hodaka:start
Hodaka Bicycles
Hodaka is currently a major Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer supplying bicycles to a dozen worldwide brands. For just a single year, in 1984, Hodaka own-branded a mountain bike sold in the US.1)
The Hodaka Industrial Company of Japan started as a maker of transmissions and motors for Yamaguchi, Yamaha, and Toyo motorocycles starting in 1948 by Takashi & M. Oishi of Nagoya, Japan. When Yamaguchi went bankrupt, Hodaka bought out the Yamaguchi Bicycles facilities in Taiwan2) They founded Taiwan Hodaka Industrial in 1966 which continues today 3). Hodaka Japan themselves went bankrupt in 1978, leaving Hodaka Taiwan as a maker of motorcycles only. It has since thrived, becoming Taiwan's 5h largest bicycle manufacturer and is currently 49% owned by Giant Bicycles.
They have supplied complete bicycles to at least the following brands:
- Ascente
- BRC
- Fastrax
- Kona
- Marzocchi
- RC
- Scott
- SOMA
- Turner
- Wilderness Trail Bikes
Hodaka is famous in the US for importing motorcycles until 1979.
Info:
1984 High gear
Shimano RS-12 (1981-85).
1984 High gear
mtbr
1)
There was also a Hodaka branded BMX bike in 1984. bmxmuseum.
2)
Yamaguchi Bicyles made only motorcycles by this point.
3)
Taiwan Hodaka also started out making baseball gloves. See https://www.hodaka.com.tw/.
4)
Hodaka often builds bikes with Tange tubing and not their own.
hodaka/start.txt · Last modified: 2022/10/15 13:24 by mtbtimeline