Post Sale Update: After 36 bids on eBay, this Ace sold for $1,030.
The Ace was Hodaka’s first motorcycle, the result of a partnership between Hodaka in Japan and the Pacific Basin Trading Company (Pabatco) of Athena, Oregon. It started off as a 90cc trail bike when introduced in 1964, but by ’68 the Ace was up to 100cc – and for many of you it may have been a first taste of the freedom that motorcycles could provide. Here’s a low mileage example that isn’t perfect cosmetically, but it runs and it’s offered with no reserve. Time to relive your youth!
The Ace had a MX sibling called the Super Rat. The story is that Hodaka was simply going to call it the Ace 100MX, but a Pabatco employee saw “SR” on the sidecover. It was supposed to stand for “Special Racer” but he asked if it was a “Super Rat” and the name stuck. For more on the Super Rat, check out this profile from Motorcyclist.
This example has just 1,475 miles as it spent most of its life stored at a cabin in Northern Michigan. It’s now being offered by the second owner, who says it “starts right up and runs great.” There’s some cosmetic wear and plenty of oxidation, as you should expect – the bike is claimed to be original except for the mud flap on the front fender and the grips. Other issues are limited to a ‘weak’ horn and a flat tube in the rear tire (new tube included). Hopefully someone can get a steal with this no reserve bike, otherwise I’m going to have to snap it up and run it in this year’s LABV. Find this Ace for sale in Fenton, Michigan with bidding up to $340