Hodaka engines it is very relivabl e (At
least we didn't encoun ter any problem s
in a machin e with zero miles on iLl and
lends itself to any amount of triek
ho.p-up stuff. It bas sufficie nt power in
stock form for a 125 trailbike . Some
modifie d models of the Womba t have
been acquit ting themsel ves very
comme ndably in Southe rn Californ ia
motocro ss and scrambl es and an official
Hodaka -produc ed hop-up ki t wiII be
availabl e soom if you feel you need it.
The ki tted models are referred to as
Comba t Womba ts after the trade name
of the kit. Don't mess with it if you are
interes ted in an uncomp licated
trail/en duro machin e. It doesn't seem to
be necessa ry. Power is adequat e, but not
overwhe lming.
Our test Womb at seemed
underge ared, especial ly in first but this
may have been due to a tight engine
that wouldn 't run out in the revs until
broken in. The engine still requires
pre-mix to be dumped into the 2.75
gallon tank, which is unusual for a
Japanes e-built machin e .but in keeping
with the Hodaka compet ition image.
The Womb at is a very simp.le,
straight forward machin e withou t any
frills.
It does have the importa nt basics,
howeve r. Instrum entation consists of a
speedo and a resellab l e odomet er.
About all you need, really. Lightin g is
very good, with two iigh ting coils off
the mall:. Rear lill:h t and brake ligh t are
M
.8.
Q.
....
""
'"
~
t)
Hodaka is promoting the The Wombat 123cc engine offers a significant power increase over the 100 "ST" but the longer Mleelbase means the front end doesn't pop up as
Wombat for Preidentwith quickly, Bad for showing off; good for actual riding,
a 'Keep on boogeytng" sl~ too can do it.
trailbike . It is also a great beginne r's
big enough to get at ten tion in street
enduro machin e since the would-b e Six
riding.
Days candida te doesn't have to worry
The Womba t is definite ly street legal.
about his machin ery and can
arrestor securely
The silencer /spark
concen trate on his own skill
d·lookin g
fastened to the large awkwar
develop ment.
pipe is effectiv e. The horn isn't much,
Riders that like Hodaka s before will
but should get. you through the Moto!
like them even more in the form of a
tech inspecti on.
Vehicle Dept.
The n_ Hodaka 125 Wombat from
Womb at. Riders that didn't like
Manhat tan Sportbike. raoed at Aseot
The things that affect the rider
er.
Hodaka s before ought to reconsid
Wednesday night August 9, 1972, and went
directly are improve d and, objectiv ely,
The changes are enough to make you a
home with saeond overall and plaead second
not that bad. The seat is stretche d out
Womba t freak, and that's a pretty heavy
in every race in the Junior Division. This first
inches with a lower profile and is
two
trip.
Wombat to run at Aseot was raead by Jerry
comfor tably for
just a bit more
Frickleton. and was beaten only by a CZ.
big-but ted riders. The footpeg s are
really super. They are beavy, serrated ,
rounded tip, spring-l oaded, long pegs
and Hodaka dealers should do a bang-up
business in footpeg sales, if they can
keep enough in stock. Handleb ars feel
kind of flimsy but are adequat e. Tbey
were comfor tably with OK grips but
look awfully high. They're mOre for sit
straigh t up·typ e riding. Braking
pressure , fron t and rear, is progress ive
and positive but tbe brakes are nothing
to write home about. The front brake is
really margina l for street riding.
It's hard to get to the ignition key
when you're on the bike since it's
tucked under the left thigh. The bike is
also too easy to hotwire to make it
burglar proof so chain it or keep it in a
garage. There is no kill button, which
defmite ly is not a complim ent to the
hard· to-reach key. Ligh ts are control led
by the ignition key also, as on the old
Hondas .
Some of the details will save the
enduro rider some cash at the accesso ry
store. (We already noted the footpeg s.)
The steel fenders are chrome d with dual
mudflap s (top and bottom ) on the front
one. A chrome d cylinde r sits bolted to
the rear fender, under the luggage rack,
Every trail rider should have at least one Wombat .
and carried a fairly standar d assortm ent
of tools. There is the poten tial for
cracking the luggage rack and fender by
overloa ding the contain er space since
it's all out behind the rear shock mounts
and in for a lot of bouncin g. The big
SOME HODA KA WOMB AT INFOR MATIO N
aluminu m tank holds plenty of fuel for
extende d rides or desert loops.
The new 21-inch front wheel is
'" $665
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
RETAI L PRICE
another sign of the grown-u p Hodaka
. 123cc SINGLE CYLIND ER PISTON PORT
rear, are
ENGINE . . . .
but the tires, both front and
. . . . . .56mm x 50mm
too small. The 2.75 up front and 3.00 at
BORE X STROKE
the rear really don't make it. Three
. NO OFF ICIAL CLAIM S
HORSEPOWER
hundred up front and 3.50 at the rear
. . . . . . 7.2:1
better
.
CR
will make a better handlin g,
24mm MIKUN I
accelera ting, all around neater machin e.
CARBU RETIO N
The tread pattern on the stock rubber is
. .52..5"
WHEELBASE
also a compro mise Trials type. Again, it
· . 9-5/6':
but the
GROUND CLEAR ANCE
makes a suitably trailbike as is
· .31.25 "
enduro rider probabl y won't be
SEAT HEIGH T
satisfied .
•2'Y.. GAL.
FUEL CAPAC ITY .
The Womba t is basicall y a pleasure to
.205 DRY
ular
ride because of its lack of spectac
WEIGH T
.225 WET
attribut es, good or bad. It's a very
neu tral feeling machin e but still
manage s to give a good accoun t 0if itself.
You end up zipping along, not trying
anythin g super tricky but not much
worryin g about the machine . Which
,,
•,
,,
. makes it. a good, down-to -earth
,
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:
t .•
DICK MANN,
AaDORCYCLE
WRITER
BOOK REVIE W - - - - - - Motorc ycle Ace
- the Dick Mann story
By Dick Mann wi th Joe Scalzo
$5.95,2 44 pages with photogr aphs.
Henry Regnery Co., 114 W. l1Iinois St.,
Chicago 60610
This is the third book on the lives of
famous motorcy cle racers by Author
Scalzo and we are grateful that he saved
the charme d spot for Dick Mann, our
favorite . S'calzo's series switche s to a
new publish er with this volume and
though we reviewe d an unboun d (and
apparen tly unproof red) copy, it profits
from the change in terms of more
readabl e typogra phy, at least.
The curren t Grand Nation al
Champi on seems to be telling his story
in the first person, althoug h the Scalzo
style, so familiar from reading his
biograp hies of Gary Nixon and Bart
Marke l, comes throug h in the
descript ive passage s. There is no doubt
that it is really Dick Mann who is doing
the telling, with a fine appreci ation for
the truth, even when it comes out.
soundin g self-<:o ngratula tory. Mann is
proud of being one of the best in his
professi on. He's been at it longer than
most and he enjoys this uniquen ess.
Early experie nces come through
clearly enough , if the reader supplies a
little imagina tion. The early-m orning
paper route, dicihg througl i the empty
streets of Richmo nd, Californ ia with the
bike buddies who would soon become
famous professi onal racers all. The
travels with fastidio us Albert Gunter,
shuttlin g back and forth across Americ a
in pickups full of bikes, the funny
troubles with overzea lous cops and
AMA officia ls all make fast,
unforge ttable reading .
This is a book that every racer and
fan in to motorcy cling should read. It is
told b'y an all-arou nd hero who goes as
far as there is in street riding, every kind
of l'2chg, and trail riding here and
abroad. Mann has experie nced it all and
his calm assessm ent of where it's at
should serve as inspirat ion to biker
generati ons. He reveals enough ups and
downs to make several careers
interest ing, yet he is still as strong and
cagier than ever.
Most biograp hies have an ending. The
man dies, or retires heavy with honors.
Dick Mann's story is still being lived,
and there are many more chapter s to
come. We hope that this book is a pilot
for The Furthe r Advent ures of
C'L L C"_.ton
Motorc ycle "Ace·.
_r
lIUC/J
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