Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126052
be worth the money. But motorcycling has changed since the chrome and red hordes used to ravage every desert race, vacant lot and motocross track in the country. The premium is now on blazing acceleration, quantum suspension travel and disposability. Every manufacturer is clamoring after the 16 year old throttle-to-the-stops speedster. There are models in everyone's line that have been cobbed together from old cost leaders and new parts to appeal to the more mature, steady and responsible motorcyclist, but it is not put together with an interest in trail riding and enduro riders. It is there to fill out the line. If Pabatco has to fill out the line it wouldn't be with a half serious effort. The new Hodaka 250 ED is a serious enduro motorcycle for the serious rider, but not the serious racer. The Hodaka 250 is the largest motorcycle that the small Oregon based company has ever produced, and it is the best motorcycle that they have ever produced. Uncle Frank would like its conscious detailing and preparation. Young Frank, Jr. would call it an overweight plonker. The bottom line is quite simple; the bike was designed to be ridden in the woods, on the trails, up hills and through valleys by motorcyclists who take their riding seriously, instead or seriously fast or just plain dead senous. The bike abounds with good features. It is encased -in Preston Petty plastic, has a slim well-designed gas tank (also plastic), a folding shift lever to avoid crunching it, a chain tensioner so that you can ride long and hard withou t worry, aluminum sprocket, good footpegs, the good D.LD. rims and a strong, powerful 247cc engine. This machine was well thought out and it doesn't take long ' for people to start noticing little things, Every item attracted attention and had people asking for a ride, What is it like to ride? The power is adequate, but nothing spectacular. Yet the type of power is correct for the intended purposes of the ED. It will pull strongly down low, so strongly that working your way through sand washes and up rocky hills is never the problem it was before on those expensive bullets. A Honda MR-250 will . smoke it. That comparison is necessary because together, these are the two best Japanese 250 enduros. But the Hodaka has a broader powerband than .th e MR and a lot of freebie features like oil in the frame, Preston Petty headlight number plate, integral tail light rear fender, enclosed air box and others. The engine has oil injection which is metered by a dual cable system. It was universally despised as being double trouble on the trail. Why does a non-street legal enduro mount even need oil injection? It is just something else to go wrong, and Hodaka has gone to pains to make sure that nothing would go wrong for the owner. The suspension is not up to modern motocross standards, but it works. The forksare excellent and we were surprised because they are similar to Kayaba forks found on a lot of mediocre Japanese bikes. The rear is supported by oil dampened Kayaba shocks moved forward on the swingarrn about six inches. Travel was an acceptable seven inches, but the spring rate was way .too light for a heavi ly laden enduro rider. The handling cannot be faulted. The geometry is right and everything works well within the boundaries of the suspension. Ground clearance was helped by a-well tucked in up-pipe with a large and effective Skyway silencer; even with the up-pipe the only problem we encountered continually was bottoming the frame against rocks and brush. There is two inches of clearance between the engine and the frame that could have eliminated the grounding problems. The Hodaka 250 ED is designed to ride enduros. It does it well. It didn't break under us and it shouldn't under you. Priced at under $1,200 the Hodaka 250 becomes a serious consideration-for the man who wants to get out there and ride, but doesn't want to put up with high-revving slingshot acceleration, and break-prone race bikes. Uncle Frank always felt that the people who came into the Rialto knew what they wanted, who they were and what it was worth before they came. .Hodaka has built a bike for those same people. Hope they're not all resigned to watching TV by now. • 25 ,-