jaylael

Sorry, no pictures exist of this bike. I was twenty two tears old. Now we're in the digital age and I still save film like it cost a million dollars. The bike was ridden in trials for a short time by it's next owner after me. In 1987 on a trip back east, my wife and I stopped off briefly in our old home town, Gillette Wyoming. I saw it leaned up against a fence out in the rain and snow, it's green plastic tank had been turned a gastly whitish shade by the unrelenting assault of the elements. It's wes aluminum rear muffler was corroded and the poor thing looked like it was ruined. Of course I wish I had it now.

No. I think the KT has one of the best running engines for trials I've seen among the vintage bikes as it is.

I can't see any problem with you buying this bike, as long as you are prepared for the huge cost of repairs which are inevitable if you ride the bike more than twice a year. As I said at the last trial, watching those things go round brings a smile to my face because (for a mechanic) it's just like money in the bank.

Yes, it was a very direct attempt to get the KT to behave more like an SWM. How astute of you to notice. I used 74 kx125 fork springs, but plugged up the hisser holes. If I remember right, I also used 13 1/2" s&W shocks w 60/90 springs. Forward mounted and with the relocated swingarm pivot, the suspension was good.

Since nobody seems to be elbowing their way to the front I will offer a few ideas. In 82 when I built my KT, it was all the rage to cut the tubes out from under the engine, and install a beefy aluminum skid plate with thick rubber pad. I seem to recall a factory KT of Curt Comer, and Gary LaPlante. These bikes used the KX 250 clutch cover, and around 300 cc overbore. At that time I believed the original KT 250 to lack sufficient flywheel effect, so mine had an added weight, which was a disc bolted on to the flywheel. This required a spacer for the mag cover which I had made by a machinist. He made mine out of steel plate around 5/8" thick, and looked like a mag cover gasket from the side view. This requires longer screws. The frame mods involved the previously mentioned skid plate mod, but to improve the handling of my KT as I saw it in 1982, was relocating the swingarm pivot bolt as close to the engine as possible. This shortened the back, thus lightening the front end. I felt this was an improvement. Relocating the lower shock mounts farther up the swingarm was a very common mod, which I think requires removal of the chain oiler stuff. This gives quicker steering. I ectimate we moved them forward about 2 inches, not a great deal, this also gave softer rear suspension which had slightly more travel. Footpegs are located well, just need some weld on peg jaws, like from works connection. I made mine from scratch. Stiffening the forks with KX fork springs or air caps (gasp) will be necessary. I can't recall for sure but I think I shortened my steering stops slightly also. This is touch and go doing this so it must be done in small steps with test rides between. Very sketchy territory. I used the stock center box with a longer more convoluted header pipe and had also renovated the front downtubes into a single squre front down tube 1 1/4" which split into two above the exhaust port.

You will need to find a way to lower the exhaust port height to trials specs. As engines become race tuned this height gets raised. The higher it goes, the less low end torque and the engine becomes pipey to ride. Also you will need to accomplish very low gearing, perhaps with a big rear sprocket and add a fair amount of flywheel weight. Usually this is done by attaching a disc shaped, thick metal plate to the engine's magneto flywheel. This must be done perfectly to avoid run out vibrations and crakshaft twisting could also require welding the crank pin. These are just the first points to address of course there is also carberation and exhaust which effect the trials performance. Good luck with your project. Please post pics of it. Jay

Kinnel, Kary had told me a funny story about the trip to Scottland. Seems several people had told him, "In todays political climate, allot of people don't like Americans, so don't draw attention to yourself, and try to blend in." So the first thing Kary does is bring his big old cowboy hat and proceed to almost never take it off the entire time they were in Scottland. ! Now that's funny. I can attest that Kary has at least some credentials as a cowboy. He and I were riding horses in the back country near my former home outside Molalla, when his horse flipped over backwards into the brush and rocks, crushing his right arm into a letter S. Seems the pommel of the saddle had come down across his arm with a 1000 lb horse attached to it. All I heard was allot of crashing and snapping of brush, then I hollered down to him and he said, "I been in a real bad wreck, Jay!" I dropped the leads on both of my horses and scrambled down to Kary, and his horse Fred was standing there trembling and so was Kary. He had allready gone into shock and was beginning to sweat profusely. "Can you ride?" I asked him foolishly just not thinking. "No?" he said uncertainly. I took Fred by the lead and Kary began his shuffling 1/2 mile walk down to my house. About fifty yards along the trail we could hear the thundering of hooves as my two horses and his little red mule he was ponying came strafing down the trail at him going warp 10. We both had to duck into the brush as they passed, first going down, then going back up, then down again! I really couldn't do much about it, as they were all wound up and having a field day with the unusual excitement. Somehow we all made it back to the house where my wife called 911, and then we took the Ford pickup down to the Hospital some 40 miles away. When Kary and I paraded into the Emergency room, he was still wearing a pair of chinks and a black felt hat. The cute young nurses were whispering to eachother stuff like, "That cowboy didn't want any painkillers!" and "I didn't know there was a rodeo in town." We just let 'em think we were rodeo cowboys I guess, and have never seen such good treatment and courtesy at the emergency room. It was the direct opposite experience, from going in there dressed in motocross gear. I suggest if you get badly hurt, drop by home and change into your rodeo cowboy outfit.

Cope: The stator is 110 mm OD. The stator primary was rewound and now my Y2K Sherco 2.5 is back among the living. Note the Ducati ignition may be different from later Shercos. I suggest looking at the pics on Bradford ignitions website and compare to your unit for positive ID. Steve is a saint to have put up with my rudeness. I kind of freaked out and sent him a very mean e mail when it never came back in time for an important trial, due to things beyond his control. . He was as tactful as he could have been under the circumstances. I reccommend him very highly. Jay Lael

Kinnel, were you involved with the Odus adventure? I work with Kary, so I have heard a few good tidbits about the Yanks in Scotland awhile back. It sounds like the Queen's servicemen have contributed greatly to Odus finishing the event. I also gather a few locals had taken notice of the Yanks in Fort William. One waitress at the local inn had said something to the effect of, "Look at the size of ya! What do you eat for dinner, half a cow?" Odus and Kary are just big lads, and she was probably having a bit of fun with them. As nice a bunch of guys as you'll ever meet, and I was proud to have them representing us abroad. I can underdstand why folks would take notice of them. To me it was almost like a historic event that any Yanks could be part of the Scottish anytime! These days it can be pretty expensive to go that far. I can't seem to be bothered to make the trip as far as Canada anymore, much less the British Isles. Once when I was in my twenties I was a regular pest up north, but I guess old age has worn me down to a local. (we're a local shop, there's nothing for you here) My range of travel just keeps getting smaller and smaller. There is a trial at IOCO BC this weekend and I wish I had the energy to pull it off. Seems like only yesterday my friends and I would never miss the superstars trial, and now I for one am just a lame old geezer content to care for my patch of grass. I figure I can get my Sherco back online this weekend and it will be time well spent. Those big climbs really aren't for the Hodie. Dave it sounds like Donner was awesome as usual. Good for you that you went! JL

Since it's been riding season I have been very busy and thought it might be a good time to update a bit on this subject. I'm still riding the Sherdaka in modern events while the Sherco is still down, but promises to be running soon. The local trial at the weekend put on by seasoned trials veterans Keith Ditmars and Kent Zimmerman, was held at Lolo Pass near Mount Hood. The blue skies and temperatures in the ninteys, made for an idyllic setting for trials riding, if a bit on the hot side. The first section featured a climb straight up a very steep embankment, to a height of about 35 feet and a traverse and descent off to the left. Even the best riders all took points on this, while on the Hodie, I had no chance. You can see the turmoil on my face in the enclosed pic #3. My friend Kevin Krahel volunteered to spot for me and I gave it a go, the little Hodaka shrieking it's guts out in second gear, launched well up the wall, and stuck there like a very nervous fly. With Kevin's help I managed to get down in one piece albeit with a five. The second section was much the same, another hillclimb to the moon, which I could not make on the poor little Hodaka, allthough I managed a three on the advanced line, it was of no help. Another five. The two photos on the big rock are from section three where I managed a two point ride. Things were looking up. Then on the long ride to four, I noticed oil stripes on the ground, and sure enough they led me to our Pal Odus Lambert, who could have done with some metal putty to jam into the gushing hole in the bottom of his Montesa 4rt. He turned around and limped to the truck and I'm sure he was disgusted. Meanwhile the little Hodaka just kept right on ticking. We rode two loops of 15 sections with a fairly tough loop. Allot of sweating was done by all I'm sure. I managed to finish probably last, but the results are not out yet and I got the heck out of there to head back home since it had been such a long hot days trialing.

I am posting to you all from the field. so to speak. I have been in northeastern Oregon, at Athena's Hodaka Days Celibration. I laid out the trial as I have done nearly since it's inception. I managed to find a few new sections in a slightly more southerly spot just 100 yards from our tried and true sections near the grain elevator. We rode seven sections, two loops. I know it seems a bit ridiculous, but due to time constraints and the fact that most of the participants do not normally ride trials, for them this can be a big challenge. The trial came off very nicely with no injuries or unhappy riders. I was interviewed by the local newspaper, which was really fun for me. The trial is open to any Hodaka powered bikes, so the Sherdaka was the perfect tool for the job. I finished on three points the bike was fantastic. (yes it is really nice to have such a great bike) Tomorrow will be the scrambles at Diamond Eye manufacturing, right in Athena. Wish me luck as I will be racing the new and improved Combat Wombat. Cheers Jay

The skid plate is bent up from mercilessly whacking it against all rocks in my path, but the front part of the frame has not moved. I tightened up all the engine mount bolts and all is well. This thing is tougher than it looks! Hodaka made 175s and 250s, but I was advised to stay clear of them by a trusted friend and former pabatco employee. I am told they are too heavy and bulky to do the job. Believe me I know I could use some more power at times. Even 200 ccs would be an improvement. Once again if you bore out this engine that far and stroke it etc. it gets so the transfer passages are intruded upon super badly by the new sleeve. Every machinist I approach with this tells me it isn't practical, and they would rather not do it. The fact that it HAS been done before is simply a testament to Curt Alexander who is the genius behind the original Bull Frog 175 cc Hodaka which was based on an Ace 100 engine! My hat is off to him.

Does that shirt make me look fat?

Glenn: I think that Beta Zero sounds like the hot item for another Hodaka project. Keep me informed as this progresses. So I managed to finish the trial at Sweetens on 93 points for 7th place expert. It was very very tough and on this bike it felt like a world round. At least two of the Experts were champ riders riding down a class for Dennis' trial. I think I managed two cleans. The whole thing is kind of a blur. I think I sweated out about a gallon. Ishy won the vintage A class on his 200 Fantic, and I was second in on the vintage Tree-Frog. It made for a full day riding both morning and afternoon. I can't wait to see Dave's video.

Ishy would get that 3.2 motor put back into a Sherco frame if he could afford to repair it. If the guy from worlds fastest Indian were here he could whip us up a new piston, cylinder etc for the old girl and she'd be right enough.

Generally I have tried to keep this under my hat, but in 1977, I "built" a Maico trials bike. It was as awful as you can imagine. The 72 square barrel 400 engine would never really make a good trials engine. It's like trying to make pigs fly. I eventually reversed the process and constructed a massive square section steel swingarm, to replace the one I ruined when I shortened it. Of these two bikes the Husqvarna looks far far superior as a trials machine. Notice the Maico has no chain on it. The guy probably rode it and realized what an awful trials bike he had created. Now it's an anomally.

Barry: Here are some pics in leu of a video. Photos by Jake Metteer, who has done a bangup job at trials photography. I will resist the urge to edit out the dab.

Thanks Kirk! I noticed when Ishy was riding it he was gone for a very long time. When he did reappear he was smiling. For a first outing it is hard to imagine things going much better. She runs really nice! I'm starting to think about another. Just think of the possibillities. (This one could be considered type4.) I have a few odds and ends around, I might just do up a junkyard special. It would be cool but never as good as this one. After that then maybe something really different!

Awright I guess I can get my mind out of the gutter. I don't know what you mean by #2 then. Wouldn't be the first time I've been thick. Any road, tonight was the first trial on the bike, and I am pleased as punch to report we managed a credible 4th place, expert. Ishy won with 18 and I came in fourth with 28. Pretty close trial and me with no fives! Of course it was a fairly easy event, but I had fun like crazy. I could hardly stop grinning like an idiot. When I cleaned sections I felt like the king of the world! Results should be up at some point soon on COTA web site.

Is is something which comes out of me bum?

Ignition module on the 2000 Sherco 250, which uses the Ducati ignition, has green, red, white and black wires going to it, and also contains the secondary coil. (the lead to the spark plug) These are marked on the housing with a sticker strip indicating the colors. If your bike is different sorry, this is not going to help I guess. Anyway the kill button lead goes to the black terminal which is located on the end of the connector to the module. Ignorant types on E bay call these "brain boxes" or some other brainless tripe. Module is the correct term.

It should be allot of fun. So far I am loving it! I forgot to mention she weighs 168 lbs with half tank of fuel. The Type 3 Hodaka (tree-frog) weighs 182.

Was not aware of it. Are you?

Wednesday june 11th at Krahels. Sunday June 15th at Sweetens.