The Hodaka Club Forum

Does anyone know what the U shaped boss is for, that is on the cast steel triple clamp, found on the smaller Hodakas?

M. Perrett

Mike, I'm not sure what "U shape" you are referring to. Of course, in a way, it doesn't matter - cuz I don't think I have an answer for you anyway. U shape at ?1 ?
Or U shape(s) at ?2 ?

Ed

U shape #1. I think it is a cigar holder to be used at pit stops.

. . . or mayhaps just a little extra weight up front to help keep the front end down!
Ed

I'm of the opinion that the word "nubbins" is just not used enough these days. Its one of my favorites. I'll shut up now.

And how do you feel about "whipper snapper"?

Ed

I wish I was one Captain. I personally fly the official "fuddy duddy" flag.

I fly the G.O.B.B. Flag!!! (Grumpy Old Biker Bastard). I even have the patch! Victor

OK, no info on the U shaped boss. Now, how about the two smaller bosses on the rear section of the triple clamp, just behind the clamps. The one on the left is a 6mm threaded hole. Right one is not drilled. Who knows what the threaded hole was intended to be used for?

M. Perrett

On most trees, the threaded holes and the drilled holes are for attaching the fender mount piece, before attaching the fender to the mount. On a lot of the trees I’ve worked with the 6mm bolts are broken off inside the threaded holes. I guess folks screwed them in all the way and then gave the wrench or ratchet another twist & broke them off. Victor

Mike, are you having recurring insomnia? And are you trying to infect all of us with it? (and no, I can't answer that question either)
Ed

On my Wombat, the threaded hole is to retain a small wire clip that the speedo cable runs through.

That is what I thought, an attachment point for a brake or speedo cable guide.

On all my bikes the threaded hole is for both the fender mount & the cable retainer. Victor

Nope guys, the suppositions posted do not match either the Illustrated Parts Lists (see page "N" for the Wombat and Road Toad) or the crusty/dusty Road Toad sitting out in my garage at the moment.

The formed wire cable guides bolt up to the chromed steel fender mount bracket which is bolted to the lower triple clamp. While I haven't checked all of the Illustrated Parts Lists, the ones I have checked simply don't show any use for the drilled and tapped hole in question.

Soooooo . . . my best speculation (and it is UTTER speculation) is that the triple clamps which are common on multiple models of Hodakas . . . may also have been being produced for a model from some other small bore motorcycle maker (lets guesstimate, perhaps, maybe, Suzuki).
Ed

Ed, I believe you may be correct. These items may have been available to Hodaka from an outside supplier who had other customers that required the addition drilled and tapped hole (and the cigar holder). I also wondered why the 01 ignition system featured the lighting coils also. May have been less expensive to purchase these, than to have the supplier manufacture make a special run of those without the extra coils.

Well, I looked at the parts fiche for the Model 99. It shows bolt 33, spring washer 34, & washer 35 but no nut. So since there isn’t a nut holding these pieces on, it’s only logical that they go into a threaded hole. Otherwise, nothing would hold them in. And as I’ve stated, I’ve had to drill these out occasionally, because of DPO’s. Victor

And the fiche for the 92B+ shows it the same identical way. Victor

And I looked at the Model 95 again as well. Same thing, only just on the right side because there was no stock Speedo cable to retain. Where else would you mount a bolt & 2 washers without a nut to hold everything in place?

So for all the models I’ve built (didn’t check the 03, but, the 03 stock fender bolted straight to the tree without a fender mount) they all look to support what I originally stated early on. So, unless folks are mounting fenders without a fender mount.... Victor

Vic, you are missing a few important details in this discussion (um, which implies this discussion IS important -- yet I still think Mike is just trying to spread insomnia ) Enneywayeeeee . . . See photos from a stock Model 99 Road Toad.
1. Rear bolts for the front fender bracket are the attach points for the cable guides. No nut is needed since the bolts thread into the triple clamp.
2. Front bolts for the front fender bracket are longer and do have nuts on the top end.
3. The formed wire cable guides are "planar" (will lie flat on a table) - using the hole Mike is asking about would require a cable guide with an "up" bend.
4. Note the bosses Mike is talking about. One is "as cast", the other is drilled and tapped. NOTE: There isn't enough resolution in the photo to see the threads inside the tapped boss - but it is tapped.
5. None of the Illustrated Parts Lists I've reviewed show any item or bolt using the threaded boss in question.

Ed

Ahhh. I was assuming the threaded hole on the BOTTOM of the tree. Not on the back! Victor