It may have failed for a couple of reasons. First would be a defect in the bolt, second is it was loose and fractured the bolt head off, third is it could have been massively over tightened and the bolt was stretched and failed. We're any of the other bolts loose? Are the bolt holes on the frame ro...

I give my bikes an occasional pre-flight inspection. This time I noticed the hex head of one of the two rear engine mounting bolts on my 250SL had snapped off flush with the shaft. Has anybody else experienced a failure with these bolts, or is my experience likely a one-off? My options are to replac...

A new spacer will not have the groove. Wear causes the groove . . . and allows leakage past the seal at that location. Note that the countershaft sprocket nut must also be tight to prevent leaks. The nut holds the sprocket tight against one end of the spacer, and the other end of the spacer is held...

I have it!

From the owner's handbook. Frictional plate thickness: 2.25mm

Hope you can find some if you need them.

This info may be in the Hodaka book. Anyway, I expect Australian-bound Hodakas were shipped straight from Japan and Canadian-bound units would have gone shipped from Japan to the Port of Vancouver (British Columbia).

Maybe those that were actually filling the orders can advise.

Epilogue: OK, in the Skyway silencer the conical screen spark arrestor was completely carboned over, as was the inner silencer pipe and packing. Fixed that, as well as soaking the expansion chamber with over cleaner overnight; also repacked that 3" section of the inner pipe that forms the sting...

I'll take a clogged exhaust over an electrical gremlin anyday. Tomorrow I'll try running the bike without the Skyway silencer -- may as well repack it too.

Thanks guys, will keep you posted.

Hi Everyone, I just tried riding my 250SL after leaving it sit for 3-4 months. It was working fine when I put it away. All went well (for the first 30 seconds to a minute from cold) but then it bogs above quarter throttle and doesn't generate enough power to get out of its own way. It still starts a...

You will also have to purchase, or fabricate your own, cover plate and gasket to blank out the drive hole between the transmission and (former) oil pump chamber/cavity.

I've had a 4.10 knobby and a 3.50 trials tire on a 94. They fit -- with the chain guard in place, which I prefer to retain. Can't recommend a "soft" trials tire because I want the DOT rating. I just put a Shinko SR241 (trials) on the front and am pleased with it; I'll match it with put ano...

Make sure no soldered wire connections have broken off the toggle switch. Vibration seems to break the wires off at the terminals.
If this is your situation then resolder them or reconnect using spade connectors. The latter is more reliable, I think.

I've used PineSol and water mixed 1:1. I think lowering the viscosity helps the mixture penetrate better.

Dwell time is another factor. For every 10 years the carb has been sitting think of having to soak it for at least a week to reverse the situation.

Remember NGKs have the "Copper Core" which really might increase the conductivity from weaker coils and points-and-condenser ignition systems.

Bullfrog wrote: (we've all done something like that)
Ed

We're all Dorks! God bless us, Everyone!

I recently installed Kawasaki points in my Wombat. After timing the bike the point gap works out to .016, but the spark at the plug is still good irregardless. Most likely the rubbing block is slightly taller on the Kawasaki units (?)

Is this a Canadian Wombat? I see the flag of Canada on the front fender, eh.

Note:
250SL and 250ED seat pans are different from each other. That surprised me to find that out.

Meh, I've seen worse...but this stator has been sparking, charging, and lighting for 5,000 miles more, and counting. I drilled a 1/8 hole in the flywheel cover and flooded the stator with with white vinegar, periodically draining followed by a pressure washing and refilling with fresh vinegar. This ...

Availability is not an issue -- WISECO produces pistons and rings for Hodaka/Suzuki (same piston). However, I can't verify if WISECO rings are perfectly compatible with Hodaka/ART pistons and/or Suzuki pistons.

There's clear plastic tubing, AND clear fuel line -- formulated to be ethanol and gasoline compatible. The former is for oxygen lines, aquarium pumps, etc. and will swell, go brittle, and leak at the fittings when used as fuel line.

Top end and tranny are principally the same as the 90-125s, just bigger. Clutch is conventional though, i.e, not mounted to the crankshaft. Actuation mechanism for the clutch is also the same but the parts aren't interchangeable. Dimensionally the 250SL is a larger overall bike than the Yamaha, Suzu...

What about having coils rewound at an electric motor rebuild shop? Has anybody investigated if that's an economical options?

Just thinking out loud...

Compared to what I remember is required to adapt a Suzuki TS250 head this looks like a path of lesser resistance. I suppose the engineers meant well when they gave the SL an offset spark plug and combustion chamber. I guess they were hoping to keep the temperature down on the exhaust side of the pis...

I would like to hear more tips n tricks from Mike as to how to keep the top end from seizing and/or melting down. E.g., has he swapped the stock CDI for a Super Combat unit, a cooler plug, etc.? On my 250SL I'm using a Texas-sized head gasket that also functions like an extra cooling fin, one range ...

Does anybody know if Mike's using the injection pump or premix, or both? I also wonder what his favorite oil is and if he's using an ART or Wiseco piston. As for his fuel range, that's a pretty big JerryCan he's packing, and recently it sounds like it still hasn't been enough to go between gas stati...