The Hodaka phenomenon of the 1960s and 1970s was caused by a unique sequence of events. The Baby Boom generation was then in their teens, there were a lot of unpaved roads in rural areas and Honda had popularized riding small motorcycles. The first Hodaka, the Ace 90, was fully street legal, but it was more than capable in the dirt. It had a light tubular steel frame, the exhaust was placed high and out of the way, and there was plenty of room under the fenders to shed mud. This bike set the tone for the later motorcycles that Hodaka produced. Hodaka differentiated itself from its competitors by being a stylish cruiser with rugged, off-roading capabilities, and that proved to be successful.
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