The Hodaka Club Forum

OK, after spending the last three days including 4-6 hours a day of hard-core seat time, I'm just going to come right out and say it: The Dirt Squirt is (Ta Da) THE BEST ALL-ROUND TRAIL BIKE - EVER!!!!! I'm in northern Minnesota right now. I've been bombing everything from fire roads, 2-track hunting camp trails, single track deer trails, tree crossings, water crossings, insanely steep hills up and down, goopy gloppy Minnesota mud, deep sand - you name it, and I've put the little squirt through it - in spades. I've screamed it through mud up to the axles and water up to the exhaust outlet. A minute here and there of 5th gear WOT on the fire roads. You name, I did it. The Squirt has been flawless through it all. The only hiccup (user error) was one fouled plug. That was due to me taking off before the bike was properly warmed which greased the plug. I never EVER killed the motor. I even did the DS-rendition of "lugging" the motor and once I returned to planet earth, dropped it down a gear and BRRRRRAP - off she went. I'm telling you, the Dirt Squirt is absolutely, positively bullet-proof. I've had 40 lbs of mud jammed into every nook and cranny, into the cylinder cooling fins, everywhere. A quick trail-side dig-out with a stick and on we go. You may think I'm stupid for thrashing the living crap out of a 45 year old dirt bike, but at this time, it is sitting out shining brightly in the Minnesota sun ready to go at it again with a single stab to the kick crank while I'm in here looking like ten miles of bad road. Just amazing.

The bike - otherwise stock toaster tank Model 96 Dirt Squirt with knobby-loaded 21 inch front/19 inch rear wheels. A highly-recommended mod for heavy trailing.

AWSOME Matt, a couple things that would make this story better. Guess what that could be?

Sounds like a lot a fun Matt. It also gives me hope that my Ace should be able to do the same if I have put it together correctly. I,ve only been able to ride it in the yard so far,but it runs real good and should be broke in enough to do a little flogging

You timed it right Matt. This weekend is Best weather we've had in Minnesota in 7 months

Oh, I forgot - Combat Wombat shocks to bring up the back end. Hmm.. a few things come to mind Kelly. A couple other dudes on Hodies to share the experience would have been really cool. A few times where I probably could have saved a few hours on the top end If I ran reeds. A post-ride Swedish chick with complete massage rig. Those would be pretty cool additions. mac, the Ace motor and Squirt motor are essentially the same. The DS has a 1 down/5 up shift case, super high mounted fenders by comparison (unless yours is a B+) and a CW frame but otherwise essentially the same. With the CW shocks and the 19'/21" wheel set-up, my DS really handled like a CW. Its really a remarkable 100cc motor. Giver, I just finished a hare scrambles on a modern bike and that is what absolutely everyone said. Other than a few mudholes, the course was absolutely perfect. Apparently spring was apocalyptic up here as it was in Iowa. Lets hope for an awesome summer.

PS - oh - Kelly - pictures? I'm flying solo (reeeeeeeallllly not advisable) so that wasn't an option, but my daughter arrives Thursday. I'll see what I can do.

. . . and I will "throw in" with you Matt! Toaster tank Dirt Squirts rule! (Of course with your wheel size changes, you are riding more of a 100cc Combat Wombat . . . but that's OK cuz Combat Wombats co-rule!)
Ed

100% with you, Captain. Call me crazy, but it is possible the DS-powered CW may actually outperform the 125cc powered CW in this limited instance. I'm not saying my piston port CW is overly "pipey", but I dragged the DS through some stuff my CW would've hated. My CW really likes to stay on the pipe. The DS is much more forgiving in that regard.

Matt, ya'll need to look into flow straightening vanes in the stock CW carb throat. I have only the vane at half throttle - and it virtually eliminated loading up when I get behind the curve on down shifts and haff(! HAFF TO I say!) to grab some more throttle. I reckon you know the situation NOTE: I do have a vane both in front of and behind the slide.
Ed

Yep, sure do, Captain. Not an issue with the reeded CW, but with the piston port stock set-up, there's two options - on the pipe or in the roost. When I'm in that "zone" and grab a handful of throttle, I get a handful of bubbles. Ya know, I say, I mean I say, there's something kind a "yeesh" about a boy who don't keep it on the pipe (Foghorn paraphrase ). Was that a Racerclam vane mod on your carb?

No, I did my own - which is why there is only the half throttle vane.
Ed

That makes sense based on my assumption that the purpose of the half-throttle vane is to get back to the pipe faster by creating a more laminar (read faster) air flow through the carburetor to unload it faster. Above half-throttle, you are approaching the pipe anyway. Am I close? Hmm...seems to me there is a photo or two of your carb mod somewhere on here or maybe in an RR piece. Perchance do you recall where? I'd like to replicate it.

Sorry Matt, I did a quick search of various places and didn't bump into any photos of my single vane set up. And it is looking like the next opportunity to do an in-depth search will be sometime in July.

Good luck if you search on your own.
Ed

Why's that Captain? Do you have some pressing event coming up that's keeping you from meeting my every request in a timely manner?

Bingo!

Here's a few shots of the Dirt Squirt in its natural habitat. No trails, no roads. Just a ridiculously steep dry stream bed with logs, rocks, roots, and deep sand somewhere in the midst of the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota. Trails? We don't need no stinking trails! Incidentally, the DS makes a passable trials mount out of the box. The 19/21 set-up in a must in this terrain.

PS - in the last picture, you can clearly see its so steep even the trees are growing sideways!