I am late to the party, but brining this 1968 Hodaka ACE 100 in opened for me a great story, the start and history of Hodaka motorcycles out of Pendleton, Oregon. I did some reading and the tale was written so well in one source, Motorcycle Classics, by Margie Siegal in the March of 2007 edition, I thought it would be suitable if I grabbed the high lights of the article to give a taste of Hodaka’s history.

“Following Honda’s success, many Japanese motorcycle companies sought to export their products to the United States. Yamaguchi, one of Japan’s oldest motorcycle companies, with roots back to 1941, was one such company. At the same time, Pacific Basin Trading Company (PABATCO), then a subsidiary of Farm Chemicals of Oregon, was looking to trade Oregon farm products for goods from other countries. PABATCO was headquartered in Athena, a little town in northeastern Oregon just north of Pendleton.

Starting about 1961, PABATCO began importing Yamaguchi motorcycles, first in 49cc and later in 80cc versions, and these proved quite profitable for the Oregon-based company. But the fierce competition between Japanese motorcycle companies in the early Sixties hit the smaller companies hard, and Yamaguchi went under in 1963. The last engine used by Yamaguchi was an 80cc three-speed made by Hodaka, a Japanese builder of two-stroke engines.

With their most profitable item no longer available, yet with dealers in place and strong demand for small motorcycles, Harry “Hank” Koepke, Adolph Schwartz and other PABATCO employees decided to collaborate in designing a motorcycle for the U.S. market. And with Hodaka already in place to supply engines, they looked to Hodaka to build their new bike. Rumor has it that much of the initial sketching was done at the local Green Lantern Tavern, with the help of a few cocktails.

Fast forward five years and the market, a market Hodaka arguably created, was changing, and Hodaka was unable to keep up with the sophisticated R&D efforts of the Big Four.

The final blow came when Shell Oil, which had purchased Farm Chemicals, checked the books, decided that PABATCO was losing money and shut down the operation in 1978.”

For the full version of this excellent article, follow this link to: https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-japanese-motorcycles/history-of-hodaka

Our bike was purchased in Utah from a local Hodaka dealer. It was given to the son in law who has kept the bike all of this time in amazing original condition. It was pickled and put aside when the move to Oregon occurred years ago. Besides the bike, we have spares and the tank emblems that go with the bike.

Miles showing are 3,449 and the frame VIN# A25025 and engine #P27700. The selling price is $2,295. For other interesting bikes and collectable vehicles, visit our web site http://www.automaniagp.com 541 479 8888 or come by and see us at 895 SE Gladiola Drive, Grants Pass, Oregon, 97526. Oregon Dealer DA1287.

Automania LLC is a Consignment Oregon Dealer selling quality, privately owned vehicles including Aprilia, Buell, BMW, Citroen, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Honda, Hummer, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Nissan, Ossa, Piaggio, Suzuki, Triumph, Vespa, Classic Hot Rods, Buick, Dodge, Ford, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, MG, Packard, Porsche, Rover, Shelby, Toyota, Triumph, Volkswagen and any other vehicle of interest