The Hodaka Club Forum

Hello everyone,

Today I bought my first two Hodakas. Going to pick them up next Sunday (BIG drive). I've done a little reading and research on these bikes I bought... One appears to be a 1973 Combat Wombat (95). The second bike is an Ace 100 (92). My uncles used to race motocross and raced a lot of different Hodakas when they were young. They have been pretty awesome to me and helpful trying to help me get better at racing myself over the years so this is my little way to sort of thank them for everything they've done for me. I've been secretly searching for pictures of their old bikes to try to find out what bikes they had and my goal is to restore one...not to original, but to the way theirs was when they raced it. Same modifications, same numbers, same decals, all that. So, I somehow managed to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and bought both of these bikes from the same owner as a pair. I don't really NEED two, but what can I say...the fact there was two made the deal a bit more inciting.

The owner of the bikes got these from his brother in law who was the original owner. He passed away last year. I made a promise to the seller that I would restore them and not flip them in a week, or part them out. I think it means a lot to him since he couldn't fix them up like his brother in law was trying to do. My local motocross track has a vintage class and I plan to race it with my uncle's old numbers and all that, so I am going to send the seller and his family pictures of them assembled, restored, and being ridden.

I'm new to Hodaka's but I've been riding dirt bikes for 12 years and racing quite a while as well. (I'm 18....in 10 days) I've done a few other projects as well so I'm pretty good with working on bikes and have at least a basic understanding of everything and how to fix it. The stuff I don't know I am willing to learn. I've already restored a 1972 CT70 and a 1969 Z50 (still in the process). I am not too familiar with these cool bikes so I may need your knowledge and advice! I have a feeling these will only be the first of many Hodaka's in my garage. Such awesome bikes with some style!!

Below are some pictures....Also comes with that set of Alloy rims, Someone offered 400 for the rims alone and I don't even have it in my possesion yet. What's the big deal with them?? And If anyone can tell me something additional about these bikes or provide some knowledge about them, feel free to share pictures of yours, or anything, it'd be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Aaron

I don't see anything really intimidating in your pictures. Looks like two very nice project bikes. The engines are the heart and soul, so those need to be checked carefully, but if there is an easier bike to work on than Hodaka, I haven't found it, and I used to work for Honda and Yamaha. In a different century, of course. They are durable and reliable. Might end up spending some cash, but that's what money is for. Get a manual and begin.

Welcome Aaron! You have a couple of excellent scooters there to start with. I appreciate your wanting to honor your uncles by bringing back some surely fond memories. Very cool....I personally am glad when "young" blood enters the vintage world to help keep motorcycle history alive!

The CW rims are what came on the bike are originally so that's a good thing. They are shouldered Akront rims and while they were (are) prone to gathering mud,muck, etc., they are still desirable in the VMX world and necessary for a correct early CW restoration.

We appreciate pictures and will share any knowledge and assistance you might need along the way. BTW, where are you located? There might be someone in your neck of the woods right here!

Arizona Shorty, Glad to hear they are easy to work on!!! Oh yea, I got some cash to spend. I work full-time and am putting full time college on hold. That gives me cash and time to figure out what I want to do with my life. I was looking into McPherson College in Kansas, for Auto and Motorcycle Restoration....Just don't want to make it a "job" and take the fun out of it. Taking online classes to get some ge eds done while working. Making pretty good money, so let the fun begin! Plus I'm young...truck is payed off, pay my phone, insurance and all that....no family to support at my age so this is my time to play around with these cool bikes!....til mom kicks me out!!!! Haha!

Charlie, Oh yea! These bikes have so much more style than the new bikes I race. Not sure how kids my age are overlooking these bikes! My dirt bike (2013 Honda CRF250R) is all plastic!!! No chrome! If it shines, it's loud, and moves fast, I'm interested! Chrome gas tank?....It's going to end up in my garage! Hahaha! So these rims are stock? I think it's the Ace's rims that are supposed to be the special ones. I guess they have new tires on them also. Doesn't look like a very aggressive tread, maybe enduro tires? Also, I'm in Toddville, IA...just north of Cedar Rapids IA.

Thanks to both of you for the kind welcome! This is going to be a blast! Can't wait to get them and rip into them!

Welcome Aaron! The projects look to be quite restorable. I'm envious. The last one I did had been ridden to its mechanical death and then thrown outside for decades. I like your idea of restoring one to its racing past. It's fun to restore one to its original condition but it's more fun to modify Hodakas as they were meant to be. As a Hodaka dealer in the late 60s it seemed my mission to be constantly modifying one for more performance and function. After 40+ years I'm at it again! Great times then and now fiddling with Hodakas. Enjoy!

Max

Welcome to the group Aaron. Where are you located? Probably others close to you that you can trade idea (and parts with).
The alloy rims on the CW are the valuable ones as there was not that many put on Hodakas. The Ace rims are shiny chrome but they are pretty available. Both have stainless fenders so that was unique to Hodaka.

Tip 1:
We have an active club of which I am the membership guy. We also have a club website: http://www.hodakaclub.org/ where you can join the club for $24 per year. Check it out as there is available (for members only) on the site 30 previous printings of a quarterly publication called the "Resonator Revisited". Each one is 50 to 70 pages of Hodaka stories, how to articles and just good stuff that will help you get up to date on the latest Hodaka ideas.

Tip 2: Order an owners manual for each of your bikes. Also a workshop manual will give you step by step instruction and pictures of what you are working on at the time.

Tip 3: Ask any question you have on this forum and someone will be able to answer it.

Tip 4: Most of us are just a bunch of nice guys trying to enjoy a little of our past.

Again Welcome!

hodakamax wrote:Welcome Aaron! The projects look to be quite restorable. I'm envious. The last one I did had been ridden to its mechanical death and then thrown outside for decades. I like your idea of restoring one to its racing past. It's fun to restore one to its original condition but it's more fun to modify Hodakas as the were meant to be. As a Hodaka dealer in the late 60s it seemed my mission to be constantly modifying one for more performance and function. After 40+ years I'm at it again! Great times then and now fiddling with Hodakas. Enjoy!

Max

Max,
You bet there will be some performance modifications! I want it to look like my Uncle's bikes and all, but I also want it to be powerful enough to make me a competitor in the vintage class! I'm pretty competitive and in my opinion, If you're gonna race for fun, race to win! As long as the competition doesn't take the fun out of it. That's pretty awesome you were a Hodaka dealer! Thanks for the welcome!!!

bchappy wrote:Welcome to the group Aaron. Where are you located? Probably others close to you that you can trade idea (and parts with).
The alloy rims on the CW are the valuable ones as there was not that many put on Hodakas. The Ace rims are shiny chrome but they are pretty available. Both have stainless fenders so that was unique to Hodaka.

Tip 1:
We have an active club of which I am the membership guy. We also have a club website: http://www.hodakaclub.org/ where you can join the club for $24 per year. Check it out as there is available (for members only) on the site 30 previous printings of a quarterly publication called the "Resonator Revisited". Each one is 50 to 70 pages of Hodaka stories, how to articles and just good stuff that will help you get up to date on the latest Hodaka ideas.

Tip 2: Order an owners manual for each of your bikes. Also a workshop manual will give you step by step instruction and pictures of what you are working on at the time.

Tip 3: Ask any question you have on this forum and someone will be able to answer it.

Tip 4: Most of us are just a bunch of nice guys trying to enjoy a little of our past.

Again Welcome!

Bchappy,
I'll definitely have to look into the membership! Do any articles have anything on the history of Hodaka's too? I'm definitely interested in learning about the differences between the models and what the issues were with each and the strengths of each and all that stuff! Where can I get an owners manual and shop manual? That could definitely come in handy. Does Strictly Hodaka have them on their site? Can't find it on their site but I could be looking in the wrong places.

Thanks for the tips!!
Aaron

Aaron, your project is interesting to me in two ways. First, the Combat Wombat (95) was the last bike I ordered and rode (a lot) before I sold my Hodaka/Maico business in the early 70s. Secondly 40+ years later I found a grim 94A in a barn with a racing past. I restored it into a vintage racer and did "The Last Great Race" (maybe) last year at the ISDTRR cross country in Oklahoma last year at 72 years old. I will be fun to watch your project from that perspective.

Lastly, my return after decades has led me to the Forum where I have met many fun, helpful and interesting people. I'm also a member of the Hodaka Club and read and contribute to their quarterly newsletter called the Resonator. The Resonator library is available online to club members and has miles of history, adventures and technical articles from past to present.

Again,

Max

PS--I think I fall under Tip 4.

Go to the Strictly Hodaka home page and there is a button at the very top right where you can search. My browser does not open the little window until you actually click on the magnifying glass. Type "manual" and all the manuals will come up (4 pages of them.) The owners manuals all have parts schematics and the orange shop manual is the latest one (I think) however both your models are near the same as far as how things work.

Check out the book shown on the home page called *The Hodaka Book- The real Hodaka story". It had the most research done and is the latest production about the Hodaka history and all the models are covered.

Aaron I live down the road from McPherson College. It's a pretty cool college! A lot of guys that go to school there sound like they have the same outlook as you. Every year they have 1 or 2 car/bike shows, people from all over come to it (like Jay Leno). It is pretty cool to see the young and the old come together with a common interest. On hodakamax's comment about restoring a bike, I restored a '98 SuperRat and it came out pretty right but now I am afraid to ride it for fear of tearing it up. So now I have a '93 SuperRat that I am trying to put it back together with the modifications we used back then so it will be a rider.

Jeff

Just my point of view, but for purposes of building a competitive machine, I would focus on the Combat Wombat, but not the 100B. Here's why: the 100B was a mild mannered street/trail bike of very modest power, and it seems that you have in hand most, if not all, of its pieces. The 100B would be a good candidate for restoration at whatever level of detail you prefer, and when done, you will have a nice street/trail bike with mild manners.

The Combat Wombat was intended as a competition machine of sorts. More aimed at woods or scrambles perhaps, but the details of the bike suggest off road riding with an edge. As built, it isn't the fastest bike on the planet. But, it is a very nice platform for performance upgrades, and can be readily made into a race bike. Many have done so already, so it is a known pathway and not all that hard to do. Plus, the CW has many advantages over the 100B as a starting point for vintage moto, including more power out of the box, longer wheelbase, better suspension, stronger gearbox, stronger chain drive train, and may even be lighter.

I recently completed a long term modification to my one-owner 100B which I have in the past raced both as a 100cc and as a 125cc with a Webco conversion kit from back in the early 70's. So many changes were made to the frame and suspension over the years that reciting them would put everyone to sleep. Now, three inches longer and converted more or less to Super Combat configuration, it is a competitive machine. But to put it simply, I re-engineered the frame in order to do this, and installed a Super Combat engine to boot. It isn't really a 100B anymore, and it took a year to do the most recent changes.

Starting with the CW, however, you already have for the most part the frame you need, and the suspension is already in the ballpark for vintage purposes. After cleaning everything up, and verifying condition, you can focus on the engine and carburetion where most of your power is going to come from, and you will know that you already have a framework that will handle it all. It won't be necessary to change how it looks, which follows your stated purposes of restoring to original looks. If you seriously modify the 100B, it will never look like a 100B again, and you will have a box of parts you won't be using. The best you could hope for would be to turn it into a Super Rat, which is fun to be sure, but it won't look like it used to.

So I would make a daily rider out of the 100B, and a sleeper out of the Combat Wombat.

I hate to be the killjoy, but the engine from your Combat Wombat looks suspiciously like an iron barreled Wombat engine. The Wombat engine has one major difference that prevents it from being a drop in replacement, this being that the Combat Wombat pipe will not mate to the Wombat cylinder. The alternative would be to find a Combat Wombat top end, but they are a getting a little hard to find.

Regardless, you will have a great time tinkering with these old bikes!

Max has a very nicely modified Wombat with an aftermarket pipe, so he will be a good source of info for mods to your bike.

Brian

P.S. There is a Wombat for sale in the marketplace section that has a Combat Wombat motor and pipe. It's not mine, but it is a runner and has a lot of the parts you will need to make a really nice Combat Wombat.

Aaron,

Post some close up shots of the 125 engine, including the engine number. While it is very easy to swap top ends and bottom ends, at least the number will tell us which engine cases you have. The bore dimension of the carb is also instructive. Let's see where you are at in the engine department, and go from there.

bchappy wrote:Go to the Strictly Hodaka home page and there is a button at the very top right where you can search. My browser does not open the little window until you actually click on the magnifying glass. Type "manual" and all the manuals will come up (4 pages of them.) The owners manuals all have parts schematics and the orange shop manual is the latest one (I think) however both your models are near the same as far as how things work.

Check out the book shown on the home page called *The Hodaka Book- The real Hodaka story". It had the most research done and is the latest production about the Hodaka history and all the models are covered.

Thanks, I did see that Hodaka book by Paul I believe?...I'll have to order it soon!! 192 pages of pure info or so I hear...

Aaron, look what you've started! The Gang (with a capitol G) is ready to assist you in building a racer! AZ is right on about restoring the 100 to a more stock configuration and making a racer from the CW. It does appear that you may have a 94 iron cylinder which is what I'm using now with a reed valve. I'm working on a CW 95 cylinder for it as we speak but I've not been disappointed with the iron one. I didn't see a CW exhaust in your box of goodies and if you don't you can purchase lighter and higher performance one such as the HT3 from Strictly Hodaka that from here on we will refer to as "Paul". It all sounds like fun to me!

Max

gskaw wrote:Aaron I live down the road from McPherson College. It's a pretty cool college! A lot of guys that go to school there sound like they have the same outlook as you. Every year they have 1 or 2 car/bike shows, people from all over come to it (like Jay Leno). It is pretty cool to see the young and the old come together with a common interest. On hodakamax's comment about restoring a bike, I restored a '98 SuperRat and it came out pretty right but now I am afraid to ride it for fear of tearing it up. So now I have a '93 SuperRat that I am trying to put it back together with the modifications we used back then so it will be a rider.

Jeff

Jeff,
I went to check the school out last winter. I liked it a lot, but the reasons I'm not going there all 4 years, or this year at least is because total cost for each year is about 34,000 which is tuition, books, and dorm....YIKES! They offered me a scholarship for my grades which is $14,500 off each year, but that's still 60,000!!! I asked how many actual classes I'd be taking and was told only 2 restoration classes freshman year. So I said to heck with it. I decided to do my gen-eds local at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA and pay $7,000 a year and finish all of that so when I go...(assuming my plans don't change) I can take 2 years of just restoration classes and get my degree. I am honestly only interested in muscle cars, older trucks, and sports cars, but all styles and ages of motorcycles. I just really like bikes more than cars. The biggest reason is I'm 17, I don't have a ton of cash for something like that. As I'm sure you all know, it takes a LOT more $ to restore a car than a motorcycle. I mean, most the project cars I'd want to restore cost more as a project than a fully restored bike I've finished. Some day I might be cruisin' around in a Plymouth Superbird, but not for a looonnnggg time! Their motorcycle restoration classes seemed a little lacking. A few Honda Dreams, a Triumph Tiger, A BSA, and an indian frame was all they had. Not to impressive to me considering I've got my own Honda Benly 150 "baby dream". The bikes they had just weren't too exciting to me. Most of the classes for a Auto Restoration degree are the same as a Motorcycle Restoration degree. There are a few classes about motorcycle motors that are different and things like that, but not much. That scared me off a bit as well. We'll see what the future holds. Everyone there seemed very nice and seems like they know what they are doing, just not sure I want to dive in to something like restoration that is so pricey and has such limited jobs, especially in the midwest. And also, McPherson had the NICEST Walmart I've ever been in!!

I did that with my CT70, Made it PERFECT! I was almost afraid to ride it too!! And it's a little bike! I want to avoid that with these. I'll clean em up, maybe paint the frame, and basically just get em going and clean what is there as best I can.

Aaron

hodakamax wrote:Aaron, your project is interesting to me in two ways. First, the Combat Wombat (95) was the last bike I ordered and rode (a lot) before I sold my Hodaka/Maico business in the early 70s. Secondly 40+ years later I found a grim 94A in a barn with a racing past. I restored it into a vintage racer and did "The Last Great Race" (maybe) last year at the ISDTRR cross country in Oklahoma last year at 72 years old. I will be fun to watch your project from that perspective.

Lastly, my return after decades has led me to the Forum where I have met many fun, helpful and interesting people. I'm also a member of the Hodaka Club and read and contribute to their quarterly newsletter called the Resonator. The Resonator library is available online to club members and has miles of history, adventures and technical articles from past to present.

Again,

Max

PS--I think I fall under Tip 4.

Max, That's really awesome! Hopefully you all will approve of what I do to it! Haha!

I just think it's so cool how the internet makes it possible for me to contact you all. I'd be in the dark on these bikes if it wasn't for the internet! I'm not a fan of all of the internet's uses and I try my best to avoid social media...which is hard at my age, but boy does the internet have it's benefits! So glad this forum is out there for me to talk to you all!

I'm thinking I'll have to joining the Hodaka Club. I can't think of a reason why I shouldn't!!!

Aaron

I will get some pictures of the motors and post them up!

gskaw wrote:Aaron I live down the road from McPherson College. It's a pretty cool college! A lot of guys that go to school there sound like they have the same outlook as you. Every year they have 1 or 2 car/bike shows, people from all over come to it (like Jay Leno). It is pretty cool to see the young and the old come together with a common interest. On hodakamax's comment about restoring a bike, I restored a '98 SuperRat and it came out pretty right but now I am afraid to ride it for fear of tearing it up. So now I have a '93 SuperRat that I am trying to put it back together with the modifications we used back then so it will be a rider.

Jeff

Jeff, Max is bad about restoring to non-rideability (is that spelled right?). Motorcycles were made to be ridden. It will restore again even easier. I know what you are saying better than most but enjoy that 98 a bit!

Maxie---

PS--I also live in Kansas. (Parsons)

Kinda funny a few of you are from Kansas...These bikes are coming from Wellsville, KS. The seller is meeting me next Sunday at a Hare Scramble I'll be racing at anyways that's in southwest Iowa.

Here's the pics of the motors....he didn't get any of any numbers on them though.

I think Brian is right, It appears that the bottom two pictures are a 94 Wombat engine, not a 95 Combat Wombat. The lower ends are about the same except for straight cut primary gears in the 95. The 95 has a different piston, cylinder, head and a 28mm carb vs a 24mm for the 94. This is all unfortunate but it's what I started with. It can all be done but it's a much longer path.

Max

hodakamax wrote:I think Brian is right, It appears that the bottom two pictures are a 94 Wombat engine, not a 95 Combat Wombat. The lower ends are about the same except for straight cut primary gears in the 95. The 95 has a different piston, cylinder, head and a 28mm carb vs a 24mm for the 94. This is all unfortunate but it's what I started with. It can all be done but it's a much longer path.

Max

That's alright, I'll see if I can't exchange it for the right motor along with some $. I'll keep you all updated. Good info to know!!!

BrianZ wrote:I hate to be the killjoy, but the engine from your Combat Wombat looks suspiciously like an iron barreled Wombat engine. The Wombat engine has one major difference that prevents it from being a drop in replacement, this being that the Combat Wombat pipe will not mate to the Wombat cylinder. The alternative would be to find a Combat Wombat top end, but they are a getting a little hard to find.

Regardless, you will have a great time tinkering with these old bikes!

Max has a very nicely modified Wombat with an aftermarket pipe, so he will be a good source of info for mods to your bike.

Brian

P.S. There is a Wombat for sale in the marketplace section that has a Combat Wombat motor and pipe. It's not mine, but it is a runner and has a lot of the parts you will need to make a really nice Combat Wombat.

Hey Brian, No problem! Thanks for pointing that out!

I have a friend who owns a motorcycle restoration shop locally here in Iowa who has connections with a lot of guys with Hodaka's and Hodaka parts. One specific guy has loads of Hodaka goodies. He RARELY sells and only to certain people. I was told he'd only sell to me If I go with my buddy that he already knows and I bring the bike(s) so he can see where the part is going to know why you want it or he won't sell it. My buddy made it sound to me like if there are any parts that are incorrect, he'd almost definitely do a trade for the right parts with cash on either end if he's got them. I hear he's got over 200 Super Rats alone in a warehouse!!! Hopefully he'll have a combat wombat motor I'll be able to buy! Do motor numbers need to match the frame?

Any of you know a rough value of either of these bikes assembled and running? (Not talking perfect, just rideable and decent running shape) I've heard REALLY nice titled Ace 100's go for 1500 or so and a perfect Combat Wombat will go for 3500-4000. Are these prices even close? I'm not planning to do anything that extensive, just trying to figure out how deep I'll be into them.

Also, can you post a link to the bike with the combat wombat motor? I only see 3 bikes in the market place.

Aaron