The Hodaka Club Forum

Been wanting to get a 100 reed valve vintage racer. Not finding any super rats in central IL. Whats the thoughts on just getting a wombat frame and building a mild racer, what would be the best motor to start with, I could put aluminum rims, plastic tank, maybe a HT exhaust. What you think?

Why don't you get a Road Toad. It comes with a Wombat Frame, 18/21 tires and wheels, is a reed valve 100. You can strip off the parts you don't want and sell them or trade them and use any extra cash to trick out the engine porting to Super Rat specs if you want it to match and get a super rat head or send the wombat top end to racerclam and he will set it up how ever you want it. You can still get a pretty trick expansion chamber from Paul @ Strictly Hodaka. Probably be cheaper in the end and you can build whatever you want out of it.
LBM

My Toad is a very competitive racer and has won the 100 Expert classes at the biggest races in the east including Unadilla! Great bike and very cheap to build!

What kind of pipe are you running????

LBM

Hello Ivan, Could you please give us specs on the bike? Motor, swing arm, carb? Thanx! Richard

Lookin' stylish Ivan!

Maxie

Ivan, that's the bike I want! Don't tease us, forks? Steel wheels? Sprocket sizes? Fenders? Clarke yz tank? Shocks? Give us a full video, photo walk through. Show off your great work!! Thanks Bud

The pipe is an HT2. Stock frame, forks, and swing arm, with Progressive shocks. Kawasaki KLR650 foot pegs. Clarke yz tank and plastic fenders. Engine is basically stock with a Super Rat piston and high compression head gasket. Carburetor is stock Road Toad. It has an internal flywheel Combat Wombat ignition (huge improvement!) I think the final sprocket ratio is 13-56t. That was very important to keep the engine buzzing while upshifting on an uphill (Unadilla has long steep hills). The most important thing is the rear tire. Cheng Shin 755 4.10-18 with a light duty 3.50-18 tube. It's very light weight and small in diameter (very similar in carcass size to a 3.50-18). The smaller tire helps to keep the engine spinning in it's comfort range allowing me to upshift on steep hills also. There are other minor modifications to suit my personal preference, but it's still basically a stock Road Toad. The bike is fast, but still torquey and reliable! Now you are really going to hate me, I bought the bike for $150.00 and sold the tank, fenders, airbox and battery covers for $200.00, so I started out $50.00 ahead of the game!

That's cool! Thank you for the specs. A really nice simple reliable MX bike. Neat you are using a cw ignition too. Richard

Can you explain the KLR foot pegs? What did it take to mount them? or do they just fit.
Kelly

Slight correction. Since the Combat Wombat does not have an internal rotor ignition, you must have used the Super Combat internal rotor CDI. (Combat Wombat has the same point-type ignition as the Model 94 Wombat)
Ed
PS: Nifty scooter!!

Yup you are right as usual Ed. I noticed my mistake after I submitted it but had already pulled the trigger and didn't bother to correct it. Thanks for keeping us all honest!

Kelly,
The foot pegs do require some modification to work. The center slot on the peg needs to be widened considerably to accommodate the Hodaka mounting tab. Initially I was worried that it would compromise the strength of the pegs, but after years of hard use I have not cracked one. I have them on more than one bike. I don't have any photos right now of the pegs but will try to take some.

Bud,
The bike still has the steel rims. Replacing them with alloy rims would be the second thing I would do at this point. The first would be the forks. The 30mm forks are not quite up to the abuse I am handing out to them. The third thing would possible be the swing arm. There is some flex there but it has held up well for several years now. There is no end to the modifications you can do. I will reiterate that the bike has performed very well in its current form and has been very reliable.

I turned a Road Toad into a vintage racer a few years ago, with the details of the project being published in the Resonator Revisited. The bike worked really well, but I had a problem with it destroying third gear in the transmission. The root cause is that the Toad does not have a cushioned primary gear. If you are thinking this can be fixed with the model 97 cushioned primary gear, I must warn you in advance that it won't fit. Paul sells improved cush drive rubbers that I have been told will alleviate the problem but I have not yet tried them. Despite the third gear problem, my modified Toad was (and still is) my favourite Hodaka Vintage racer. It's light, handles fantastic, and the look on other riders faces when the see the "Road Toad" decal on the air box is priceless.

psssst - and if you leave the luggage rack on the bike . . . a standard plastic water bottle will jam down between the bars of the rack. This will allow you have a nice cold drink of water right on the starting line while the truly go fast guys beside you are wishing they had a drink of water on those super hot weather moto starts.
Ed
PS: I think you can guess how I know.

Everyone turned this into an awesome post! All club members need to read "The Resonator" Volume 2 number 11. Alot of information there! Thanks everyone!

Captain, is that some type of psychological warfare maneuver used to get into the attic of the competition? Sounds like a page from the Super Hunky playbook.

I like your mind games Ed! Old age and treachery can sometimes win against youthful exuberance.

As for the Toad, check out Resonator volume 2 number 14 for my sequel. Currently the Toad engine is on the bench waiting for a new piston, but I have shoe horned a reeded Combat Wombat engine into it for now.

Moi? Mind games? Pshaw.

When one isn't all that fast, one tends to pay attention to ALL the ways one can have fun on the track!

Brian, I'd suggest getting those new rear hub cushions. I really do think they will help reduce shock loads in the drive train when compared to the stock design and material.

Ed

would ceriani 30mm forks be a improvement over the stock forks? Would the 34mm forks still be better?

I would use the 34 mm as long as you can find some o3 springs and use a 1inch spacer with them. ED springs are ok but SL Not .

Rich

Where are you located? I know a guy in CA that has a Toad Toad he wants $400-450 for. Looks pretty good. But shipping could be an issue if you're not close by. ; D Victor

On the other end of the spectrum is Paul's highly modified Strictly Hodaka/Preston Petty "Works" Super Rat. It has the 34mm forks and they work great! Here is a picture of it getting the hole-shot in the 100 Expert Class at Unadilla. Great bike, and thank you Paul for allowing me to swing a leg over it!

Proud to have you ride that bike Ivan !! You sure look good on it I like your jersey too...
See you soon
Paul

I'm in central Illinois, Hodakas hard to find around here. Very trick bike Paul, and a double trick on that swingarm!