Hodaka Ace 100
Hodaka Ace 100
CYCLE WORLD IMPRESSION
Five Speeds And A Big Engine Mean The 90 Has Grown Up
COMPARE THE larger, faster 1968 Hodaka Ace 100 with one of the first Hodakas ever produced, a 1964 Ace 90; frame, engine, tank, seat, brakes-they all look alike, or nearly so, on both machines.
The truth is, four years of steady development and detail improvement have not radically altered the appearance of the first popular and reliable design. The 1968 Hodaka, with enlarged 90-cc engine and five ratios in the gearbox, in place of the previous four, is an extension of, not a departure from, previous models.
This process is working just fine for Hodaka. The car industry is infamous for annual facelifts on its products-facelifts which frequently disguise the same years-old packages in different wrappings.
Motorcycle manufacturers are far less extreme, but some of them are prone to boast of trivial changes in their latest models, while faults that really need attention are ignored.
Hodaka has avoided these pitfalls, and has built up an almost fanatical following for its “one model, one color” machine.
The Ace 100 can do nothing but increase that following. The larger engine size was obtained simply by enlarging the bore of the previous unit. This makes engine dimensions exactly “square,” at 50 mm for both bore and stroke.
This, together with other modifications, has increased power from 8.2 to 9.8 bhp, or about 20 percent. Peak power is developed at 7500 rpm, and maximum torque is 6.7 lb.-ft. at 5500 rpm.
A new cylinder, with modified porting, has been fitted. The crankcase is stronger, and a needle roller bearing has replaced the bush formerly used at the top end of the connecting rod, which itself is new. The two-ring piston also is new.
The five-speed gearbox helps the top end performance on the road, and enables the lower ratios to be more suitably grouped for trail riding. Drive from the engine is taken through a new, four-plate clutch, mounted on the crankshaft, through the primary gears and into the gearbox.
An energy transfer ignition system is used, and to keep pace with modern demands for quiet exhaust systems, Hodaka has designed a new unit that drowns engine noise while actually boosting output.
The long list of changes extends to the suspension and wheels. Heavier rear shocks are fitted, and the front fork now carries attractive rubber gaiters. Wheel rims are stronger, and the spokes heavier. Tires also are larger.
The Ace 90 frame is unchanged. It has two down tubes that extend to the upper mounting point of the rear suspension legs, and a single top tube sloping downward from the steering head. An additional tube runs from the rear of the top tube and meets the down tubes near their junction with the steering head.
As with previous models, the Ace 100 is fully street legal. It is equipped with a 6-volt lighting system, speedometer, and rear view mirror.
How does all this affect the way the Ace 100 runs on road and trail? In the first place, the transition from 90 cc to almost a full 100 cc, and addition of an extra gear ratio, means the Hodaka has matured. No longer is it just a sporty fun bike. Now it is sporty, and fun, with a touch of sophistication.
Hodaka claims a modest 62 mph top speed for the Ace 100. The new engine buzzes quickly to peak speed, and is complemented by the gearbox ratios. On a twisting road, engine, gearbox, and clutch operate in such harmony that the Hodaka feels like a junior version of a road racer. Whether braking sharply or accelerating fiercely, there is always a correct ratio waiting to be selected.
Emergency braking brings the machine swiftly to a halt, with both wheels under complete control. The rear wheel can be locked, but a clumsy rider can lock the rear wheel of any machine if he tramps on the lever hard enough.
The only way to enjoy the Hodaka fully off the road is to employ the overlay sprocket, supplied with every machine. It has 50 teeth, compared with the 36 teeth of the “road” sprocket. Using the road gearing on the trail effectively kills much of the Hodaka’s potential, as well as most of the rider’s pleasure.
But with the large sprocket attached, the little Hodaka scrambles up and over almost anything in its path. With the trail gearing, low ratio is truly low, at 42.39:1. At the other end of the scale, the 12.11:1 fifth gear will allow a top speed of about 45 mph.
An extra length of chain, and tools for changing sprockets, are supplied with the Hodaka.
The Hodaka is fitted with roadster tires-2.75 in. by 17 in. on the front, and 3.00 in. by 17 in. on the rear. Clearly, off-road performance will be greatly improved by changing these for a set of knobby covers.
Dry weight of the Ace 100, less tools, fuel, and lubricant, is 1701b. This is light enough to enable it to be thrown about with gay abandon, while the suspension easily copes with a variety of surfaces.
Those thousands of people who have bought Ace 90s might feel a little sore if they constantly have a view of the back end of some smart guy with a ’68 model. But Hodaka has insured that existing owners will not develop an inferiority complex; almost all the new features are interchangeable with parts on the older models. This is yet another justification for Hodaka’s policy of one model, one color, and a steady series of detailed changes.
The Hodaka also has a new suggested retail price-$425-which is merely in keeping with the machine’s growth in stature as a motorcycle.
The Ace 100 conso lidates the position Hodaka has built up over the past four years as one of the best constructors of dual purpose motorcycles. It’s stimulating to ponder what the next four years may bring from this factory.
