 Rokon has been building 2x2 motorcycles since 1958, although in their first few years, they were known as Nethercutt Trailbreakers. Very basic with few creature comforts, these motorcycles can, and do go everywhere, and as Rick Harrison from the t.v. show Pawn Stars said, " they go places that would make a horse think twice".
There is a very detailed history on Rokon which can be found at http://www.rokonworld.com , so there is no point in rehashing it here. In my case, I like odd, old bikes, so the thought of an odd, new, old looking bike has a similar appeal. The idea of two wheel drive is one thing, but also running a motorcycle with an torque converter really is a unique experience.
I had been kicking around the idea of owning one of these for years, but there was no dealer network here then. Later in life i find that there is now a local dealer, so I requested some literature, and spent a lot of time on youtube, followed by test ride, followed by writing a cheque on the roof of my car. When i got back in the car, my wife asked me what I thought of it......."Well dear, i just bought it and i pick it up Thursday night".....the look on her face was priceless!!
This bike is all about traction and getting you where you want to go, not necessarily where the road goes, which brings another quote to mind, "where we are going we don't need roads" doc from the movie Back To The Future. The factory literature states that you need a 31" trail to get the bike through, but with some creative riding, it will do it with a bit less. This literature also states that the bike will ford 24" of water which it will do, but at 25" it will begin to float thanks to hollow wheels. Ever try riding up a hill of bald ice with water running down at you...I did it with this bike and without spinning a wheel. How about black mud that would sink an ATV...no problem, snow drifts, beach sand, rocks, downed trees, no problem, basically, this is the humvee of the motorcycle world.
Having said all of that, they do have their quirks, none of which are serious, just some small things that should be changed. Reliability, three years later and the only thing that failed were some oil seals, which were replaced with some of better quality. Maintenance, twice a year depending on how much use it gets.
If there ever was a conversation piece, it's this bike. Usually when riding myself and Rick, whom also owns one, make a stop at the local store. It doesn't take too long to draw a crowd asking questions. One thing though, never ride a dirt bike and then get on a Rokon or you'll be over revving the engine, and never ride a Rokon and then jump on a dirt bike, or you'll think the steering bearings are loose as the Rokon steers harder because of the drive shaft that runs between the forks. If you are interested in a Rokon please go to http://www.rokonatlantic.com and Peter will be happy to help you out. The pictures below are of my Trailbreaker 175.
 Me during a break in the action June 2014. |
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