1976 Hodaka Road Toad, Stuck KickStarter

[Pops76]

Hi Guys,
I recently acquired my Dads 1976 hodaka road toad that he bought brand new.
They recently moved and It sat in their shed for the past 15+ years.
I thought it would be a great gift to try and fix it up to its previous 1976 glory for him.

I tried kick starting it, and the kick starter is stuck.
I pulled the spark plug and put a little bit of oil inside the cylinder, thinking that it might be stuck after sitting so many years.
I'm going to leave it sitting over night.

I don't have much experience when it comes to working on motorcycles.
And zero experience when it comes to working on this machine.

Any help would be much appreciated!
thanks,

[matt glascock]

For one, the kick crank in on backwards. It folds inward to stow right behind the cylinder and swings out to kick. The rings might be frozen to the cylinder wall. Fill the cylinder with a good penetrating oil and set it sit for a few days, see it if will move, let it sit, try it again, etc. Even if you get it to move, it should undergo an overhaul before being put into service. It has been sitting for a long time.

[olddogs]

Do not use the kick starter to try and free up a stuck piston, Vital hard to service parts can be damaged if too much force is used. Rocking the bike in gear or using rotating force back and forth on the flywheel or clutch may free it up, unless your dad seized it up before he parked it in the shed. That was the fate of many a Toad.

[viclioce]

Your best bet is to pull the motor out and pull the cylinder head. This will tell you if it’s the rings frozen to the cylinder wall. It could also be a broken kick shaft bearing retainer and a piece of the retainer is broken off and stuck in the transmission gears.

You are likely going to need to split the cases anyway, in order to put in new seals & bearings.

If it’s the rings, spray the piston down with PB Blaster, or buy a better working product cslked Knocker Loose. It’s a penetrant designed for this use. Just don’t force things. If it stays stuck, bring it to a machine shop and have them free the rings for you and remove the cylinder.

Then contact Terry Larson at Hodaka-Parts.com. Road Toad pistons aren’t currently available (unless you get lucky and find someone who has one in the next oversize you need. But a Midel 93 reeded Super Rat will work in it. That’s what I have in mine now, thanks to Terry & Hodaka Dave did the machining & fitnent. I mailed Hodaka-Parts my cylinder and Hodaka Dave did a great job! It arrived back to me ready to install. I rebuilt the bottom end while I waited for the cylinder and when I put it back together, it started on the second kick! Victor

[Pops76]

For one, the kick crank in on backwards. It folds inward to stow right behind the cylinder and swings out to kick. The rings might be frozen to the cylinder wall. Fill the cylinder with a good penetrating oil and set it sit for a few days, see it if will move, let it sit, try it again, etc. Even if you get it to move, it should undergo an overhaul before being put into service. It has been sitting for a long time.

The kickstarter rotated all the way around when I pulled the cover off. I'll get some Deepcreep and pour it in there later today.
Is there an overhaul kit for these engines?

[Pops76]

Your best bet is to pull the motor out and pull the cylinder head. This will tell you if it’s the rings frozen to the cylinder wall. It could also be a broken kick shaft bearing retainer and a piece of the retainer is broken off and stuck in the transmission gears.

You are likely going to need to split the cases anyway, in order to put in new seals & bearings.

If it’s the rings, spray the piston down with PB Blaster, or buy a better working product cslked Knocker Loose. It’s a penetrant designed for this use. Just don’t force things. If it stays stuck, bring it to a machine shop and have them free the rings for you and remove the cylinder.

Then contact Terry Larson at Hodaka-Parts.com. Road Toad pistons aren’t currently available (unless you get lucky and find someone who has one in the next oversize you need. But a Midel 93 reeded Super Rat will work in it. That’s what I have in mine now, thanks to Terry & Hodaka Dave did the machining & fitnent. I mailed Hodaka-Parts my cylinder and Hodaka Dave did a great job! It arrived back to me ready to install. I rebuilt the bottom end while I waited for the cylinder and when I put it back together, it started on the second kick! Victor

Is there a good guide on how to pull that all apart? Or is it pretty simple when i dive into it.
I've worked on all my cars, and previously a older Suzuki DR250, but that just needed a carb clean and brakes redone.

[Pops76]

Thanks for the help so far.
If you can't tell i'm excited and ready to learn on this project!
I just want to have a clear idea in my head as to what direction it needs to go.
It seems the general consensus is, to pull the motor and try to free up the piston if that is indeed what is stuck.
I was looking at the website hodaka-parts.com seeing if there is a rebuild kit and I'm not sure what engine this bike has.
http://hodaka-parts.com/sub-category.as ... 5&cID=1751

thanks guys! and I'm glad this forum is still active for noobs like me to post on.

[matt glascock]

Yours looks to be a Model 99 Road Toad. The link you attached shows the proper overhaul kits. The same rebuild kit works for both the Model 99 and 02 Road Toads so ya just can't go wrong. Good fun coming your way.

[viclioce]

There are no Road Toad Service manuals. There is the parts manual. Or you can use the Wombat manual available from Terry. Pretty much covers the inside of the tranny.

I’ve done 7 Hodaka bottom end rebuilds so far, including 2 Road Toads. You can private message me with questions if you have them. Victor