I bought one brand new, in April 1971, with a helmet for a total of $575, $525 for the bike, $20 for the helmet! I have very fond memories of that bike! I got my first license with that bike! I do remember two weak points, one being throttle cables, you had to have a spare routed along the working one till it frayed. The other weak point was a spring, that was used in the ratchet action in the shifter to return to center, it was affixed inside the left engine cover where the shifter is, that once you knew how to do it could be fixed on the trail! The engine/transmission unit was the most simple design I've ever seen! You could rebuild the entire unit in just a few hours! From new piston/rings, all new bearings, gear set and shifter mechanism! The transmission in particular was of a very simple design, that had not synchro or shifting forks like a normal manual trans. In its day the Ace 100 was among the best trail bikes you could buy! Not much of a road bike, with a top speed of 60 mph screaming, or cruising at 50 mph, all while getting over 100 mpg!! I had an older uncle that bought a Wombat 125, to go riding with me my cousin and a few friends, at the time he was in his 50's!! I had that bike till August 1972, when I sold it and bought a new 1973, Yamaha DT 250, that cost $925! New! I ended up enlisting in the U. S. Army, on April 28 th 1973. After basic training at Ft. Fix N.J. I was able to ride it back there, for transportation training school, from home in Massachusetts. On knobby tires! I did change the counter shaft sprocket so I could cruise at 65 mph at least cause that was the speed limit on rt 95 at the time! I remember on my first trip back to post on a Sunday night, it was late and I though I could run down the Garden State Parkway, not knowing or seeing the sign saying no motorcycles! I fine State Trooper had a little respect for a soldier at the time and did not give me a ticket or tow my bike like he said he could, but led me to the next ext to kick me off the GSP! Somewhere I think on the wrong side of Paterson? Or some awful big city I had to find my way across! There were areas I was scared witless!! At red lights I had evil eyes looking st me!! To the point of me going up on sidewalks and running red lights!! Again being stopped by a city cop!! But he was a great guy! He could tell I was in trouble! That big black gentleman officer actually led me through the city to the hyw I needed! We came to a donut shop just before the onramp, so I could at least buy him a cup of joe! We talked for about a half hour, where I told him my story and he told me he was just discharged from the Army, after two tours in Vietnam! After we were done we shook hand I wish him good luck and stay safe, he did the same to me!! Sorry for the long story but I had to tell it!!! The Hodaka was my first real motorcycle! If they weren't worth so much I'd love to buy one! Maybe when the house sells and we retire in Fla soon!
Great story hand, I had a similar experience up there in that same area only I was in an 18 wheeler and when I got out at a red light to ask directions from two cops coming up from behind me they were reluctant to stop and barely cracked the window guns in hand and told me not to stop again and that if the receiver was closed at HuntsPoint produce to keep em rollin and think twice about coming back while I drove my fool ass to the truck stop in paulsboro nj. andthat i probably wouldn't have a load to deliver cause thieves would unload me going down the road but whatever you do don't stop and they only did because I made them or something like that that was in 84 and i just had an old Army ground pounder give me an ace 100 that had died one day the day he bought it and let his buddy ride it and found him about a mile away pushing it and no one could get it running and gave up about 30yrs ago and I don't know if I should happy or what is really going on lol, and you should not ever apologize for sharing Sir,great story and look what you made me do.And thanks for serving and preserving our freedom may God Bless you and yours . ooh rah!
Love it. In the process of restoring 1 right now. Just got her down to bare frame and will be sending out for powder coating soon. It was my fathers. He bought it when he returned from Vietnam and was out of the service.
I just bought one today. Same situation, back from Vietnam and bought it. Original owner. Everything is there except for the key. Should be torn down. U have any advice or pics of your project? Mine is 1965 ace 90. My email is jlap84@gmail.com
I bought a Hodaka SUPER RAT 100 in 1992 from a boss at work who I did extra work for ( mowing, landscape work) he knew I rode motorcycles and one day he told me he had a Hodaka and he would give me a deal on it!!!! Amazing the bike looked good and all original!!!! I paid him 50 dollars cleaned the carb,gas tank,lines!!! Did some maintenance on it and it fired up in 3; kicks !! Ran good and I detailed it and rode it around my neighborhood for a year!!!!! Sold it and made 400 dollars!!!I should have kept it!!! I want a combat wombat now it's 2023 June 28!!!!! I'm 64 years old!!! I'm looking for the combat wombat 125!!!!!!!
My dad bought one new. He hated that bike. It was a gutless wonder. He did not have it very long. His next bike was an OASA? 250. Red in color. Nice video though. Did bring back memories.
I bought one back in 1967. It was a lemon, and seemed to usually have about as much power as a Honda 50. The dealer could not fiix the problem and it appeared timing was always off. I sold it for peanuts a year or so later to a friend and he found that the timing cam was not lubricated so it kept wearing down.
Street legal as in you can register it and get a license plate, or street legal as in it has head and tail lights so that means it’s legal on the street? I just got and Ace 90 and am pretty much new to Hodakas and bikes in general.
