The Hodaka Club Forum

Help! This frame has throne me for a loop. According to the Date stamp ad the VIN #, this doesn’t appear to be a Combat Wombat frame???

The date is 2/73 and the frame ID is D-17349. The ID chart on Terry’s webpage lists the Combats as having a J-00001 frame number, running through D-14501. I don’t see ANY frames which start with D-17xxx.

So where does a D-17349 fit in the scope of things? This is supposed to be a January issue Combat Wombat. 2/73 seems to be 23 months too early. I could see if it said something between 8-12/75, but what the heck is a 2/73, D-17349 frame?

The VIN tag does say “Not Intended For Use On Public Roads, Streets Or Highways.” H E L P!!!!! Victor

um.. "J" is the engine letter for the Combat Wombat beginning with J00001. "D" is the Frame letter beginning with D-14501. Combat Wombat's were manufactured in 1973. The only year.

According to your VIN tag, this is a Combat Wombat built in Feb 1973...

Roger

OK. Thanks for the clarification! I thought D-14501 was the ENDING number. Whew! You’ve put me at relative ease. I thought the Combats were built in 1976. Wrong info. Thanks!

Hi Victor. The only Hodaka with that frame color (black) and the competition only steering head plate made in 1973 was the Combat Wombat. The only other option in black (other than the South African one-off black Aces) was the Wombat with the street legal head plate. Everything else was the traditional Hodaka red at that time. You might be thinking of the updated version of your bike, the Super Combat which came out a few years later. They changed the MX bikes (Super Rat and Super Combat) to the competition blue frame and the orange painted tank by that time.

Matt. Weren’t there Wombat 94’s made in 1973? Or did the start in 1974? Victor

Victor, the Model 94 Wombat debuted in 1972. Into 1973 came the 94A Wombat along with the Model 95 Combat Wombat. The 94A introduced turn indicators, had an updated exhaust (minus the flame thrower look - now similar to the Dirt Squirt in styling), and a mandated larger tail light (government meddling) as well as a head brace to reduce vibration. The 03 Wombat was introduced in 1976 and was a significantly more sophisticated bike (reed induction, primary kick starting, oil injection, and the now highly desired thus unobtainable 03 front suspension) along with an updated look (orange painted tank, orange fenders and the like). I really want one!

Recently captured from Bruce’s website! Victor