Evolution of the Hodaka Ace 100B+

[hodakamax]

Found one, two actually, in a barn of course. Being kinda gone for awhile, I see the Chat Group has slowed up considerably. I’ve been hiding on Facebook where you can get into an argument several times a day on any subject and I do. Discussions might be the word. Maybe a project report for the Hodaka Chat Group and I can always use expert opinions and friendships found here. Plus it’s snowing and I’m really bored. I’ll try to spice this up for those on Facebook’s Hodaka Fan Club who have seen this movie. Here’s how it all begins. Still going on.
Quite a find I must say and only about six miles away. Hiding all these years. Five specimens, Three saveable, two carcasses. Best is this Ace 100B+. Looks good but deceptive. Put away wet and needing everything including a bore. Rust. Spare B+ included, much worse. Three 94 Wombats, one saveable. Maybe. Title on the best B+, this could go on the street again. The plan, but with some mods of the time. Something to ride to town, the long way, on the back wheel if needed. What Hodakas are about. For sure.

[matt glascock]

First trip "back" to Good's Cycle Shop? What a jackpot. Thanks for bringing it back here, Maxie. Facebook is just not my thing.

[hodakamax]

Three more to go Matt. Downhill from this load. Just pile 'em in for the next trip! Hodaka Fan Club on Facebook is a fun bunch too!

[hodakamax]

In the shop for disassembly to the last bolt. Degrease things. Mock up for what could happen to the best 100B+. Last of the Aces with cushioned rear hub, Super Rat wheels and suspension. Lots of Wombat extra parts to use and I do have a two bolt reed manifold of the day and this Wombat 24mm carb. Lots of fiddling to get everything in there plus the original tool box. Invert the air cleaner to fit. Now the chain guard needs delt with. A start.

[hodakamax]

BTW, this project has been shown recently as the Super Brat project and this is how this all started, like from day one. Currently this is about to run but is still being changed and updated. Wife and graphic artist Eweleen has designed the new graphics. It was starting to be a fancy Ace 100B+. Too calm, needing to be bolder. Aggressive tires and looks plus a 21" front wheel. Lookin' better! Meanwhile I'll try to fill in some details on the mods.

[hodakamax]

Speeding through the process. First steps in restoration is to update this model to a new century. Blast, inspect, etching primer, paint. Elbow grease and polish, seals and bearings, brake shoes, tires and tubes. Replacement rear shocks on the way from Hodaka-Parts.com who seem have most everything. Fix it now, not continuously. Nothing over a half century old can be trusted without maintenance or replacement of what’s needed. Should be good for another half century with care. No patina allowed in this shop. Hodaka silver parts get a de-grease, brushing and a coat of Magic paint as described on the forum.

[matt glascock]

No kidding "no patina"! That baby positively glows. Beautiful Maxie.

[hodakamax]

Meanwhile, evolution of the Ace 100B+ engine, about the same as it’s ever been. Model 93 Super Rat, the next model has a significant gain in power but darned noisy. We have neighbors and wild animals on the place plus we might ride this to town. Better stick with the stock exhaust but we need more power. This reed valve assembly will make up for no racing exhaust. I’ll also use the 93 head and piston for more compression and cooling. Wow, just matching the intake about doubles the intake area. Reed block will block part of this but the mixture only goes one way, in. Now we can create additional paths directly to the combustion chamber from the intake. Who will know?

[mac]

I always enjoy your projects Max and as usual it’s looking great ! I saw your post on the fb page and thought I’d better check in over here.
Glad to see and read that all is well at the Hodaka Max homestead.

[hodakamax]

Hey Mac! Wondering today if you still existed. What's your project these days? Good to hear from you! Maxie

[hodakamax]

Holy piston. Casual observers will have no idea that there’s more than one path for the fuel/air mixture to reach the combustion chamber plus some extra intake time with these bottom holes in the piston. Normally the piston skirt has shut off intake to the crankcase as it travels down to keep building crankcase pressure from squirting back out the carburetor. Ha. Now we have a one-way valve installed to prevent this from happening. The new angled top holes in the piston allows for our new finger ports to transfer even more fuel/air mix to the combustion place. All unseen by the casual observer that does notice that this is a peppy B+. Don’t tell.

[mac]

You really do nice work Max. The B+ is my favorite model, definitely would like to find the right one for a future project.
My current project on the bench is a trials bike and while not a Hodaka it does entertain and keep me in one of my favorite places.

[MTrat]

Maxie, looks a lot like the 'Reed Carefully' procedure. Has that neat how to booklet been reprinted?

[hodakamax]

Maxie, looks a lot like the 'Reed Carefully' procedure. Has that neat how to booklet been reprinted?

Misplaced that and my template. In this case I had to determine the spacing of the piston holes by measuring the new finger ports. I did draw a new map. More radical example from the past shown. Right or wrong, the latest version of where to start!

[hodakamax]

Maybe how it should have been on the Ace 100 B+ or at least my version. Thinking more off-road oriented. Always that conflict with chain guard and swing arm when trying on a real 3.50 x 18 knobby tire. Hmm, the model 94 Wombat has this figured out. Longer and wider but the same distance apart on the rear axle plates. Looks like the Wombat chain guard fits and solves another clearance problem with the newly installed Wombat air cleaner that I’ve inverted to retain the stock tool box. Gotta have a tool box. Here’s the swing-arm conversion from 92 B+ to 94 swing arm. Check out the upcoming Resonator for a how-to. Look closely, who would know?

[hodakamax]

One should service the clutch more frequent than every half century and I did for this project. Updated kit from Hodaka-Parts.com. Much better even though the old clutches served us well. Metal rather than fiber drive which always worried me. Major change are the holes in the drive disc which allow for better circulation of lubricants and better cooling. Done. Standard crankcase rebuild for the next century of service. Clean slate for the pipe, I do want this one to be relatively quiet. Fork rebuild, my that oil was black and also leaking out. Good to go here.

[taber hodaka]

that is the correct sprocket for all model 92B+. CT?

[hodakamax]

Correct for this one Clarence, ha ha. One piece alloy 50T from Terry. 15T front. 50T, same size as the stock overlay sprocket, 36T standard. Should be about right for the nine mile off/on road ride to town and I do have a 16T, 14T, 13T in my pocket, in case.

[hodakamax]

Winter. Restless time but things to do. The Super Brat project is something I walk by several times a day. #1 project and this Ace 100B+ has a theme of cool and functional. Hodaka statement of dual purpose and made to be modified, Last week it just didn’t look aggressive enough on my walk by. Now it has aggressive tires, longer 94 swing arm and 21” front wheel. Now we’re talking. Much better.

[taber hodaka]

Max where did you get that taillight looks soo good! Solid and sanitary. ----- Clarence

[hodakamax]

Max where did you get that taillight looks soo good! Solid and sanitary. ----- Clarence

Seems like this was a license plate holder from a Yamaha something with a hooded light for the tag, Marker light from the farm store, LED even, bolted right on!