Well, I finally got a two-smoke. Wanted a dirtbike for a while, something that was just pure fun and I finally did. Did some research and discovered a company called Hodaka. They were big in the late '60s and early '70s for building affordable, light, easy-to-ride bikes that could actually win against bigger bikes. Giant-Killers, if you will. Whereas a lot of dirtbikes are hard-core machines that take a lot of skill and such to ride, Hodakas were known for being forgiving, easy-to-ride and just pure FUN.
They were a mom-and-pop sized operation, (compared to Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha for example), and their unofficial motto was "We're the Underdog!! We're second best, so we try harder!!!" They had a sense of humor and hilarious names for their machines, such as Wombat, Combat Wombat, Dirt Squirt, Super Rat, Road Toad, Thunderdog and others.
By the late '70s, the financial power of the Big Japanese Four in dirt sports drove Hodaka under as they could not be competitive anymore. They were a cult bike then and a cult bike now. Parts are still available, cheap and plentiful among Hodaka fans.
Wound up getting a deal on a '73 Dirt Squirt, in decent original condition. It's among the last of the Chrome-Tank models, since shortly thereafter the company that built the chrome tanks refused to chrome them anymore, so they had to be painted. The red frame and chrome tank were a Hodaka trademark since the company's inception, and when they went to painted tanks, a lot of folks consider that a "shark jump" of sorts.
It's a 100cc two-smoke single and it's got some dings and battle scars, but they're earned and that's fine since I wanted a rider and not a museum piece. It was fitted with the optional and desirable Hodaka factory off-road lighting kit, for night riding. It runs right off the magneto, so the faster the engine runs, the brighter the light gets. I am LOVING the simplicity of this thing, hell my Honda has more parts in the HEAD than this thing's entire ENGINE!!! No battery, just flip a switch, and kick it over. Starts first kick every time.
I spent yesterday tearing ass around on it and generally having a blast. It's geared REAL short, and my dad kept ripping on it, saying I needed at least a 250. Well after I popped a wheelie in front of him on it, he stopped saying that.
The obligatory pics:
Some people say I kinda resemble Denzel Washington and I guess in the right light, I kinda do...
Might try and get some wheelie pics later.
