it smoother and stronger. An 03 cylinder, carb and reed intake are direct bolt on's BUT you would need an 03 pipe. The 03 piston will not work. A GEM reed setup with some mild porting can ...

Go to "Rich's Taylored Porting". Lots of info on 250 Hodaka vintage reed systems.

Sure sounds carb related. Hows it run with choke on? Did you install an in line gas filter? Did you check carb flange face for flatness? They warp after 50 years. New manifold gasket and O ring? Sometimes you have to clean them multiple times.

When the piston goes down it pressurizes the crankcases air volume. This air is forced by the transfer ports to e space above the piston. It has no p;ace else to go. If it is leaking out of the crankcase instead of getting forced above the piston, it is only compressing the volume of air sitting abo...

Also check what head you have. The numbers are right on it. Rat piston needs a rat head (93)and an Ace head would start with a (92). The piston domes are different as are the squish areas. Best to make sure they match.

This is a dykes ring Super Rat piston. The ring wears pretty quick. We used to change them after a couple of races. I dont see any signs of seizure or blowby that could have stuck the ring. That means your low compression could be a cheap and simple ring swap, or base or head gasket leak, both which...

Lets see a picture of the pistons sides. Could be as simple as worn rings. Low compression or air leaks will cause starting and operating problems. I dont believe the hole is anything to worry about. More info on symptoms before tear down will get you help and pointed in the right direction..

You should be able to find a right side case half pretty cheap. The left side case is often chain damaged an will be more to replace as clean undamaged ones are getting rare.