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We had a Hodaka Super combat wombat sitting in our shed for years my brother traded for that he never got running back in the early 90s. I knew what this was as soon as I saw the tank. Can’t wait to watch!
Awesome. Another owner. My first real motorcycle; ace 100. Got it in 1970. They were really popular around here, (central west coast), for short track racing. People ported them till there was little metal left in the cylinder or the piston ring would get caught, hahaha. And yeah, they'd blow up. All gears down so you could stomp through the gears thinking you'd beat the other guy in a drag race. Ahh. Great memories. I've thought about hodaka's often throughout the years. Cheers.
Imagine if they still did this ? , the value of bikes would go whacky and soon the companies would realize just how not feasible it is and how much money they are losing and stop doing it and 50 years later on whatever social media platforms are around , someone with a beard would make a video or whatever it's called at that point and say " remember in the 2020s when they came with extra motors , man that was great " and the alternate me would make a reply with this exact reply.
I had a Hodaka 80 near identical. I believe the engine was manufactured by Fuji Motor Company Japan. Bought brand new for $299.95 at The Scooter Shop on El Cajon Blvd San Diego CA in 1977. Rode the tar out of that thing - no hiccups just solid & reliable. Had to premix fuel. Suspension was just OK but ok to keep me from killing myself. Great memories ! I now rock a 2008 Suzuki V-Strom 650 ADV at 60 years old & tour it regionally. Praise God for the fun we get to enjoy exploring His amazing world 🌎. Ride safe Brothers !
Hodaka motorcycles were made and assembled in Japan by the Hodaka Industrial Company. Importer Pacific Basin Trading Company (PABATCO)--located in Athena, OR--designed and engineered the bikes.
Two tips: 1) put a coffee filter in the funnel when draining the Evaporust - it will catch particles of rust and other junk so that you don't get dirt into the next tank you use Evaporust on. 2) For cleaning small things I found a cheap electric toothbrush a magic tool. Especially scrubbing springs, inside corners and small crevices goes so much faster. I found that the generic toothbrush heads are quire solvent resistant too. Keep up the good work! Thanks for your videos!
I live 45 minutes from Athena and never heard about Hodaka. It's a tiny town of 1100 people in the middle of nowhere. Searched it up and they hold Hodaka Days every year in June.
Dude I used to have a Hodaka Dirt Squirt. Man I loved that bike as a kid. Blinded by the sun reflecting off the chrome gas tank LOL. I will never forget the sound.
On Saturday last weekend, I had a trike come into a turn to hot and came into oncoming traffic and hit me head on I was on a Gsxr 750 I went and looked at the bike at the tow lot and instantly thought of your channel The bike is in pretty bad condition, but I think I can save it thank you for posting these videos it’s giving me inspiration before my crash and now even more after I can’t wait to be back to 100% to start the project and process
I had a friend in the mid 80s that had that same exact bike. We all rode each others bikes, but everyone always wanted to ride his Hodaka because it was so cool. Thanks for the video, I forgot about those days of riding until I saw your video.
I bought one earlier this year mine also hasn’t run in 20+ years but it’s an ace 90. I’ve thought about selling it but now I want to work on it 😂 I know the people of RU-vid love these bikes.
My man!! You brought back some great memories for me today. My first "real" motorcycle, if you want to call it that, was a 1976 Hodaka Dirt Squirt 100. I saved my money up from mowing grass over a summer, then when I turned 12 and was officially allowed to have a bike I bought that beast the next spring for 250 bucks back in 1988. It wasn't a speed freak, it wasn't nimble, it had ugly dual shocks and an old red steel tank. It was freedom for a 12 year old though. I wish I still had it even if just for posterity. Edit: you are right about the sound too. Nothing else sounded like that bike running. I'm not sure if it had rotary valves or what but it sounded like it was going to blow up every time it ran.
When I was a kid in San Jose in the '60's, my dad bought me a used Hodaka Ace 90 that we rode in the fire roads outside Santa Cruz. Loved it. My dad also had a couple of other rare bikes. His was a Greeves 250 dirt bike. My first bike he built from parts -- two Jawa CZ speedway bikes parts in boxes. He built the bike but didn't have an expansion chamber, so.. he taught himself Basic programming, calculated the optimum dimensions of an expansion chamber for the engine, then fabricated it. A natural engineer.
when i was 13 my dad came home with an ACE 100 ( duel purpose ) AND a Super Rat ( off road competition ) We got the rat running using a few parts from the ACE 100 and I used it for 2 years
I have a Hodaka Combat Wombat saved on my FB Marketplace list. I just don't have the money to bother the guy. Other than that it's mostly just a "someday" bike for the collection. :)
@@recoilrob324 I remember fondly the hodaka Desert Rat 100cc. I’m surprised so many folks can remember these bikes, greatest dirt bikes. Everyone that remembers these 90 and 100cc bikes running circles around the 250’s please raise your hand. Might be hard to raise your hand because most of us are in or near care home time.
That is amazing, when I was younger; I had the Hodaka Wombat 125. It was a huge pile of trouble, but I had days of fun on that heavy old bike. Thanks for the memories
OH God! I wanted one those so bad! The rich kid on the next block had one. I'll never forget the cool rat sticker on it. In '78, I saved up from my dishwashing job and bought a '74 YZ250A, the one with the straps on the fuel tank. THAT bike sounded cool...
My wombat had the chrome toolbox on the rear rack. It had been modified with exhaust and gearing. When I couldn’t get first gear, the previous owner tore the transmission apart and found the bad spring he had installed the previous winter. Had it back together within two hours.
Athena OR, apparently still celebrates its connection to Hodaka with Hodaka Days, held Thursday-Sunday on the last full weekend of June. Trail rides, trial runs, etc. It sounds like a great time.
Looks a lot like the first motorcycle I ever rode. A friend's parents had an old 70s bike they let us ride around at a birthday party once. They let us take it off of this little ramp and I laid that thing over after a sketchy land. I really wish I knew what that bike was.
Hey, I am Not a motorcycle guy, never had the opportunity...different story, but I am totally enjoying your channel. I really love your recollection on the history of the bikes you work on. Videos are truly fun to watch and you guys are great characters as well as amazing at your trade. Keep up the great work and keep them running.
Great story! Way back when, the wantAdvertiser came out on Thursday, and was immediately poured over, mostly by me shopping for a car. Eventually, you’d settle on motorcycles. Before pictures, the Hodaka Combat Wombat? It always sounded cool!
I had a 1970 Hodaka Ace 100 as my first bike! I dug it out of my friend’s dad’s barn like 12 years ago. It had been sitting forever, but took almost nothing to get running again. It was a neat bike.
I was born in 57 and big into the dirt bike scene in Washington state, so I used to see Hodakas all the time. I had a Kawasaki 350 Bighorn and loved it. It fit a bigger guy like me really well.
I know a guy who has a ton of old historic bikes at his house street bikes and dirt bikes anything between bull tacos to indians he has a combat wombat that is showroom!.
Man that sound, I was almost one of the lucky ones back in the mid 70's who had a very cool uncle who bought a pair of the 125 Wombats for my cousins Mike and Jeff. I was to young at the time for him to buy me one, just to short or he actually might have. They were 125 Wombats and truly beautiful bikes, being designed for both the street and offroad and they did both very well. They had chrome tanks, fenders, light assemblies, gage clusters, chain guards, tool canister, not just the expected chrome on bikes from this era, they were chromed out. Being to short to ride alone, I couldn't even reach the ground or even just the pegs. My cousins would let me sit in front and take the bars, controlling throttle clutch and front brake, they'd sit behind me to go thru the gears and use the rear brake. Some of the best memories I have from childhood was riding with my cousin Jeff, he'd almost always offer to take me with him unless they were going on a more serious ride. It was a different time back then and as kids we'd roam and ride until dark, in that time if you were in the house in good weather it meant you were in trouble or sick. I have had many of my own bikes since then but there's truly nothing that sounds like a Hodaka and I'm still trying to find my own 125 Wombat to restore as best I can. Thanks Craig and Crew for bringing back to mind some of the best memories from childhood I have. Take care and God Bless...
I was 13 in 1972 when I had mine. Abused the heck out of it and I just refused to break. Dad was into radio control airplanes and mixed his own fuel. There was always a jug. Of nitro in the garage. You'd be amazed how strong a 100cc will run on 20% nitro! Fortunately 8 could get gaskets, piston and ring for $3.95. With no power valve crap you can pull the jug and be back on the trail in 15 minutes
A buddy of mine had a Wombat as well. Some years later, his parents said that if they'd known how powerful that bike was they never would have bought it for him. That 125 made absolutely stupid power.
When I was in my teens, I rebuilt a Hodaka 90 with my dad. We got it running and took it out to El Mirage Dry Lake Bed. Somewhere between the lakebed and i395 the bike just fouled a plug, and I had to walk back to the truck. I had to walk around a mountain range and back to the main road. My dad's 2WD truck couldn't get back there to find it. So basically, I lost to the open desert.
YAAAAAAY. For me the best episode yet. Hodaka ace 100; my first real motorcycle - circa 1970. Pronounced; hoe dah ka. Not ho daa kaa. LOL. Poh tae toe/ poh taa toe. That's how everyone pronounced it back in the day anyway. Many people now days have never heard of them but they were really popular when I was growing up. They were a big thing at Saturday night short track racing. People modded the heck out of them. So many memories. Thanks a bunch for this one!!!
I was gonna comment the same,im like he's pronouncing it wrong..I remember hearing it like you described..Thank you for the comment, and in my opinion, you are correct
There is a whole video about them on you tube somewhere. I saw it probably a year ago or something. Which is the only reason I had heard about them before.
@@Richard-r1x7d It is strange that such a once popular brand mostly vaporized. People know about bulltaco, montessa and other dirt/enduro bikes from that era but hodaka probably sold far more than those companies did. Price had a lot to do with it. Also, hodaka partnered with bonaza mini-bikes and sold a hodaka powered model that every kid lusted over. ME, lol. Steen, taco mini-cycles and others too. The engines were everywhere. Now mostly forgotten. Now you know more than you probably want to. Cheers.
I remember Hodaka. I had a neighbor who had a Combat Wombat. He'd ride the trails near our houses and yes you knew when he was coming. My cousin had a Road Toad and I loved to ride that bike. He was selling it about the time I was saving for a car so I had to pass on the bike. I believe Hodaka made a Super Wombat too.
I grew up on a farm and used to drive a Hodaka Ace 90 to school when I was like, 8, maybe 9 years old. Upgraded to a Yamaha YZ250D when I was 10. Moved to "The city" when I was 14 and was so depressed that I wasnt allowed to drive dirtbikes to school anymore. I miss that Hodaka.
@@DubiousNookie The 250 was a hand me down from my big brother. In hindsight and two broken collarbones later, it may have been too much bike for a 10 year old.
I had an ACE 100 B, if I remember right ? It was a great little bike and i& I knew back then what I know now, I would have taken better care of it and I have no doubt that it would still be running today ! It needed a clutch and the kickstarter fixed but, I had the engine and transmission completely split apart and it was one of the simplest designs and one of the easiest bikes to work on that I’ve ever seen !
My uncle raced a Super Rat. It hadn't been run in 44 years. I cleaned the rust out of the tank, cleaned out the carb, put fresh gas in it and it started 4th kick.
I lived in Oregon for 30 years, I had to google where Athena is. That bike needs to be restored and put back on the street. (just to tick off the neighbors)
I love how you started saying it right, right there at the end, Ho-dock-ka. In the late 60's, early 70's my friend Jerry, he had the Dirt Squirt version, the chain and rear wheel fell off during our (group of four) high stakes attempt to climb five fingers mountain outside of Inyokern, CA. We didn't even make the foot hills when we had to hide it in the bushes; and the group carried on with me hauling him on the back of my CT-70 the rest of the way and from then on, the Hodaka earned a childhood rep as junk. 😂
i would have perfect name for Hodaka chopper if they made any. Street Rat :D and the idea totally did not come from mentioning old cartoons "i use to watch Biker Mice from Mars a lot as a kid" xD
I love the doink sound when you first blow air into the fuel tank... For some reason that sound makes my inner child happy... Sometimes it's the little things..
Malaguti Ronco was my first [13 yrs old] motorbike... it can't get more ''Italian'' than that... between a few Malaguti, and Sachs Simonini [all 50 cc] we were ''terrorizing'' every 50cc Japanese bike rider in my city... some 100-125cc too...
@@user-McGiver Hi dear Good evening . I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a man with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don’t a normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌺🌺🌺
Bog hog, a fat tire bike equipped with up swept exhaust and snorkel and the interstate primate could be an old school chopper. Probably do a fat cat as well, another fat tire bike with a obese liger for graphics and marketing. Do a real slim electric dirt bike and call it the mountain goat.
Love your videos, and the background history/knowledge that your provide while you are working on the bikes. I love to work on my own bikes, and watching your videos helps give me the confidence that it can be done, and the satisfaction of the completed job. Thank you for what you do.
Had a early 70's Super Rat. Found some help from a 2 stroke mechanic...installed big carb...reed valve...finger porting in cylinder. Seemed like power and RPM doubled, speed and acceleration greatly improved. Many hours of desert riding, if something happened, it was lightweight and easy to push back to the trailer. One of the most fun bikes I ever rode. Good times, good memories...
When I was 13 I save my grass cutting money and bought a very used 1971 Hodaka Ace 100. It was identical to this bike, except mine had the headlight still intact and working and mine had a cylinder head with 2 spark plug holes. I later traded it and another bike, for a Suzuki TS 250.
When I was growing up Hodaka and Bultaco were big. I had a 1970 Bridgestone 100 that had that dual sprocket set up. Chain has two master links so you can take that the short chain section out for the highway Sprocket.
@@davessparetime83 just hearing the name Bultaco makes my heart beat a tad faster. Not so much the Persang (red one) but the yellow one streaking through the desert, be still my heart.♥️
Gotta love old 2-stroke dirt bikes. My first motorcycle was an Allsport Steen with a Greeves fork. It has the exact same engine as the one you worked on. Same air filter too. IIFC it was a paper element.
I still live in Athena. My Mom worked for Hodaka getting supplies from Japan. I learned to ride motorcycles on a dirt squirt. Once a year there is Hodaka days in Athena. A lot of parts are swapped here. Thank you for sharing
Had an ACE 100 in a mini bike as a teenager ( I’m 68 now) with no brakes . Just down shifted ! I was an idiot . Had a Hodaka MC also in TEXAS when I was in the USAF . That bike was a blast . Quick and nimble on the dirt and drove it for miles . Thanks for letting me to have a blast from the past !
Hey, I just wanted to say that this is officially my new favourite channel on RU-vid! Only discovered you about a month ago through bikes and beards and I’ve been binge watching ever since! I even have the strong urge to buy myself an old bike and get it running 😂 love it! Keep the videos coming 👊🏻
Bought a Super Rat from my buddy back in 75ish. Really fun when it ran. My Dad sold it after one too many times in the shop. You’re right about the sound of them! Great memories.