The holes are necessary to allow sound to pass back and forth into the glass packing, making it a muffler. The gizmo you show with the flap is a spark arrestor, not a stinger or silencer. Spark arrestors do tend to muffle sound by strangulation, but their intent is to stop sparks from being blown ou...

Removing ethanol from gas would be a good thing, but if you take the ethanol out of 91 octane pump gas you are not left with 91 octane gas.

Sounds like clutch slippage to me. Since you were just in there, my hunch is the disc count isn't right for that clutch hub. The differing model clutch hubs look quite similar and parts can swap back and forth, but they didn't all use the same clutch discs and disc count. Having too few discs in the...

Gasoline originally contained TEL (tetra-ethyl lead) as an anti-knock agent effectively raising octane rating by slowing flame spread rates. It was discovered somewhere in the history of the auto industry that the lead was also protecting valve cylinder head interface by creating a sacrificial depos...

My understanding is that the CW stock pipe isn't all that bad as a tuned exhaust. While it probably needs the narrower stinger (narrower than the outer body) it doesn't need back pressure. Two stroke tuned systems use sonics to create negative pressure waves at specific rpm points to improve scaveng...

Do a Google search on "avgas in motorcycles." You will find all the opinions you need, but also here and there a fact or two. Avgas is formulated to work in civil aircraft using aircooled four stroke engines running at very modest rpm and a wide variety of density altitudes. If I remember ...

Not many folks have had issues with the new style spring. I find them to be made of good material, but not designed well in that they don't have a flat bearing surface on either end, so they tend to cock slightly under pressure. Maybe it's just me but I prefer the original design.

New parts can fail, and old parts can work perfectly. Since it was working when you went for a ride, have you changed the sparkplug? It is a two stroke after all. Even good working bikes do sometimes foul plugs.

Using the right tool makes the job a thirty second process. Using the wrong tool may never work and can ruin the crankshaft. Best bet, buy the right tool. You will need it again anyway if you want to service your own ride.

Linc, Did you ever have title to this bike, or did you acquire it without a title? You used the phrase "lost title" which suggests you are the titled owner but can't find the document, but if this were the case, the state wouldn't care what the value is, and Clarence would be right. You ju...

Have you replaced the ball springs on the shift shaft inside the tranny? Aside from adjustment of the shift mechanism, worn out springs are the next most likely reason the gears won't stay engaged. There are now two types of springs available,the original style with counter wound left and right spri...

The KBB value for Hodaka is pretty much what one would sell for if all the parts are there and it runs well. Not enough vehicles in type are sold these days to form a usable data base. You have the same problem DMV will have when they try to verify value. At the point of restoring title, it doesn't ...

Rich,

You, sir, are an artist and a pioneer.

I wouldn't weld the pin for metallurgical reasons, but stuffing the pin cavity is used a lot on race engines. Even wood plugs will work if they stay put.

Vic, Don't worry about jetting until it runs. Compression at 110 is too low and may be so low that it won't idle even if it does start. Compression should be 150+. The old specs were 155-170 psi. Try squirting a shot of motor oil in the spark hole and then repeat the compression test. If pressure ju...

Max's filter was a K&N but I would still use the UNI. Both are available with a tilt, me the UNI comes in a stubby version that might fit your situation. Cruise the catalogs. You will find something that works. Or, use the stock airbox with a UNI filter. That will definitely fit the space availa...

http://catalog.monroeseals.com/item/viton-o-rings/metric-viton-o-rings/3-75-x-1-8-v-75 Here is an example of a metric Viton ring that closely matches the dimensions you provided. The chart doesn't give the outside diameter, but if you add the inside diameter to double the cross section, you get 7.35...

If the o-ring changes size when immersed in fuel for a while, it sounds like it isn't fuel compatible. When looking for a ring, choose metric sizes for this application, and use Viton. Don't use rubber or other compounds unless specifically listed as compatible with gasoline.

Max showed us a foam filter a few months back that he used on his recent project bike. The filter had what looked like a 15 degree tilt to it so that the filter did not lie in line with the carb bore. That might help you fit a filter into your location. I don't recall which brand it was, and his pro...

I think most of us with a competitive nature go faster after a fall. Which only demonstrates that we weren't going all that fast to begin with. Probably why some guys who are consistently fast are stranger than the rest of us. I find that I ride much faster if I am directly behind a faster rider. Sa...

Ed, You haven't missed anything new in foam filters. They all require oil to function at all, instructions notwithstanding. Foam filters vary from brand to brand as to the micron pass rating (how big are the holes). Some makers won't tell you, and those I would not bother with. I prefer UNI over K&a...

First observation: you have made needle changes and then reported improved jetting at wide open throttle fifth gear. The needle does not affect WOT. That would be a main jet issue. Transition from half to 3/4 or so is the needle position. If you are having issues with WOT sustained, without regard t...

Brian, Can you provide two sets of measurements? 1. The diameter of the needle jet ring groove where the o-ring seats and the diameter of the float bowl seating surface that the o-ring seals to. 2. The inside diameter, outside diameter, and cross section of the o-rings Sudco provided you as the &quo...

I find that as I get older, my brain remembers how to do all that high power curve stuff, but my body no longer executes the commands. I try not to sit down while racing but it doesn't always work out that way if the race lasts more than 15 seconds.

Bill, The needle and needle jet number progressions for Mikuni have nothing to do with Hodaka engines or the carbs used on those engines. Search the web and find a needle and jet chart for Mikuni carbs. The numbers group items by general size, "4" needles being shorter than "5" n...