The 2 the Max Project

[matt glascock]

I'd say if the Amal was your go-to high performance carburetor in the day, it will be just as much so today. There are also a lot of other variables to consider such as any planned modifications to the induction system, engine porting, ignition, and performance enhancements to the carburetor itself such as flow-direction vanes. I would suspect that the most applicable high performance technology for vintage 2-stroke motors occurred before there was such things as "vintage 2-stroke motors". That evolutionary process ground to a halt with the introduction of more sophisticated ignition systems, fuel injection, water cooling, power valves, and the more wide-spread use of 4-stroke motors. That's my 0.02.

[taber hodaka]

My early day racer ran better with the Amal it was tested by Harry and he formulated the jetting for it. It did wear out quickly, in my opinion --------------Clarence

[hodakamax]

I should throw in the fact that there are no rules on this project. It's to keep me out of trouble my wife jokingly says. I'm also not off to start a new research project to re-invent the wheel and Hodaka or set land speed records. It should loosely follow the rules of vintage as it is vintage. So am I for that matter. My master plan revolves around the theme that Hodakas were designed to be modified. It started the day I bought my first Ace 90. It should be somewhat show quality because taking bikes to shows is also fun. Multi-purpose I say. One could even ride it!

Goals make projects fun and provide direction and innovation. One problem is that I have several of these finished projects filling up the shop. A GPS timed top speed attempt with old technology could be fun. One Last Great Race? Nah, I'd better say I'd done that. A couple of times actually. One can only have so many Last Great Races. A show bike. Always a fun day at shows particularly at different places and agendas. I guess it makes me socially acceptable in motorcycle circles or at least I hope so. A social thing. All justifications and even something to improve my amateur writing career.

Sometimes you have to ask yourself why you are building this thing? Entertainment? Social graces? Self esteem? Fun? Fun is getting closer but I think it's all of the above plus problem solving never hurt anyone especially as I age. Brain exercise is good. Tool use is good.

Thoughts for the day---

Maxie

[matt glascock]

Don't forget being an educational resource for the rest of us. The finished product is cool, but the process, the decision points, and the problem solving maneuvers from concept to completion are WAAAAAY cool.

[hodakamax]

Kinda off subject but I'm never satisfied with coatings or finish of Hodaka side covers. Paint looks good for a while but takes some hits and begins to chip. Even more off subject is frame paint. Powder coat looks really good but damage repair is difficult. I'm kinda in the rattle can world of something repairable for the masses namely me. Back to side cases. I really like the prototype blasted look. I usually blast the side cases and spray with WD-40 and wipe them before a race or even a ride. They clean up nicely with cycle cleaners and look good with another wipe down of WD-40. I've been using a Krylon paint product labeled Metallics. A flat aluminum paint that sprays on smooth, dries quickly and is easily retouched or sprayed, somewhat durable. I use it on fabbed steel brackets and metallic refurbed fasteners and parts like brake plate braces and such. It dries to a really nice flat aluminum and has become a part of my restorations.

I've tried re-painting side covers, blasted covers, black side covers, polished side covers, all somewhat temporary. The next test is a blasted side cover with a coat of Krylon flat Aluminum coating. The test I sprayed on this head looks good, not that you would use it on a head or other hot parts, but really doesn't look too bad. The plus is that it retouches easily and if you can remove it with carb or brake cleaner if you don't like it. I've got some extra cases in the blast pile and will test this idea soon. Hopefully this will give us another option for proper or at least repairable side cover coatings or finishes.

Max

[racerclam]

Max I don't know what your porting consists of but a 100 ported decently can surely handle a 34mm carb and with the of venture dividers and a UFO it will behave small and perform big here is an example picture . Last month a customer of mine set a world record at Bonneville for 50cc with a Honda NS 50 that I ported as well as did carbs for him , I built a 24mm and a 28mm , he ran with the 24mm , He made the first run at 94.5 mph and the second at 89.5 mph and the averaged it at 91.5mph which beat the old record of 85.7 . A notable mention was that the customer said with my carb getting rolling of the line was mush easier and clutch slipping was not needed as with the old set up he ran last year. Also he was clocked at 97mph past the traps. He is working with the 28mm carb this weekend on the dyno for next year. I'm waiting for pictures and testimonial from him to post on my web site.

Rich

[hodakamax]

Thanks Rich. Cool stuff. I was hoping for your input. The engine is quite a ways out in my slow project but gathering up ideas is part of of the deal.

Max

[Bill2001]

On painting engine parts:
The Beemer has a natural sand-cast finish, unpainted, that weathers to a nice patina. I knock the oil, dirt and mud off with degreaser every couple of years whether it needs it or not.

The painted side cases on the Hodaka seem to be wear items that will chip, scratch and dull, and will need to be repainted every 2-4 years.

The cylinder head is media-blasted and has a light wire-brush on the flat outer fin surfaces as an accent.

The cliche frame finish nowadays is powder coating. Tough, durable but not retouchupable. My preference is s rattle-can epoxy or urethane paint.

My 2c.

[hodakamax]

Interesting story on the new cones for the damaged pipe. Fifty years ago we would take a drawing to the local sheet metal shop and a guy named Gordon would whip you up a set of cones to make a pipe. My old short tracker that I still have hanging around has these specialty parts. Gordo, I called him, retired many years ago and still fiddles in his shop. Wow! Just like the old days, I'm off, taking a pattern to Gordo for cones!

Next it's off to my clever guy Rodney who builds Hot Rods and specialty exhaust. After I showed him the drawings of the cone I figured out he said to add 1/4" on all sides to allow for adjustment. Just for laughs I had Gordo make two cones, One to my specs and one to Rodney's specs. Hopefully mine will fall right in there making my point, well maybe.

In other news, today is the day of the annual Dawg Daze Car Show which this year decided to drop motorcycles citing "lack of interest". Eweleen and I decide to boycott the event for our "lack of interest'' after all our years of participation. New management we think. Things come and go. Not bitter but disappointed in their thinking.

Well, that's my report, things moving along slowly, actually at my pace.

Max

[hodakamax]

Ah, the new rear sets have arrived and all looks well. I still haven't pinned the riding position down to finalize the mounting plates. I was a bit bogged down trying to visualize all of this and having parts in hand really helps. The controls look as advertised, adjustable pivot arms, made by a guy in Arkansas and reasonably priced at $80 with free shipping. I've been shopping shafts, rods and ends for the linkage, all cheap and available. I'm also waiting on the back ordered rear tire which would make the ground clearance to foot peg distance easier to measure.

Maxie

[Bill2001]

I like it...

5c19848a8afaa1e79bbeaf6cf0c7d40c--tv-movie-dwight-schultz.jpg (11.92 KiB) Viewed 8670 times

[hodakamax]

More. I needed a lever on the shifter shaft and after a search saw that many levers were bolted to the shaft. I found an old shaft with damaged splines and threaded over the splines. Behind the splines is a tapered shoulder and the lever was countersunk for more contact and alignment. The lever was fabricated from aluminum and I even drilled a hole in it to make Victor happy. All is solid and seems workable. I need to go to Ace and find a shorter height nut and lock washer. The big nut looks a little clunky so I dressed up the lever a bit for distraction.

Max

[Bill2001]

So the pattern is "up for first" and down moving up thru the gears. And I'll betcha you can move the rearset linkage lever 180* around to get that new-fangled std pattern. I guess you made the linkage lever ratio 1:1 to the input lever throw the same, and know that the lever throw can be modified to larger or smaller than stock to suit prefs.

What is your source of ball (Heim) joints?
ACE hardware has them, and McMaster-Carr prolly has higher quality ones.

Looking good...


Edi-- right, Captn, it is.an ACE 100 shifter. Sometimes I go Ack Basswards.

[Bullfrog]

It looks to me like pressing down on the rear-set shift lever will move the case shift lever forward (up). So this will be a "down-for-first" shift pattern for the rider. Just what was wanted (I think) with the ACE 100 shift cover and the rear-set linkage.

Looking nifty!
Ed

[hodakamax]

Hey Bill, VXB.com has all kinds of joints. I buy bearings from them. I guess I missed the joints at Ace. I'll check it out!

Max

[viclioce]

Wow! Drilling a hole JUST FOR Me!!! LOL! Thanks Max! I'm gonna start using my variable size drill bits for holes, JUST in your honor! And I have this fuel tank I'm thinking about modifying to make it lighter!!! Victor

[Bill2001]

VXB is a top-notch source that
I did not know. Their Heim joints would be much better. They have RH/LH threaded joints for precise adjustment, tho two RH thd'd ones would be adequate and easier to fab.

[viclioce]

Rich! From what kind of material do you make the Venturi dividers, what holds them in place and how do you know where to place them? Victor

[hodakamax]

I guess it's time to fess up and give a report on my seemingly expensive and Italian looking clip on race bars. First of all it's hard to find clip ons for 27mm forks and all were expensive. Ah, E-bay, fits 25-29mm forks with enclosed spacers. Chinese of course, $20, free shipping. I've been fooled before but at twenty bucks, not much to lose in this day and time.

They arrived in about a week and my wife asked me what I ordered from China. They were actually quite cool. Of course they fit 25mm and 29mm forks but not 27mm with enclosed spacers. Another $25 at the machine shop and I'm in business! Reaming split cylindric spacers is not as easy as it sounds and my machinist was easy on me. OK, $45 for Italian looking cool clip ons, Not bad!

Maxie

[Bill2001]

Nice clipons. Can we have an "ah so" ?

[hodakamax]

Here's a mock-up for a steering damper idea from stuff laying around the shop. The front mounting plate will be thicker like 1/4" aluminum and I need to figure out some mount to attach the rear to the frame tube. That's about where the rear needs to be positioned to stay in a plane perpendicular to the rake. Anyone see any fatal flaws or have a better idea? One doesn't want to be shook off at mach speeds.

Maxie

[Bill2001]

I like the steering damper.
The other alternative is on the upper tripple with the rod forward and the eye attached to the upper frame. Do-able because the tank is small and set back. Another alt. is "conventional" with the damper behind the upper tripple and perpendicular to the upper frame tube. Geometry might need odd levers.

I still like your original.

PS-- forgot to attach pic:

DSCN3255.jpg (43.24 KiB) Viewed 8420 times

[hodakamax]

Just a report on getting the damper installed. It's hard to find a bolt to tube mount and even Ace Hardware didn't have such things. I finally found a clutch lever holder with a broken lever. After removing the lever a 1/4" piece of aluminum fit in the lever slot perfect. I then fabricated a plate to bolt to both lever holder and shock. What a bunch of fiddling that was but I finally got everything to line up eventually. I think this will work! I almost looks factory until you figure it out. Yet another problem solved.

Maxie

[viclioce]

Do you have it dampening against the magneto cover? It looks like the dampener piston stops at the case. Tell me it ain’t so! I don’t think you would do that Max! One good Whack, would sure put a hole in the case if that’s the scenario! Set me straight please!!! Victor

[hodakamax]

Hey Victor! All is well. Nine inches to the magneto cover and the travel of the shaft end is only plus or minus one inch. It was like photographing a fisherman's catch close with a wide angle lens and the fish looks bigger, in this case the shock and perspective are exaggerated to fool you! The post of mine above shows the situation better.

Maxie