Sprite-UK/American Eagle-USA /Alron-AUST

[firko]

It appears to be the exact same bike as the Lee Fabry bike, pointing to the probability that it may be the one and only Hodaka powered American Eagle.

[MXOFFROADER]

Yes, Lee owned the bike but had sold it before the Dirt Bike magazine article, his buddy brought it over for the photoshoot. When I went to look at it, an ad in a throwaway paper (Pennysaver) I was expecting a Zundapp powered bike with a nickle plated frame. To get the bike a had to buy the other two bikes, a package deal. A Rickman Hodaka and a N.O.S. 125 Tyran. I'm glad I did back in 1990.

[VMX60]

MX

Maybe a Eagle factory go at a schoolboy racer with a Hodie motor being so popular in USA.  Frank had sold in the UK powered by the sachs and other motors earlier on Schoolboy racers


A one off Hodie/Sprite with a matching Rickman/Hodie   


Cheers

[VMX247]

What year we looking at, early 70's ?
cheers A

[MXOFFROADER]

VMX247

The bike was first sold 12-21-74 (original pink slip). I spoke with Lee Fabry today, he owned the bike before me, he has no solid history of this bike. There is an uncomfirmed story of the U.S. importers fitting the engine. There is a 125 Hodaka Sprite Avenger trials bike. It has the same tank, swingarm and other frame design features. When I got this bike I was sure that a previous owner had removed the original engine so I bought a Sprite Husky clone engine so restore the bike to it's original condition!!??
It was 10 years after I bought it and I had misplaced the pink slip. I was cleaning out a desk and the pink slip fell out of a Bultaco owners manual. The Hodaka engine number is on the pink so I quickly abandonded any plans to replace the engine. Anyone looking for a 400 Sprite engine core? I just about screwed this bike up. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than smart.

[VMX60]

MX

Great piece of Eagle/Sprite History on your USA side of the Sprite story.  Saving a true part of MX rarer one off bikes

Lucky to own the Hodie/Sprite as people forget the History of these smaller cc bikes that most started their riding days on

My own Alron/Ossa 250cc fastback frame has its place in the downunder Sprite story   

Think the Fastback frame models first year ?? 1973/4

Cheers

[firko]

I'm pretty certain that this bike wouldn't have left England with the Hodaka motor. I doubt it if Frank Hipkin would ever have seen a Hodaka motor let alone use one in his bikes so it's be pretty certain to have been done by McCormacks or maybe Mitsubishi (whoever was distributing them at the time it was made). Frank was never very impressed with the American Eagle use of a Kawasaki engine and was flabbergasted (love that word) by the uniquely offset "fit" of the OSSA motor in the Alron. He wasn 't all that impressed with the 360 Maico/Sprite combination either. It might be bias but he seemed to be only happy with his own motored Sprites....understandable as it put him out of the kit bike category and into the world of being a 'complete manufacturer'. One thing for sure, the little Hodaka powered Sprite is without doubt one of the prettiest Sprite/Alron/American Eagles. The motor looks ike it's mean't to be there.

[MXOFFROADER]

Another McCormack Hodaka Spite/A-E/Alron/BVM?? A trials bike.

[firko]

More of the same.....I reckon the Sprite Hodie trials bike to be a one off R&D experiment, looking for a possible extra market using a locally procured engine. Here below is a nicely over restored Villiers powered Sprite trials bike and the frame showing the differences between it and the MXer.


                     
                     
                     

[ste2hip]

 Hi guys my name is steve hipkin son of frank .Dad loved reading this forum and how much you guys liked his bikes so thankyou from the hipkins.
   the womat was sent to dad from a canadian oil/gas company to fit into a sprite frame . so one was done not hard really as sprite as you know was a frame kit to take many many different engines .the oil company orderd 150 at 75 a time these machines were not for competition but getting there engineers to isolated pipes off the beaten track out in the sticks .paul my older brother says he can remember the engine sitting in the comp shop for years and even tried fitting the wombat air cover to his kawasakie 250 sprite which he was one of the first to have one at the age of 15 i hope this helps . you and again thanks .

[Tossa]

Great information Steve. 

[VMX60]

Steve

Does that mean MX owned fastback model Hodaka/Sprite is the only one made by the Sprite factory or was the US bike in the Photo another bike

MX if it is the only bike Sprite done what a nice piece of history you have saved   

Cheers

[ste2hip]

 vmx60
           to what i can recall to what dad said the oil/gas company did have the 150 frame kits and the engines fitted over there (USA /canada) i will try and find out for you the names to which they went hope thats ok 
                                                              thanks   
     found out it was suberbane gas and frames were sent to a dealer in canada to have the hodaka wombat  engines fitted still searching for dealers name and city .

[ste2hip]

vmx60
           to what i can recall to what dad said the oil/gas company did have the 150 frame kits and the engines fitted over there (USA /canada) i will try and find out for you the names to which they went hope thats ok 
                                                              thanks   
     found out it was suberbane gas and frames were sent to a dealer in canada to have the hodaka wombat  engines fitted still searching for dealers name and city .

The name of the city was manitoba canada all i know it was a young couples shop no names sorry hope this helped a bit cheers

[VMX247]

Interesting history with everyone across the globe searching for these little gems..Thanks Steve for contribution.
cheers west australia