The Hodaka Club Forum

After a Hodaka rolls up several thousand miles I'm wondering which Hodaka parts are most likely to suddenly and completely fail. I'm thinking along the lines of shift springs, clutch bushings, etc.

Having a small inventory of replacement parts ready to go would minimize some downtime. In some cases I suppose its a thought to replace some parts pre-emptively, before they fail miles away from civilization.

Good question Darrell, the first thing I can think of after spark plugs is the chain and sprockets which go away incrementally every time we ride. Maintenance certainly would be a factor in this thought experiment. I would put condensers right up there with mysterious failures. Cars and especially aircraft have time or mileage requirements on different parts, why wouldn't our motorcycle? I guess it does for things like lubricants but sometimes it's run it to failure. I guess there should be a severe service factor in there somewhere. Some of it would be based on inspections such as cables and chains which usually evident when near failure. OK, thats my ramblings and first thoughts, let's see what the Gang says.

Max

Maintenance is the big issue, if you're doing proper up keep on your bike, then looking it over to spot problems should be part of that process. Changing oil, lubing cables, having a clean air filter, changing fork oil, new pts and cond, lubing chains, etc. Having spares on the shelf is a good idea, just need to guess which ones will fail.

I also like to keep a small inventory of frequently used parts on hand. If for nothing other than an unexpected day off when I could do some Hodaka puttering. I keep one of Paul's space age shift kits and improved clutch pinion bushing on hand as well as mag and output shaft seals. A couple of 100 and 125 head and base gaskets along with a couple improved clutch cover gaskets can also keep you from having a down weekend. Since we race almost every weekend I like to keep an extra ring in the proper size for each bike. Points and condenser's are always handy to have and don't deteriorate with time. A quick teardown on a Saturday before a Sunday race can do a lot to settle any doubts about your bikes chances for a great weekend. Everything I listed would run less than $250 and that's a small price for a great weekend of riding.

I would add the following things to the list for sure:
spark plugs
spare cables (clutch, throttle and front brake)

Ed

And don't forget a spare master link!

Maxie

Greetings

And....... extra jet needle clips.......fuel line and filters......control shaft clips.......inner tubes......clutch and front brake levers.....bar grips.......gear shift lever....... are all things that will come in handy and get you back on the trail quicker if you have them in stock.
It also wouldn't be a be a bad idea to have a spare shifter cover on hand.

Tom

And Duct Tape!!!

How could we forget Duct tape?

In the years that I raced about five, in motocross and cross country. I made a list of every item that cost me any time on any course and for that item failure 1,2,3 ect. I soon had a list of things to check for sure and a must do improvement to eliminate the failure from happening again. Sometimes as simple as double tying the shoe string.
The bike was tuned before the race and remained the same for motocross and cross country, Fuel lines were good, the non harded kind and the filters always serviced. Tire pressure checked and slightly low, just like I wanted it. Rim locks a must and the spokes wired. The clutch and brake levers were slid in so if I tipped over I would be hitting on the bars not on the levers. The shift lever was cable wired to the frame to keep small trees from doing my shifting for me. Its not how hard you ride, its how hard you are on it, as you ride to win. Bring a friend that has a spare hodaka.
Clarence

I haven't raced in years. I travel. When I ride off road, I make sure I have enough proper tools to be able to effect repairs. This means tools ON the bike, not back at the truck.

A spark plug tool, quality wenches to fit the majority of bolts and nuts. I like wrenches which have two sizes on opposite ends. So if I need two 10mm or two 12mm I have them and not one wrench and a pair of pliers. Real screw drivers too! Things come loose riding off road. Nothing worse than having to push a bike back several miles to the truck, or worse, leaving it there and walking ha lack to the truck.

Yes, doing regular maintenance helps avoid this, but there's always Murphy's Law! This is a good reason to keep the chrome rack on the back of the bike. A small, soft container with a few essentials, spark plug, spare fuel line, a spare fuel filter, extra points and condenser, electrical tape, maybe a few wire nuts and some spare wire. Finally an extra bit of oil and a 16 ounce bottle with pre-mix in it, all fit easily in a small pack on the rack.

Here in NM, places you CAN ride are usually out of the way and further from home. So making sure you have things you need with you, to effect a minor repair out in the woods or on the desert, can be a life saver!

Now that I have the hand pump, under the tank of the Ace, I will probably start bringing a tube patch kit in the pack as well! ; D Victor