Hodaka (motorcycle)

[1] The worldwide distributor of Hodakas was PABATCO, for Pacific Basin Trading Company.

The Oishi brothers, owners of Hodaka, had taken an extended trip to Europe in the late '50s and during that time they purchased close to 50 European and English motorcycles to take back to Japan to study.

Hodaka was also a producer of machine tools and it has been said they borrowed the concept of one of their quick-change gear clusters in one of their metalworking lathes to construct the shift mechanism in the Hodaka gearbox, with the resulting spring-loaded shifting mechanism being patented.

The book is authored by Ken Smith from Australia and has the most comprehensive history of the Hodaka motorcycle brand ever written.

Every year the town of Athena, Oregon, holds an event in June entitled Hodaka Days which includes a parade of Hodaka motorcycles, a bike show, observed trials and motocross competition.