VINTAGE MOTO MONDAY: 1971 Hodaka Super Rat

Admit it: You, or somebody you knew, had a Hodaka Super Rat. After all, from 1970 to 1973, Hodaka sold more than 18,000 Super Rats in the US. And what a fun bike it was, a common step up from the minibikes so popular back in the day. Pabatco, the Oregon-based distributor, started selling Hodaka Ace 90s back in 1964, and in 1968, the engine was bored to 100cc to become the Ace 100. Fun fact: The prototype for the Ace 100 had “SR” painted on its airbox, which meant Special Racer. But when one wag at Pabatco joked that it really meant Super Rat, the name stuck. The Super Rat, with its chrome tank, red frame, canister airbox, and steel fenders, sold for only $495 in 1970, and it raced with good success in 100cc MX, scrambles, and even TT. MX legends Brad Lackey and Jim Pomeroy both started on Hodakas.