The Hodaka Club Forum

Hello All:

A friend of mine told me about this site. Wow looks pretty cool and great to see so many Hodaka fans. I bought some years ago a 125 Hodaka Combat Wombat trials bike. Its in either a Wassell or Challenger frame. Its in decent shape and it did run when I bought it. It has the alloy tank. There were a few of these around my area back in the day that were pretty competitive and when I purchased it I did have the intention on freshening it up and using it for vintage events but never got around to it. I was just curious if anyone was interested in one or looking for one. I can email some pictures if anyone is interested. Thanks.

Cheers, Steve

Let see some pictures

Hi Steve you must be from Canada??
Cool bikes !! They were called the Hodaka Challenger

Cool bike, do you know what price range you might be in? And general location?

Steve, I'm going to guess that your machine has an iron 125cc cylinder just like the Challenger in the photo Paul posted. If so, then a slight correction in your naming terminology would be suggested. The name "Combat Wombat" is directly connected to the first racing alloy cylinder engine ever produced by Hodaka . . . an engine which would not be quite right for Trials riding. So, if your machine is like the one in the photo, "Challenger" is the better name to use. But if it is something else AND has an iron 125cc cylinder, then "Wombat" trials bike would be more accurate.
Ed

As always Ed is dead on correct. One thing I missed is that the frames.chassis were made by Sprite
Thanks
Paul

Hi guys thanks so much for your insight. I am a long time trials rider and former Canadian Champ but know little about Hodakas. I am located on Vancouver Island in BC/Canada. There were a fair few Hodakas around here when I was a kid. The airbox cover on mine says Combat Wombat and I know of the actual bike named that. I am crap on the computer so if admin can direct message me with an email address I could send some pics to you to post if you like. I do know Jay Lael from OR as well and I know he is a Hodaka freak too!

You should clean the bike up, get it running and come to Hodaka Days in Oregon in June.

Thanks for that it sounds fun for sure. I have too much on the go and have been into Fantics over the last 10 years as well as modern riding. I am now working on my 2nd 240 Fantic and making it extra special. The Hodie has been around collecting dust for years and just wondered if anyone else would take it on.

Steve

Price?

Steve, I can help you on posting photos. I will pm you.
Kelly

Steve, I thought I recognized your name. We might have met at the Canadian National Trial somewhere at the edge of the mountains west of Calgary in the fall of 1972 or so??
Ed

Ed that's a little before my time ha ha. I was National Champ 84-86 and then moved to the US fulltime to ride down there.

thrownchain wrote:Price?

I am counting on you Hodaka experts to tell me what its worth once you see some pics

You might have crossed paths with Mike Komer at some point? He runs the Tryals shop in upstate NY. And one time or another has been a dealer for most makes of trials bikes made over the past 40+ years. He's also an avid rider and damn good.

Hi Steve,
If you email the photos to
[email protected] please I can get them posted for you.
Gemini was the distributor for these bikes and they were located in Vancouver BC.

Does your bike look like the one in the photo??
Thanks for your post
Paul

Hi Paul thanks for the email address. I will send some pictures to you when I get home from work today. Yes my bike looks like the picture posted on this thread. We had a dealer here on Vancouver Island....I don't remember the business name but the guy who owned it was named Rick Russell.

Steve

thrownchain wrote:You might have crossed paths with Mike Komer at some point? He runs the Tryals shop in upstate NY. And one time or another has been a dealer for most makes of trials bikes made over the past 40+ years. He's also an avid rider and damn good.

Yes I know Mike well and have ridden with and against him for many years. My son and I saw him in 2013 when we were back east doing US Nationals.

Mike lives about 1/2 hour from me, I've known him since we were teens. There are a group of guys that set up and run a "vintage" trials at locations across the southern Tier of NY state. Mike and Ron "Ossa Man" Bors are part of that group. I've spectated a couple of times. And have thought about participating, but don't own a trials bike.

Thank you Steve i look forward to seeing your photos!! I am not familiar with Rick Russell but I do know that Terry Faust was the owner of Gemini Industries as well as the Canadian Distributor of Hodaka motorcycles. Terry has passed so the information I have about the Challenger and Gemini is a little sketchy. I know he also owned Tonka Motorcycle Sales on Broadway in Vancouver BC
Thanks
Paul

Tonka sounds familiar for sure... the guy who rode these bikes up here and also at some point obtained all the remaining spares from the old dealer years ago is named Bill Miller. He had 2 of these bikes back then.

Crazy long shot but I need to ask you...
Do you have access to or know of anyone who may have a copy of October 1972 Cycle Canada
I told you it is a crazy long shot but while I had your attention and know that you have been around the Canadian motorcycle scene for a while you might know of someone with a copy.
You have been around the scene so long you probably remember Ed Chesnut when he had dark hair
Thanks Steve

Was this model a Canadian special?

I have a one of these bikes in "basket case" condition that has been on my project back burner for a couple of years now. If I have the story straight they were called the "Sprite Avenger" here in Canada and the "Challenger" in the USA. The bike was made in England and exported to North America as a kit where the buyer would install the early model Hodaka Wombat engine and air filter assembly to complete the bike, but I suppose the buyer could install a Combat Wombat engine or even an Ace engine for that matter.

Here is the Cycle Canada article:

admin wrote:Hi Steve,
If you email the photos to
[email protected] please I can get them posted for you.
Gemini was the distributor for these bikes and they were located in Vancouver BC.

Does your bike look like the one in the photo??
Thanks for your post
Paul

Pictures sent Paul