HI everyone new to Hodaka's. Picked up a 1975 Road Toad a few weeks ago and trying to take care of a few little thinks with it like brakes and next will be why the clutch wont release with the lever.
The main thing is there is no lighting, first bought a new battery (There was no battery) and then finding the wires for it and the removed rear turn signals. I removed the seat and found a few wires stuffed under there that are not connected to anything. Two shorter wires a pink and gray I figure are for the battery, the other two longer wires orange and red I figure are the turn signals. With the bike running I measure no DC voltage at the pink and gray wires to each other or to ground. I searched and can find no wiring diagram for this bike. Anyone have any clues for me? Thanks.
Thanks guys. Now I'm more confused, will have to do some detective work to figure out the wiring and what is missing. According to the wire diagram looks like the orange and red wires would be for the flasher? And would that just be sitting up there or does it mount somewhere?
This is going to be my wife's bike and she wants it street legal so I got my work cut out for me. Seeing this now I wish I knew it at the time I bought the bike and I had paid less.
The clutch plates are most likely stuck from sitting. Usually they will break free as the engine warms up by riding it around with the lever pulled in.
Thanks "Pop". Not sure about that but I'll give it a try, feel nothing pulling in the lever. The engine was rebuilt two years ago as told to me by the previous owner and apparently the clutch never worked since he owned it if I understood him correctly. And you are right it mostly sat while he owned it.
I used to be a electronic technician so thanks to the wiring diagram I made some progress. The battery negative blue ground wire was plugged into where the red fused wire for battery positive should go, not sure why and what that may have done. I disconnected it and the bike started fine and now the headlight came on, but weak. Only measured about 2.5volts DC, 4 v AC where the battery would be connected. So hooked up the battery and started again, same weak headlight and very weak but working tail light. No dash lights, pulled apart and burned out bulbs. The headlight dimmer switch lever is missing but everything for contacts of the switch are there so jumper'd the two different contacts and no change in headlight intensity.
This bike looked so mint and only missing a battery, really disappointed to find these hidden issues. Guess buyer beware apply's here, should have dug a little deeper before handing over cash. Oh well guess I'm in it now.
Don't despair. When all is said and done, you are going to have a rip-roaringly fun scoot. Based on the pictures you posted, all the major stuff is there and in good shape, and the parts that are obviously missing (eg turn signals) are relatively easy to find. Resurrecting these great machines ALWAYS includes a major element of detective work to figure out what the previous owner(s) have done to them over the decades. I've been down this same road now 12 times with bikes that have been totally thrashed. When you buy one, unless it was rebuilt by one of the experts we consult for advice on this forum, it will NEVER be as advertised. I've had an ACE 100 (1 up 4 down) transmission pulled out of a Dirt Squirt as an example of what I encountered by a bike advertised as "fully restored". Be patient and refer questions to this site as it is populated by true experts with these machines and who are truly interested in helping us keep these insanely cool bikes running. One thing I've found to be really helpful is to return your motorcycle to as close to factory specs as you can. Mining this site for information is a great place to start. For example, if you go to the "shop by schematics" tab and click on the Road Toad page corresponding to your model, there you will find all of the technical information such as torque specs, jetting, timing, correct plug/gapping, etc. to bring the bike up to snuff. Also plan on flushing the gas tank and completely cleaning the carb. Changing the fuel lines and adding an in-line fuel filter is smart as is installing a fresh and properly oiled air filter. Clean and gap or change the points and consider installing a new condenser. Basic service item stuff. It is also a good idea to purchase a Road Toad owner manual. There you will find information regarding the oil injection system. If you do all you can to return the bike to factory specs, it will be easier it identify specific areas needing further and more detailed attention. Most importantly, don't get frustrated. This is really fun stuff.
KJ - there is even an acronym for the previous owners who have done amazingly incomprehensible things to the machines. DPO, Dreaded Previous Owner.
The only thing wrong with the acronym is that it tends to imply that all "blame" goes to most recent person to own the bike, when in actuality . . . you now own the bike because the last guy couldn't figure out what the DPO before him (and before him, and before him) did.
You'll have great fun when you get the scoot sorted out.
Thanks guys, much appreciated. Very grateful to this site and the help. I had to get up to speed on all things Hodaka and fast when my wife wanted this. So glad I found this site.
If you look at the first pic I posted that's a '69 Camaro behind the bike that I've had since 1986 and just got it back on the road last fall. Lots of DPO stuff on that one and still working on it so this is a vary familiar road for me.
Like I said this is my wife's bike, she found it and is very excited to get it on the road. I'm working on contacting the guy that rebuilt the motor one owned it before the guy I bought it from to see if has any of the missing parts or insite to the mysterys.
Dreaded Previous Owner. Hmmm...I thought it was "Dumb Previous Owner". Learn something new every day. One other suggested item that I've personally found to be really helpful is also available on this site. Get yourself a Hodaka Workshop Manual and possibly the Wombat Workshop Manual. While the Toad plant is more sophisticated than the than those found in Ace line of machines (oil injection, stock reed induction, etc), many of the systems on the Toad are the same. There are also clear and concise step-by-step instructions for performing many of the maintenance and repair procedures needed. When in doubt, post questions here. Many of the experts hereon were intimately involved, as employees of Hodaka, in the design and performance evolution of these bikes, or sold, serviced, modded, hot-rodded and raced them during the heyday of the Marque. Some of them continue to race the wheels off of them to this day. Its unprecedented that a schmuck like me can get expert advice on maintenance, upkeep, repair, and performance upgrades, and for FREE. Try that in your modern bike dealership. Also, since you are now well on your way to becoming hopelessly addicted to these bikes, they will start multiplying like rabbits. Then, those manuals will really come in handy.
All right had a chance to go back out to the shop and dig a little deeper. I was thinking about the super weak tail light and thought I bet someone (DPO or DPPO) put a 12 volt bulb in there, and guess what I was right. So another trip to the auto parts store and they had the right 6volt bulb. So along with the instrument lights I ordered and picked up from them and the new tail bulb, I seem to have working lights. All happy right, wrong, while testing bulbs by turning on and off the key switch, now no lights at all, so need to trace why that happened but gave up for the night.
One other question, what is the "Emergency Switch" under the headlight for?
KJProX wrote:All right had a chance to go back out to the shop and dig a little deeper. I was thinking about the super weak tail light and thought I bet someone (DPO or DPPO) put a 12 volt bulb in there, and guess what I was right. So another trip to the auto parts store and they had the right 6volt bulb. So along with the instrument lights I ordered and picked up from them and the new tail bulb, I seem to have working lights. All happy right, wrong, while testing bulbs by turning on and off the key switch, now no lights at all, so need to trace why that happened but gave up for the night.
One other question, what is the "Emergency Switch" under the headlight for?
The Emergency Switch, when "ON", runs the headlamp directly off of the battery (DC). This would allow you to have lights in the event that you were stuck along the trail with a non-running engine (thus the term emergency). You would normally keep the switch in the "OFF" position in order to have the headlamp work off AC from the magneto.
Also, if you look closely at the emergency switch, there you'll find a little tab with AC and DC labeled to correspond with each direction of throw of the switch. It's oriented properly with the switch with a tab and groove alignment scheme. You'll want to use the AC position for normal operation and to DC position for emergency lighting as Dale pointed out. I've killed a battery or three running in the DC position.
I want to thank each and everyone of you that helped out here. I can't believe it but I now have a fully functioning Hodaka Road Toad. My wife is thrilled, should have seen the smile on her face when she came back from a ride around the block. Now just need to get a current license on it.
Ivan I would have never believed but you were right on the money with the fix, I rode around the yard 3 times and all of sudden the clutch released and is working good now. All the lights work, brakes work and even the horn works now.
Couple of minor things left that I'll work on like getting the turn signals and the flasher. I'll work on putting on non rusted bolts on few parts or cleaning them up.
The orange and red wires go to the flasher. The red wire is carrying the source voltage, via the flasher switch, to the orange wire, which in turn goes to the Turn Signal switch. The flasher fits in a rubber holder that attaches to a tab located on the side of the battery box, (right side I believe).
The pink and gray wires are for the turn signals. At the Turn Signal switch, pink is right, left is gray. There is a pink and gray run to the front and rear of the bike. The pink and gray connectors under your seat are for the rear signal lights. You'll find similar double connectors in the headlight bucket for the front signal lights also. Each turn signal light has a single gray wire; the left side light plugs into the gray wire and the right side light plugs into the pink, (yes, a color change via connector). In the headlight bucket, the second pink and gray go to the indicator, (dashboard), light.
Thanks Roger for the tips on the turn signal wiring, that will be my next project with this, adding the missing turn signals.
My wife and I decided we are going to take this to a local "Gear Heads" show, no prizes just a fun event in August for everything motorized, cars, motorcycles, semi's, snowmobiles, ect. Now she's on me to finish the 1969 Honda CL90 motorcycle project that I've been working on for a few years so it can go to.
Quick question; I need the engine number to title this in my name and the only number I can find is on the casting under the kick start shaft, is that it? The number seems more like a model number 99-1001-02.
Engine number found on the right side engine case half, just under the cylinder, its easy to find, use a flashlight and clean rag. Look on Strickly Hodaka site for FAQ area it shows how to find the engine number on each engine and model. Bruce Young,
