If I read the results correctly, there were two riders in pre '65 Scottish Two Day event by the name of Malcolm Smith. Were either of them the well known American rider?

Bullfrog,

Give us the story on the Hodaka in your avatar. There are a few Hodaka enthusiasts here.

There is a nice write up on the Bullfrog and several other Hodaka trials specials on the Strictly Hodaka site. Jay Lael (a regular poster here) has a very nice version.

BTW Sendero, I noticed there was a trail running parallel with the train tracks all the way along Rt 66. Needless to say I was totally bummed.

Hi guys! Can't resist a chance to comment again about those wonderful funny bikes (almost) made in Oregon. Bullfrog's bike was one of just five? special prototype bikes, most of which never saw the light of day. I will wait until Ed tells the story from his viewpoint. I was a trials riding kid in '72 on a special Hodie built by the colorful character, Whitey, "Hacksaw" Hartman, who also happens to be my uncle. It was based on a 1964 Ace 90 which was number 00004. Too bad it is no longer around as it sort of vaporized when I got my first OSSA MAR in 1974. I have a few pictures of the Hacksaw bike but the one shown here is the one I built in '2000 using alot of the ideas which were used on the Hacksaw bike, plus alot of new ones dreamed up since then. The thing is, I am currently building a new version of the "Lael" Hodaka which is three inches lower with revised steering head angle and different specs and lightwer weight. It is being collaberated on with Ed Chesnutt of Hodaka Pabatco, and Hacksaw Hartman, who is still riding bikes at age 74. The new bike should be done by Hodaka days and I hope to ride it at Chehalis this year also. Sorry no pics as it's still top secret. Here's the Lael Hodaka I call T-1. Jay

Edited May 10, 200422 yr by JayLael

Scweeeeeeet!!!

The perfect use for a good Hodaka. Alot better than my 1969 Ace 90 yard ornament, which attracts the occasinal HDB. (Hodaka Drive By) They stop in because of the Hodaka parked in the front yard, "rusting in peace". I could write books about the stuff I've heard because of that bike.

An "Oregonian" HDB stopped by a couple weeks ago and told me all about some guy that had to prove something by riding his Wombat from some odd parts back east, all the way to Hodaka Days. Supposedly, he strapped a spare motor to his back and actually did it. He tried to begg off the ride a few times, by calling his wife to come get him. She told him "No. Keep going. Yak, yak, yak...." Seems I saw something like this in a movie once.

Think ya might know if this is true, or better yet, who the guy is? Anybody that finds himself crossing the Great Divide in a perdicament like that... has my respect.

Sendero:Like most fables there is a grain of truth to it. The guy rode a wombat from New York and tried to ride to Hodaka days at Athena Ore. but ended up buying a beater pickup truck to complete the trip after the poor Wombat garbaged both engines. The rumour I heard was that the bike was not jetted properly and fell prey to lean seizure before it made the state line in New York. After fitting the new engine which was mounted in a special rear rack, it made it farther, but still suffered ultimate failure. As you probably know a guy rode an Ace 100 around the perimiter of the Australian continent in the '60's so it wasn't the bike as much as bad luck and poor jetting choices. The man who did this has a writeup about him on www.strictlyhodaka.com (I might recall his name if it wasn't 5:25 in the morning) Seems like a great idea 'til you get out there on the wind blown prairie on your overloaded Wombat. Jay L.

There was one other well known American rider in the Pre-65 event this year who hails from Dickson, TN. None other than Bob Ginder of B&J Racing. I spotted a few picks of him on the site. He also has a story of his experience on his website! Way to go Bob!

Cheers, steve

Gents, I'm sorry its taken me so long to reply. I had some catching up to do after spending so much time keeping up on the progress of the SSDT (and Team WOFTAM).

30 days after hiring on with Hodaka Motorcycles in 1971, I took out a bank loan to purchase a Saracen 125 Trials. Those machines were quite impressive what with the light weight and precise steering. They needed better suspension, brakes and more tractable power - yet they were impressive. So much so that an idea was hatched to build a Hodaka powered version. You can see the ORIGINAL Bullfrog on the strictlyhodaka website in the scrapbook, just a few bikes down from the top. The original was actually built on a modified Saracen frame and had an R&D Dept. 150+cc engine with special trials transmission (close ratio 1, 2, 3 and a bit of a jump to 4 & 5). Several of us @ PABATCO were trials enthusiasts and watched the project closely . . . and ended up with a severe case of the "I've got to have one of those" willies.

5 (or was it 6?) custom frames were designed and jig built based on the Saracen geometry. Curt Alexander of the R&D Dept. built the frames. The deal was that Curt would do the building if the other's of us would purchase the materials and Curt would get a frame at the end. That was a true "win-win" situation!

Curt finished the build out on his frame using a Cotton tank (like Leon Wilbanks' original) but with maroon paint. I believe he mounted a 125 engine - certainly with extra fly wheel weight. I know about the fly wheel weight because he made an extra weight for me. I finished my 'frog but, being about 24 or 25 at the time, the funds available for the machine AFTER beer, chasing girls and food, were quite limited. So my machine ended up with "economy" plastic fenders and tank (ie, free, scrounged from the nooks and crannies of Pabatco).

The machine was parked (and garage buried) from about 1980 to 2003. In 2003 I dug it out (literally) and got it running again. What a hoot!

General Specifications:

51.75" Wheelbase; 153 pounds (no fuel - 64 front, 89 rear); Model 94 Wombat lower end with Model 95 Combat Wombat top end with added reed valve; 24mm Mikuni; standard point ignition; extra 3.4 pounds of flywheel weight added to magneto side; 12 tooth or 13 tooth primary sprocket and 64 tooth final sprocket (generally prefer 12 tooth); lightly modified Wombat forks, 6.125" travel; Girling rear end, 4" travel; stock Hodaka hubs - older models, smaller dia. and weight - extended brake levers at hubs; 1.75" header pipe (1.5" replacement in progress now); Sammy Miller Muffler; Renthal bars; hand made seat, chain guard and air box.

Since my beer "needs" have decreased somewhat in the last 30 years and since my girl chasing has been limited to one particularly wonderful woman since 1977 and that leaves only food as a "drag" on my ability to obtain neat goodies for the Bullfrog now - I've started collecting some items to build it up the way it really deserves. I've got a Cotton tank to clean up, repair and paint! Bob Ginder helped me pick the right alloy fenders for installation front and rear. . . . and plots are afoot to re-do the exhaust system, chain tensioner and airbox.

Thanks for asking about the scoot Sendero! It's pretty obvious I'm (re) excited about it, isn't it?

Bullfrog

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Hey Guys: I did a bit of research and came up with the name of the guy who rode his Wombat from New York and a page with some pics etc. Here's the address to the web page for Steve Kirkpatrick's ride. www.jhmand.com/hodaka/steve.html That was a brave attempt at crossing America on a Wombat! Also a comment about Ed's Bullfrog. It works way better than mine. Maybe the new one will be closer though. Jay L.

Is there such a thing as a Bullfrog graphic? ...and if so, where do I get one?

I ordered up road toad airbox decal and scissored out the written part just keeping the froggy pic for my bike. Ed may have a different approach.

Actually, I did work up some "art" for the tank badges on my bike.

I've not had good luck in the past @ attaching a photo - but I'll give it a go.

. . . I don't know what I'm missing -- but I can't seem to attach a photo.

Ed's pic