My Hodaka

[crash]

Well i see that things are slow, so I might as well tell my tail.
I honestly don't remember when I came across it, just a frozen up motor. Probably 30 years ago cant even remember how it came into my possession.
It was different it was a Hodaka.
I Thought at the time it would make a cool lamp. Just drill a few holes add a switch to the gear shift lever and instant man cave accessory.
Well a wife with taste and more control than I would like to admit persuaded me to hold off on that.
So about 15 years later I found it again buried in the shed.
What to do , a sane man would sell it off and move on.
Me a man of questionable choices decided to look on the local Craigs list.
To my amazement I found a frame, swingarm and front end available!
More things to add to the pile of Hodaka parts.
My 60's to 70's public school math education told me that added up to 3/4's of a bike.
How hard would it be to make a bike out of the parts.
Oh what a fool I am lol, I decided to build a vintage race bike out of it.
So I will wind up this rambling post with the question, What started you on your Hodaka journey?

[hodakamax]

Good question. Quite involved in the Hodaka period as a dealer and racer of the time. Not what I was to do in life they told me and the Hodakas were fading. Back to "normal" life for decades. Friend calls. He's bought an old 94 Wombat, kinda, most of one. For his son to fix up.... who had just discovered girls. Not going to happen and my friend just gave it to me. I did give him the $100 he'd spent on it. In the garage to walk by everyday. Decided to tear it all apart to see what I had. Needed a theme. Some sort of racing device for sure. Down hill from there and about a year later it was done, highly modified even. Ready for MX or cross country. 72 years old at the time, had raced but not for decades. Maybe it was time for the "Last Great Race". National vintage cross country, only two hours away. New Bell helmet, all mine had expired. All probably a bad idea and I began to think so into the second hour. Did what I set out to do. Finish. Did that adventure and survived. Hasn't been ridden since, looks great in the shop for the last eight years. Did get me into several other Hodaka projects still happening today. My story and I'm stickin' to it. Maxie

[dirty_rat]

My Hodaka journey began back in 1972 when I purchased a new Ace 100 B+. My brother had bought a new Ace 100 B a year earlier, so I had to have one also. I rode the heck out of my Hodaka around town and through the woods.
After a couple of years the racing bug bit me. Hodaka's, being easy to upgrade, made it easy for me. Off came the lights, the stock pipe, the steel fenders, the toaster tank, etc. On went a PMC plastic tank, plastic fenders, new knobbies and a 21” front wheel, lengthened swing arm, Curnutt shocks, a ported cylinder, reed valve, a 28mm carb and an E. C. Birt down pipe.
I raced my Hodaka for a couple of years, but when the mono-shock Yamaha and the Suzuki RM 100 came out it was a losing battle. My Hodaka was retired from racing and just got ridden from time to time for fun. Life then got in the way and the Hodaka sat in the back of my shed for years.
A few years back, I decided to clean up my Hodaka and start trail riding it. Well, while fixing it up, one Hodaka grew into a few Hodaka's, as people started giving me parts they found cleaning out their garages. I also saw a couple Hodaka's on Craiglist that had to be rescued, before they became scrap. An old friend also had a 94 Wombat he had bought at he Hodaka dealer I once worked at. He hadn't ridden it in years and it needed attention. He gave it to me and I went through it and got it looking and running good.
The last few years I have been riding and racing my Hodaka's at local vintage MX races and at AHRMA vintage races. It has been a blast.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[hodakamax]

These are great! More, more, still not satisfied!

[viclioce]

Great pics! Yes if you leave them together they multiply in the darkness! LOL. I picked up an Ace B Monday. It was missing the motor and the wheels. But I only paid $200 for it.

When I got it home and tried to put a front wheel on it to make it easier to move around, I discovered it had a Yamaha front end in it instead of a Hodaka front end. It’s even a Yamaha front fender, a DT 1, I think. So, I’ll have to pull that tree & forks off and replace them with a set I already have.

If anyone has a spare tree top for the big nut B forks, that they can sell me, please let me know! Here’s a couple of pics of my Ace I bought!

Your pics look great!!! Victor

[hodakamax]

Maybe I should go further back to the beginning. 1965. Was tired of watching others race while needed BSA parts creeped across the Atlantic Ocean in, yes, ships. Hodaka ads were making this look interesting. I needed an Ace 90. Wow, you could race this thing every Sunday and ride it to work during the week! Those lights didn't last long and mods began. Got a Hodaka dealership. We all raced motorcycles! Life was good!

[Bullfrog]

The first Hodaka I ever owned was my Bullfrog observed trials machine. If memory serves correctly, it was built up during the winter of 1972. The photo shows that it was complete (and pretty effective) by the fall of 1973.

In its original form, it had an aftermarket plastic tank and a handmade air box from 1/4" thick ABS sheet. The airbox must have weighed 4 or 5 pounds (um, I had not graduated to building stuff out of aluminum or fiberglass at that time). I still have the tank and airbox - just in case I got an itch to return it to original "as built" condition.

Ed

[crash]

So many great stories and photo's!
The stories you all could tell, and the knowledge in the group would fill a book!

[viclioce]

I came here almost 11 years ago, to learn. Never knew Hodakas before then. I’ve built/restored 15 so far! I completed 6 just during the Covid lock down! Kept me happy & occupied! Here’s all my family bikes! Grandsons, nephews, daughters, son in laws, even one or two for me! Victor

[crash]

Max, great story and great vintage photo!
I hope when i finish my bike i will have the strength to throw a leg over it let alone do a 2 hour enduro.
You sir are a true iron man.
Dirty_rat , Great hearing what modifications you did back in the day.
and another great vintage photo.
Bullfrog, Thanks for the details of the bike , and another great vintage photo!
Viclioc You Sir have enough Hodaka's to start a dealership!
Thanks guys for the responses.

[viclioce]

Crash! They are all family bikes! 2 nephews, 3 grandsons, 2 son in laws, a daughter, heck, even one for me! The builds keep me busy! I like building even more than riding! I get a great sense of accomplishment to start with a basket case and end up with a complete, restored & running bike! Here’s an example! Victor