Wombat 125 Enduro
WOMBAT 125 ENDURO
More Hodakability From Athena For Lightweight Enthusiasts Who Are Tired Of Seeing Red.
ATHENA, ORE., IS a small town. Super small. There are no restaurants. No motels. No movie theaters in operation. Nothing. In fact, it appears to be one of the most anti-commercial towns on the face of the earth.
But halfway down the main street, a weathered sign about the size of a license plate catches your eye. The letters are faded, but legible. “Pabatco, Pacific Basin Trading Co.” it says. And there is an arrow pointing right.
A short way down the road, a faded yellow building with a gigantic Hodaka sign plastered on one end looms up. There are no multi-storied, glass-fronted skyscrapers to impress the townsfolk. There are no shallow promises on billboards to impress the world. But there is a handful of genuine motorcycle enthusiasts that have done a remarkable job of shaping the trailbike market with their products, nonetheless.
Before you get to know the people, and the surrounding terrain, it seems absurd that any nationwide trends could have originated in such a remote location. But after a day’s ride in the Blue
Mountains, where Hodaka personnel do their development testing, it is easy to understand the phenomenon. There are several hundred miles of narrow, twisting trails with steep ascents and decents. Water crossings are frequent, as are rocks and mud.
That’s why all Hodakas from the first Ace 90 on have had better than average suspension, sturdy double-cradle frames which protect the engine, and a great deal of reliability. And, that’s why Hodaka’s new 125cc Wombat Enduro is more of the same—only better!
Visually, the Wombat bears a strong resemblance to the latest Hodaka 100. Those not overly familiar with the breed will notice the black frame and not much else. Wheel a 100 alongside, though, and it becomes obvious that the 125 is a considerably re-engineered vehicle.
The most dramatic change is in the frame. Double cradle design has been retained, but the wheelbase has been stretched out to 53 in. The seating position has been lowered to 30.75 in., which enables shorter riders to plant both feet firmly on the ground when
negotiating obstacles. And, there is considerably more gusseting at stress points to prevent breakage.
Also new is the swinging arm. Larger diameter tubing appears strong enough to resist bending and the arm has been widened to accommodate a bigger tire.
Wheel hubs are the same as on the 100 B+. The rear unit is considerably larger in diameter than the front. This is acceptable, because the Wombat was designed primarily for off-road use and really doesn’t need a powerful front wheel brake. On the highway, though, braking is marginal and fade occurs rapidly.
Rims are steel, and for the first time a 21-incher comes stock on the front. For competition use or heavy trail riding, a rim lock should be installed and a 3.00-21-in. knobby should be substituted for the 2.75-21-in. trials tire that is standard equipment.
One rim lock comes in the 18-in. rear rim and should be adequate if it is properly installed and tightened. A tire change, however, is again in order, as the 3.00-18 trials tire doesn’t provide enough traction for anything but light trail riding. Pabatco recommends a 3.50-18-in. knobby for competition.
Forks appear spindly and when they are pumped up and down at rest, they lack the silky smooth action of some of the other Japanese units. Ride the bike, though, and any thoughts of changing them quickly disappear. Bottoming or topping out never occurs and they don’t appear to flex with the strain of offroad use. These forks, incidentally, are the same ones that come on the Super Rat and later lOOcc Enduro models like the B+.
Previous Hodakas have suffered from inadequate rear shock absorbers like the majority of Japanese machinery, but the same cannot be said of the Wombat. Late model Hodaka shocks fitted to lOOcc models feature damping on both upstroke and rebound. Redesigning these shocks to eliminate damping on the upstroke and then fitting a slightly heavier pair of progressive wound springs has cured the problem. There seems to be little or no difference in handling characteristics between a Koni-equipped Wombat and one fitted with the standard units.
Also of interest is the fact that there is a choice of upper shock mounting points. The rear position mounts the shocks in a near verticle attitude. The other mounting point angles the shocks forward slightly, which softens the ride by giving the swinging arm considerably more leverage. It’s sure a lot quicker than changing shock springs for riders of varying weight.
Hodaka has always had a policy of making new components fit on older machines. Surprisingly, this is still true. If you want to stretch the wheelbase on your 100, the engine and the majority of old cycle parts will bolt right in the Wombat frame/swinging arm combination. About the only thing you can’t do is mount a 125 barrel on your 100 because additional material had to be added to the cases so the head bolts could be moved to clear the larger piston.
There is a lot more to the Wombat engine than a head and barrel mounted on a 100 bottom end. In fact, the changes have been numerous so there is no need to worry about reliability going down the tube.
Let’s start with the obvious changes. Out of necessity, the aluminum head and cast iron barrel are larger, as is the two ring piston since the stroke has not been altered from the 100. Because more power is being produced, wristpin diameter has been increased from 12 to 15mm. This, in turn, has necessitated a beefier connecting rod with a larger caged roller bearing at the top. A roller bearing is also used on the big end of the rod.
The crankshaft has the same throw as the 100, but the shaft’s ends which protrude into the clutch and magneto have been increased in diameter. The clutch is identical to the latest 100s, except for the larger hole necessitated by the crank, but the mag is a different story. Two lighting coils and an ignition coil are now present and output is up to 45 watts to provide current for a brighter set of lights than has been available in the past.
As on previous Hodakas, the shifting mechanism is housed in the left side engine case. The shift pattern has been changed for ’72 to the common one down, four up variety, but the positive gear engagement, for which Hodakas are famous, has not suffered. Those riders wanting to modify the shift pattern on their 100s can do so by simply purchasing a new case and bolting it on in place of the stock item.
Since the left side engine case also houses the magneto, and since this case isn’t absolutely water and dustproof as delivered, it is necessary to seal it before doing much off-road riding. Fortunately, this isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Simply remove the cover, put some Silicone sealant or some other waterproofing agent on the mating surface between the outer case and engine case, and bolt the unit back together.
Primary drive is by helical gear to the five-speed transmission. As with most of the other components, design remains the same but the parts have been beefed up. All gears have been increased from No. 1.75 module teeth to No. 2 module teeth and again, the entire gear set will fit any lOOcc engine if added strength is needed in a competition application. Also, the kickstarter gear now incorporates a larger kick roller.
Mikuni is still building carburetors for Hodaka and a 24mm, with an external main jet carrier, comes on the Wombat. Mud, packing in around the choke lever, has caused some problems in the past, so the latest Mikunis fitted to Hodakas have a redesigned choke which is actuated by a push-pull knob on the side of the carburetor instead of the lever.
Mechanically, the Wombat is a practical machine. It is simple, easy to maintain, and because of the Hodaka philosophy, it will not become obsolete in the foreseeable future. These are important considerations, but in all honesty, the Wombat would sell anyway because it has a proper feel about it and is one of the few really good handling motorcycles the industry as a whole has to offer.
CYCLE WORLD’S test ride consisted of a 100-mile trek through the Blue Mountains just outside of Athena. We began down a gravel road that winds through some farmlands to the foothills. The gravel is loose and slippery, yet at 55-60 mph, the Wombat tracks straight and true. The seating position is comfortable, but on the hard bumps, one wishes for a little more padding.
Once in the foothills, the rocks become larger and the road narrows as it winds through the trees. A few sections force a standing position, which feels a trifle awkward for a 6-ft. test rider with long legs. Handlebars, though, are a matter of preference, and shorter individuals will find the stock ones to their liking.
Steering is precise. In fact, it is downright confidence inspiring on some of the narrow trails the Blue Mountains are full of. Dive into a turn with the power on or off, with the brakes locked or not, and more often then not the Wombat will stick to the trail. This is one extremely forgiving motorcycle— the kind you can get in way over your head on and somehow avoid a crash without really knowing why.
WOMBAT 125 ENDURO
SPECIFICATIONS
$660
POWER TRANSMISSION
DIMENSIONS
The Wombat engine isn’t the most powerful 125 on the market, but it does have a good deal of torque and a broad powerband that makes climbing hills and sliding turns a breeze. And, as delivered, it has one additional advantage. It’s quiet. A new aircleaner design with a large dead air space and intake under the seat has all but eliminated intake noise and the spark arrester/ muffler combination takes all the harshness out of the exhaust note.
This lack of noise and the good handling make the bike a deceptive mount in terms of speed. It just doesn’t seem like you’re going very fast, until you pass other bikes or glance at the speedometer. Maintaining enduro schedules with ease are right up the Wombat’s alley.
A hundred miles seems like a long way. But, that distance passed very quickly on the 125 Hodaka, and with very little rider fatigue. The ride also passed without mechanical mishap or loss of cycle parts, as they are all rubber mounted.
Continually modifying an old design to keep pace with the competition is a difficult task, but for the people at Pabatco, it hasn’t been an impossibility. Maybe someday there will be an all-new Hodaka, but for now the Wombat offers more performance and versatility than anything else in its cost/displacement class.
