The Hodaka Club Forum

Thanks Ed, lots of fiddling with the fit on this one. The vertical plane of the rear bracket is close and to adjust it outward you need to grind off material from the inside of the rear bolt boss on the inside of the swingarm (if you can follow all of this.) Everything is tight tolerances. Maybe I should have went with a narrower tire in hindsight, but here I am. OK , I think this is the final on this one. One more hole in the rear non-structural part of the guard and a decal to balance out the design. Felixmuller Racing is a funny story in itself which I'll relate to everybody when I have more time.

Later

Maxie

A bit of filler here, cable routing and bracketry, ignition wired, spark noted, kill switch operational, fuel line and filter installed, vent hose, tool box, and other minor stuff. I borrowed the kick stand from my 94A and it's the perfect length. The seat is now the hold up. Transmission and fork oil and it should be ready for a start! Not too exciting stuff but all necessary.

Minor report--

Max

Max (my pet peeves, cables flopping outside the gas tank on both sides and the shifter in the wrong position). You nailed all of them, and I really like the cable holders, clamps. A work of art. ----------Clarence

Ah, thanks for the compliment Clarence. This has been a really fun project in that there's no hurry on it. It's been over a year since this project was started. It started as a economy project (which didn't last long) to use up some things from the Hodaka shed. It lives in an air conditioned/heated area that I walk by several times a day one the way to my office/small man cave. I see it several times a day and note what needs to be done. It has become a project of problem solving however minor. I'll hate to see this one finished and that's why I keep dragging my feet with silly details. I have gotten out of control on this one but certainly got my share of entertainment. Even the reports are fun. After a few bike shows and perhaps an article, it will eventually return to the trails where all Hodakas belong.

Maxie

Well, I'm on page two again. Time for a little report on the project. My seat guy brought over a mock-up with the stock seat pan but we both agreed it was just too fat looking with the narrow gas tank. Back to the drawing board or at least some visual prototyping. I removed the front bracket from the stock seat pan and modified it to use with the proposed aluminum pan. I'll need to build a bracket for the back that can use the existing seat mounts on the frame. Looks like it will all work. The stock pan was about 10 inches wide and the new one will be just under 7 inches. It should be better for trials use.

That's it for now.

Max

I'm still messing with it. I think this looks better.

Max, you are a true motorcycle artist , that is a beautiful bike. Colors of tank and other details of items are truly a work of art. Even the little details, IE, the handle on the tool box lid. Chain guide, and guard. Great Ideas. I am interested to see it completed, seat and all. Fantastic job. This has been a great journey you have shared with us all. Thank you, Thank you, Bruce Young Hodakaparts.com Idaho

Thanks Bruce, again may I use you as a reference on my next interview? Double thanks!

Maxie

OK, I am out of control on this one but what a fun project this has been. It's kept me out of trouble for over a year now, hate to see it finished! Encouragement just makes me worse.

As long as you are making a seat from scratch, why not extend the front of the seat to overlap the tank a bit in a tapered apron. That might make them blend together.

. . . and would provide an easy (and um, comfortable) way to move your weight forward a bit more for aggressive cornering.
Ed

Hey Greg and Ed, thanks for the input and that's the plan. I'm waiting on the seat guy to look at it and decide how much more pan he needs. It's hard for me to visualize how he's going to fasten the cover in that area. Quoting you guys, I do want it to "blend-in" so I can do "aggressive cornering".

Max

I think I would be careful about making the pan any longer at the front. We used to have the stock Hodaka seat pans covered by a guy in an upholstery shop that made an extension out over the tank. It was about 3 inches long and had about 1.5 inches of "jewel" padding we called it. I don't have a picture of it but it worked wonderfully. Probably similar to the "race seat" Strictly Hodaka advertises.
Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Bill, I think all of us are on the same page on this one. Here's kinda what I had in mind with this quick Photoshop of the proposed seat. A bit crude but it's just an idea. Comments?

Max

That will look and work great.

Max, be careful when you ask for additional thoughts.

I'm thinking the bottom edge of the seat mayhaps ought to cover the frame tubes and forward bracket . . . but matching the bottom line of the tank is going to be difficult.


Ed

Ed, after talking to the seat guy, I think he's going to rivet some L shaped trim that will extend my plate down by 1/2 to 3/4 inches to wrap his material around. I need to get a sample of this L stuff from him and figure this out. That would help along your suggestion to cover more frame. I came up higher in front to show the brace that I worked on to look somewhat cool. We'll get it figured out eventually and I appreciate everyones input!

Maxie

I'm liking the shape of the SH racing seat on Dale Dvorak's Wombat stitching and all on a smaller scale.

Max

Uh-oh - didn't mean to dis your nifty bracket -- I just like a continuing "line" along the bottom of the tank and seat.
Ed

Ok, I found a better shot of the seat and Dale's cool bike. This is kinda what I'm shooting for in design. (and my seat guy is monitoring the Forum for guidance.)

Getting there--

Maxie

Max,
You will not be disappointed in a seat designed like this one. It is really great.

It is funny that you found a better picture of my mini-chain guard than I could produce when needed... I am not sure that you would have noticed it since it is painted black. It is mounted directly above the Jay Roller chain tensioner spring, sharing the same mounting hardware.
Dale

Funny Dale, both pictures were on the Day One thread. I see the chain guard now!

Max

Here's a report of work in progress on the new aluminum seat. The pan was fabricated with 1/8" aluminum sheet. The front bracket was modified from the stock one and a new rear bracket was made. Three trys on bending the rear bracket but I finally prevailed. Time for the seat guy to do his work.

Max

Max I will send my seat pan customers to you. You can make a living making seat pans for Hodaka,s HA HA Bruce

A peek inside the 94A exhaust exit end reveals some internal baffling that looks to be stifling any return waves from the rear convergent cone. The project mission is to produce more torque and all should still be OK. Since this is an experimental exhaust it will need some sort of stinger and this is a start. 1.5" thin exhaust tubing fits perfectly inside the 94A exhaust rear. The stinger was fabricated from 7/8'' conduit. Washers were used for end plates with the 1.5" tubing used as centering caps. A little time on the drill press and it's off to the same clever guy that built the twisty header pipe to weld it all together. He's gotten so enthused with the project that he hasn't even let me pay him lately. I owe him!

Getting there!

Maxie

Max,

Are you intending to pack the new silencer with glass? Either way it will have a bark to it, but without, it will be about the same as a straight pipe. Workmanship looks very good. Let us know how it functions.