The Hodaka Club Forum

As we speak, I'm loading two bikes for the "Dawg Daze Car Show" in Parsons Kansas. They have motorcycle classes. The temperature heat index is to be 107. My wife is driving the truck with the 94A aboard while I'll be driving the 1980 Yamaha XS-650 nine miles on the back roads. My wife who is a Graphic Artist has designed some posters for the show that I thought everyone might get a laugh out of. I'll try to give a report tonight if we don't cook!

Later,

Max and Eweleen

Nice job on the bikes and have fun at the show!

Can you post a picture of the Yamaha without that old geezer on it?

Brian

Brian, I'll try to find a shot tomorrow of the Yamaha without the old guy, whoever he was. What a fun bike. It rips and sounds like an old Triumph and even leaks oil on your foot just like they did. Anyway the show was a hoot and we did well. It was a cooker as the weatherman predicted but we all survived. The XS-650 won first in the custom class. It always does well. The 94A even got second in its class. It's important to me to support our local show so I always try to bring something. The fun part was unloading the Hodaka. A small crowd gathered round and began asking questions. Everyone in my age group told stories about owning their first Hodaka. It seemed everyone of that era had one or knew someone who did. It was the same on the Yamaha, nearly a half a million were produced over a period of several years. In that era almost every motorcyclist had one. I must say the Hodaka stole the show as for questions asked.
The car guys put on a great show. They even produced their own trophies, no two alike. Check out the Custom bike trophy built from motorcycle parts and even hand pin-striped. It was a fun day indeed!

Maxie

OK Brian, here's a shot of the XS-650 without that guy. Funny story on the bike. It's not actually something I'd buy and restore. One of my lifelong friends purchased the bike used in the '80s. He also bought a sidecar to install on it. Looking at the paperwork it appears that he only put about 500 miles on it. (It still has under 9000 miles on the clock.) It then languished in his garage for decades. I visit him a few times a year and kept after him to make something out each time I visited. Street Tracker, cafe racer, anything, I'll help! I sent him sources of ideas and asked about each time we conversed on the phone. I had given up. John drove up from Oklahoma for my 70th birthday and presented me with the title! He did keep the sidecar. The engine was sound but the rest was typical of years of storage and ravages of time. Strange how oil, grease and dirt all turn to a product resembling concrete. Lotsa hours in this one. Another money pit of course but it was a fun project!

Maxie

P.S. The front brake rotor has been updated and front turn signals added since this picture.(More$$$$)

Ya it is fun going to shows and showing off your accomplishment. I wish I had a $1 for everyone who walks up to you and says "I had one of those when I was a kid". Brings back memories. Its kind of neat that there is more and more dirt bikes in the shows.

Really nice looking bike Maxie! If you enjoyed building the bike it's not a money pit, as there are a lot worse things you could have spent the money on. I was briefly into Triumph twins in the 80's, so I appreciate the look of the Yamaha 650's, and your bike looks the part.

Brian

gskaw, Wow, nice machine! I must say it's hard to keep a dirt bike show quality. Mine had been raced once after the picture was taken. I had to repaint the pipe and retouch the frame among other things. I think talking to the people and hearing their "motorcycle past" stories is the best part of shows. I usually only do one a year if nothing else just to get the bikes shiny again. Thanks for sharing the picture! I'd seen the picture of the bike but without you in it as I recall. It's nice to put a face on people!

Max