The Hodaka Club Forum

Hello All,

My name is Kyle. I'm 29 and reside in Hastings, Nebraska. I am relatively new to motorcycles. My vintage enduro obsession started a couple of years ago and my knowledge of motorcyles has, for the most part, been limited to what I can find on the internet.

A year ago, I picked up a '72 Hodaka Wombat. It had been sitting in a garage for the last 28 years. The gentleman told me that he just parked it one day and he never started it back up. The tank had a little fuel in it and it was full of rust. Despite this I was beguiled. This bike is a survivor.

The bike was pretty sweaty and I spent some time cleaning off the grease and dirt that encased the bike. About 6 months ago, I cleaned the tank and put new fuel hoses, fuel filter, air filter, and new transmission oil in the bike. Spark, Fuel, Air. It started on the 3rd kick, and I was off. I don't think that I will ever forget that moment! I had a mechanic clean the carb, lube up everything, and give the bike a safety inspection. I have put about 25 miles on the bike in the past 3 months. My riding mainly consists of road riding and very light trail riding.

Lately, the bikes running has been extremely inconsistent.I have a few questions and descriptions of my situation below. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

1. I have been running 20:1 gas/oil mix. Should I be running 32:1 or 40:1 instead?

2. This may have to do with #1. I believe that I am flooding the bike and fouling up the plug. Lately when I start up the bike it will run for a minute or two then get bogged down and die. I immediately kick it a few times and gas squirts out onto the concrete throught the carb overflow tube, without the bike starting. I can provide more information if needed to diagnose. Do I need to do adjust the jet/air/something else on the carb?

I appreciate any feedback and general maintenance information on the bike. I am excited and look forward to getting my Wombat on the road.

Yes, you should be running 32:1 or 40:1. Select a reputable oil which is readily available in your area and follow the oil mfg. pre-mix ratio recommendation on the label.

I suspect that some grunge has gotten past the fuel filter and is causing the float valve to leak . . . OR the float valve is worn and has started to leak. When you have fuel coming out of the over-flow vents, that is prime indication that the float valve system is not working properly.

One thing you need to get set for . . . the crankshaft seals in your engine are 40 years old. They seem to be working now, but they ARE going to fail. If the magneto side (left side) crank seal fails and the engine sucks in extra air, it will "go lean", get hot and seize. If the clutch side seal fails, the engine will suck in transmission oil, start running poorly and smoke a lot. You may not notice the change in operation if the magneto side seal fails . . . until there is loud clatter from the engine, it stops running and the rear tire starts to skid . . . so it would be a good idea to have that seal changed out right away. It can be done with the engine in the frame.

When the clutch side seal fails, you'll have to remove the engine for a complete tear down.

While I don't feel good about raining on the excitement you've got going, I do think you need to know that problems are coming. You just can't trust 40 year old rubber parts to provide the required air-tight seal.

Bye for now. Have fun and keep the rubber side down!

Ed

I appreciate the information Ed. No worries about raining on my excitement, as long as the maintenance tips are free! My winter project will be an engine tear down and new crankshaft seals.

Thanks again,
Kyle