Pride & Joy

[SuperRat01]

Just wanted to show you guys my "Baby". I am almost done with this Super Rat. I need to get a couple of dings worked out of my expansion chamber and then I can get the pipe on and she will be done! Thanks for looking. Linc

[hodakamax]

Nice job Linc, It looks brand new---Excellent!

Max

[taber hodaka]

Super nice ---------- Clarence

[Dale]

Beautiful!

[Bullfrog]

Hooo boy - nice looking machine! (. . . and we need to talk about getting a photo suitable for a planned comprehensive Hodaka model poster)
Ed

[viclioce]

Wow! She's beautiful! Can't wait to see her get muddy!!! ; D Victor

[SuperRat01]

D Victor, I restored this bike to unridability status! She will NEVER see the mud again. I will have to use the Road Toad if I want to ride in the mud. The Super rat is just for show. I got this bike back in 1975 and s-o-o-o-o good to have her looking new again.To me it is a piece of art. Now, if I can convince the ole lady that it would look great in our living room....

[hodakamax]

It is a work of art, I have one in my living room hanging from the ceiling. It makes me smile each and everyday. It's an expression of you and historical significance. Go for it! (send pictures after installation.) My wife approves wholeheartedly!
Max

BTW, a good friend has a really nice shiny red Ducati in his living room! Really cool decor!

[viclioce]

"D Victor, I restored this bike to unridability status! She will NEVER see the mud again."

Well that's your choice, but to me it's a real shame! To do all that work and not put it back into service to provide the fun for life as it did in the past?!?! But it's your call. She sure is beautiful. Someday, when you're gone, I'm betting someone will take it off the wall and ride it! But again, Great Job with the restore! ; D Victor

[SuperRat01]

Ed, tell me more about this planned Hodaka poster. Will they be for sale? Linc

[Bullfrog]

We are so far away from doing the poster that it is unknown at this time exactly how it might be made available. Sale of large printed versions? Digital availability for Hodaka Club Members as a member benefit? Other?

Right at the moment, the problem is having good right and left side color shots of EVERY model so we CAN do up a poster. And your machine seems like a great candidate for photography. (Um, check your private messages on this site . . . in a few minutes

Ed

[MTRob]

I Already built a platfrom on the wall of my shop to put two bikes I restored on. Its winter here and my boat is in the way of putting them up.
I have a 12' banner on the wall that says Restored Classics Hodaka. another sign next to the banner the says.
Roberts
Bikes
Don't touch them
Don't move them
Don't sell them
Don't even think of riding them
Just look at them
but after Iam dead my son says he will keep them up there
here is the pictures of the two bike all original.
I have other bikes to ride. Will send pictures when done
MTRob

[hodakamax]

Cool, there does come a time to save great examples of machinery and art at least in the eye of the beholder. It's not like I have nothing else to ride like a cross country Wombat or a custom SX-650 Yamaha and of course the Day One Project which is way too slick to ride at least until it gets a few shows under its belt. Hmm, now that I think about it, I don't ride them much either. I guess one should exercise their bikes occasionally to keep the spiders out of the exhaust or prove that it runs at the Motorcycle show.

For several years I went to an annual biplane show which finally ceased because they got too rare to fly and the pilots got too old. Maybe that's where I'm going. Also it's hard to keep bikes with a purpose of trail riding slick. I guess moderation is the word, they probably should be fired occasionally to prove they have points in them and are not some incomplete museum piece. I must admit the short tracker on the ceiling is hollow with no crank or innards but who would know? I do have the parts but that thing was awkward enough to lift up there empty.

Well that's my observations for the day and my opinion for what it's worth.

Maxie

PS--Actually, I'm sicker than the preverbal dog today with the flue and I thought I'd make a report and at least accomplish one thing on this lost day(s). Recovering I think. Ouch.

[matt glascock]

I ride the crap out of all of my Hodakas. That's what they are for. I marvel at the incredible artistry of a lot of the amazing restorations (Day One Project comes immediately to mind) here and appreciate the $1,000s in parts, fabrications and man-hours that are involved. I respect that. I, on the other hand, look at them more as they were originally intended - a REALLY fun way to move across terrain REALLY fast. I also get a huge kick out of the thought of my grand son some day riding my 100 year-old Road Toad to work. Cool.

[hodakamax]

Well, you do have a point there!

Max

PS--but you don't want to use up the last biplane (or the pilot for that matter.)

Just jousting!

[matt glascock]

And with a sharp and well-aimed lance, Max. I'm pretty sure my biplanes will outlast this pilot as I maintain them just as frequently as I ride them. I'm getting my daughter hooked as well so their future is bright indeed. YoYo Ma constantly plays the living daylights out of a 250 year-old Stradivarius 'cello crafted out of 400 year-old wood. Speaking of biplanes, you might be interested in this. There was a gentleman from my hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa named Charles R. D'Olive. He flew for the LaFayette Escadrille during WW I. He was the last official Flying Ace of WW I. He was credited with his 5th official aerial victory after the remains of the pilot and downed plane were located after the armistice based on his description and number of the plane, a Fokker D VII, and the account and coordinates of the area of the dogfight. He flew a SPAD XIII. He autographed to me a print of a painting depicting the victory and a copy of the acknowledgement of the 5th victory signed by the other Captain Eddie (Rickenbacker) elevating him to Ace status. It is one of my most cherished possessions.

[taber hodaka]

It would hurt to see a restored Hodaka sunk to the bottom of a mud pit. There is a difference between reconditioned, restored and then you have museum / show quality. You can spend allot of money on custom paint verses spray can, no plus or minus to either. Show quality is far superior to a mass produced, item detail and finish is considered in each and every part. So ride and enjoy the fun machine and keep the fun machine running. WE banged up more motorcycles hauling them in the back of the pickup truck with a few tires stuffed in between them. I am intrigued by all. -------------Clarence

[hodakamax]

I think I may have reached a well balanced equilibrium with by present Hodaka collection. The museum grade era short tracker which is on display in my living room represents an incredible fun time of my life and it's on display for me (not necessarily others) as a cherished possession. No other material object better represents that part of my life. Of course I could live without it or store it away hidden or worse yet in pieces for my descendants to find and throw away. This one is definitely not going to see the track again at least in my life and hopefully will become a museum piece for the Hodaka name and experience. It's a good example of the day and it makes me smile almost daily.

So much for museum bikes, their mission is preserving history. My next piece in the collection also has special meaning but can still be a rider or even a competition machine. I brought it home from the grave on a whim almost fifty years after my racing career supposedly ended. My theory has always been that Hodakas were made to be modified except for historical examples. I began to restore it as a Vintage legal cross country racer and even raced it in a National Cross Country race at age 72 that my wife calls "The Last Great Race" which was good for the sole but not the body. It's still a rider but strangely I don't. The last ride was the LGR.

Maybe that's why I started the last project to entertain me and actually build a rider. As all my projects the Day One project soon got out of control and almost became "too nice to ride". I sometimes get art and function mixed up or at least mixed together. It did win best of show on its first time out and it probably will got a few more shows this year to try to improve my lost ego which comes with age. I think this one will actually hit the trails and should be a fun bike.

Well, that's my writing for the day. I am feeling better after battling the plague the last few days and it appears that I will survive.

I'm thankful that I have you victims to read my writings. Carry on!

Maxie

PS--I guess I should mention my last bike which is a 1980 Yamaha XS-650 cafe racer that is equally impractical. It shakes and makes imitation Triumph sounds which can also make me smile. Vintage for sure. Like me.

[hodakamax]

And with a sharp and well-aimed lance, Max. I'm pretty sure my biplanes will outlast this pilot as I maintain them just as frequently as I ride them. I'm getting my daughter hooked as well so their future is bright indeed. YoYo Ma constantly plays the living daylights out of a 250 year-old Stradivarius 'cello crafted out of 400 year-old wood. Speaking of biplanes, you might be interested in this. There was a gentleman from my hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa named Charles R. D'Olive. He flew for the LaFayette Escadrille during WW I. He was the last official Flying Ace of WW I. He was credited with his 5th official aerial victory after the remains of the pilot and downed plane were located after the armistice based on his description and number of the plane, a Fokker D VII, and the account and coordinates of the area of the dogfight. He flew a SPAD XIII. He autographed to me a print of a painting depicting the victory and a copy of the acknowledgement of the 5th victory signed by the other Captain Eddie (Rickenbacker) elevating him to Ace status. It is one of my most cherished possessions.

Wow! A good story on the old Ace getting the #5 Fokker D VII and you having an autographed copy of the victory. Did you happen to see this D VII under "Old Man Going North" post that Clarence makes me write about? This is the very last show that I was talking about and even though I think it's a replica, it's well done. How often do two different people discuss Fokkers on a motorcycle forum and even the exact model? Just sayin'.

Max

[matt glascock]

Other than you and me, Maxie, I'd guess never. I did see that post. The D VII was a good plane but not as good as the SPAD sXIII. It was about 30 MPH slower, but more forgiving. The SPAD had a bit better climb rate and could outperform the D VII in a dive. One big drawback with the SPAD was that it was relatively heavy and very difficult to land "dead stick". I'll see if I can get a good picture of Mr. d'Olive in action and post it. I think you'd dig it.

Best,

MAtt

[SuperRat01]

Motorcycles or planes, the older I get the more I appreciate the beauty of vintage things. To me, the finest looking bikes have already been built. Dirt bikes today don't even have a recognizable fuel tank. I like the big metal fuel tanks of the old school bikes. I also, like many of you, love to ride dirt bikes. However, this Super Rat that I have restored, has sentimental value. I would not sell it for ANY amount of money. It nearly killed me in
1977 and it altered the course of my life. I've had it so long it is part of me. This is why I have decided that it is just for show. Nowadays, if I want to ride the back roads or go in the mud, I fire up the ole Road Toad that has yet to be restored. Someday I will pass these on to my grandkids and who knows if they will ride them or show them, but by then, I may not even care. Linc

[hodakamax]

Linc, I think I agree with your (our) thinking. Bikes for memories, bikes for riding, we can have both. Possessions that preserve memories are probably good for our well being. Things from the past remind us of paths taken. All material objects of course, but they do supply with a feeling of "well being" is the term. Motorcycling is not just riding but the whole experience owning, building, fixing, social interaction with like minded people (as in the Forum), adventures, history, along with skills and lessons learned. And that's just a few of the benefits of our passions, whatever they may be.

Ok, just philosophizing today.

Max

[matt glascock]

I think you guys have really drilled down on the very essence of why enjoying the pursuit of our passions while also preserving the past is not only cool. Its important. By keeping one foot in the past and one in the present we can be custodians of coolness that can be enjoyed well into the future - long beyond our lifetimes. Charles d'Olive was an unassuming man from a small town in Iowa and likely a mostly forgotten footnote in military history who managed to shoot down 5 Fokker D VIIs from the skies over France and not get himself killed in the process a hundred years ago. Right now, we might just be the only people on the planet considering his accomplishments. Hodaka is a motorcycle company that has been defunct for nearly 40 years. We enjoy, preserve, restore, ride, and race them to this day. They also serve as a living reminder of our own youth. What's the connection between Charles d'Olive and Hodaka? Without folks like us, both would end up in the junk yards and landfills and dusty old bookshelves of the forgotten. Not on my watch.

Anachronistically yours,

Matt

PS: SuperRat01, I couldn't agree more with your comparison of modern bikes to vintage ones. Ditto for cars, boats, houses, stereos...hell, everything!

[hodakamax]

Well spoken.

[mac]

That is very well spoken Matt.That is the exact reason that I will always hang on to my old bikes.I just could not put it into words as well as you have.