Hodaka history
- Thread starter Augiedoggie
- Start date
Never owned a Hodaka but admired them for their simplicity and durability. Always had respect for the manufacturers of Hodaka and some Euro manufacturers of engines using hard chromium bores in their cylinders. Some of those motors are still standard bore and running strong. Some of the Japanese and Euro 2 stroke chain saws and leaf blowers used hard chrome bores and refuse to wear out. I have a friend with an ancient Echo/Kioritz backpack blower with chrome bore that is 30+ years old and still screams like a banshee every autumn. I have worked on every part of that machine over the many years he's had it and it still keeps running. Probably replaced 4 pistons over the years and probably could have gotten away with replacing just the piston rings but piston is still very inexpensive.
I love Hodakas. The story is great. The bikes started off great. I had a Super Rat for a couple of years. Best little dirt bike ever devised.
The later bikes got pretty weird. The big green 175 I almost bought was like riding an old Honda twin scrambler.
Thanks for posting. I was getting tired of watching old boxing videos this winter.
The later bikes got pretty weird. The big green 175 I almost bought was like riding an old Honda twin scrambler.
Thanks for posting. I was getting tired of watching old boxing videos this winter.
The old air cooled 2 strokes had a distinctive sound to them. Modern power valve, air cooled 2 strokes cannot replicate that sound. Just hearing those old smokers bring back memories for me. I can almost smell the 2 stroke oil watching the video. I used to do a lot of expansion chamber repairs back in the day. Used torch to heat pipes to reform them. Shop would sometimes fill with heavy castor oil smoke. Smell of blendzall or Klotz burning always reminds me of those days. Good times
The liquid cooled engines had much tighter tolerances and more metal surrounding the cylinder. That made it hard to hear the piston slapping back and forth at 9000 slaps a minute. Or 12000 times two. That was fun to hear when there were a dozen of them chasing each other like angry bees racing for a peach tree.
For me best lasting two stroke memory is from my 1973 Kawasaki F7 175 with shaved head, Weisco piston and Hooker header.
Drove that on the street at age 16 because could not afford a car for about 6 months.
Thinking back neighbors must of hated hearing that thing come home at 11 pm. Being full of pizz and vinegar it was operated most of the time on the pipe in the powerband sweet spot so plenty loud.
Wapp,wapppp, Ding, Ding Ding
Drove that on the street at age 16 because could not afford a car for about 6 months.
Thinking back neighbors must of hated hearing that thing come home at 11 pm. Being full of pizz and vinegar it was operated most of the time on the pipe in the powerband sweet spot so plenty loud.
Wapp,wapppp, Ding, Ding Ding
I agree about the great sound (and smell!) of the old 2 strokes. They used to say that if it isn't smoking you have not got the gas/oil mixture right! Years ago, one of the first bikes my son and I restored (including a full engine rebuild) was a 1979 Yamaha YZ80, which we still have today. Even for a small engine bike, when that bike hits the power band when you shift into third gear it was like a turbo charger kicking in...
Michael
Michael
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Funny story. I once owned small bike shop and sold,traded and purchased many motorcycles. Smart-ass loudmouth kid inherited a RD200 and claimed it wasn't fast enough for his big dumb ass and wanted to trade it for a bigger(slower) Honda XL250 thinking bigger is faster. Took RD200 as trade and sent him on his way with his new Honda pig. Twin cylinder 2 stroke 200cc Yamaha is plenty healthy motor when running properly. Cleaned out dirty carburetor and little 2 smoker was running strong on both cylinders. My after school helpers and their friends always got first choice of any bikes available and one young fellow purchased the little Yammy and proudly showed it off around high school. Smart ass- kid who traded bike originally started badmouthing the Yamaha claiming it was a slug and how much faster his mighty XL250 was. Loud mouth kid got a hard lesson in life when his Honda got thrashed when the 2 boys drag raced them down a nearby road. Little Yamaha was much faster when running on both cylinders.