The Hodaka Club Forum

Who if any, Pabatco employees were in charge of promoting or improving the 250 models? Wondering minds at the Super Secret Hodaka Research and Meditation Center need to know.

Mike Perrett

Harry Taylor was the 250s biggest advocate . BUTT the guys I Japan wouldn't listen to him. And Harry almost lost his job when the first 250 arrived when he said what is this a John Deere tractor , Harry was very disappointed with it. However harry did build one for him self in which he said would have been competitive with any of the major brands. But that bike ended up in a dump somewhere he said when their doors closed.

Rich

Reportedly Jody Weisel's (editor Motocross Action Magazine) last contribution to Hodaka was a prototype Thunderdog MX. After completing the bike Weisel sent it to Athena just before Hodaka was shut down. Was it ever seen again or did it go to the dump too?

Jody's bike is longggggg gone also.The engine exploded shortly after the bike was sold to someone in Walla Walla and he discarded it. What remained was the chassis and that has now vanished.

So sad to hear these stories! It seems like a 250 would have been a top selling MX bike back in the day. ; D Victor

The reason I was asking my question, was that back in the day, I requested, from Pabatco, 250ED modifications. I received "enduro" modifications with a side note written by Ed Chesnut with further instructions. I still have these instructions.

Mike Perrett

You are special I would ask Ed to come over and personally show you how to modify your bike. He likes chocolate chip cookies Mike!!
your pal
Paul

Well, ain't that a hoot?
Ed
PS: As was typical for Hodaka/Pabatco, the R&D/Engineering Department had the primary role in machine improvement - but all other employees who got a chance to ride the 250 prototype(s) were welcome to file comments on the machine for review. So, the primary influencers (stateside) were Maurice Lee, Harry Taylor, Curt Alexander, Tim Heihn and Kevin & Scott Hudson.

Here's how this would have played out in Matt's fantasy world.

Hodaka - "Harry, what do you think of the prototype 250's potential as an MX race bike?"

Harry - "Its fundamentally a good machine, but as a performance/race bike its a big, fat mutt in a field of greyhounds. Here's why. Here's how to remedy it" And then he proceeds to detail his mods.

Hodaka - "Great Harry. Thanks for your input. We're on it"

Then, three months later, PRESTO - An out-of-the-crate, full-on competitive race bike that needs absolutely NOTHING but a rider with a pair. Hodaka then goes on to become the international darling of boutique racers. You see, you don't need the deep pockets and army of engineers of the big four. What you really need is the focused attention of an unassuming man from rural Oregon with the mechanical insight to convert a small, friendly trail bike into a rip roaring road racer capable of not only winning at Daytona but absolutely shredding the rest of the field coupled to a struggling manufacturing firm slugging it out in a country still digging out from the utter destruction of WW2 willing to unflinchingly follow his lead.

That's how things happened in Matt's fantasy world.

Oh...and everybody gets a free puppy.

Woof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LBM