Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's The Rokon worked GREAT!

OK, so which ready to street ride KTM should I be looking for? I do not know the model designations of the various KTM's out there. For cash flow purposes I will likely need to be looking at bikes made 5 or more years ago. Something in the 400-500cc range.

Suggestions as to how to start my search appreciated.

Safariman,

Just got back from a weeks Sika deer stalking in Scotland and Rokons came up in the conversation. The guy we were stalking with had an ATV (or quad as we call them) for recovering the carcasses and we were speculating whether a Rokon would be better or worse..

The terrain is quite hilly, but a lot of the ground is very boggy/marshy, even on the steep sections. The guy could get the quad (a yamaha 400cc 4wd of some sort)across most places by selecting the right route and gunning it across the very soft areas..

Looking at the videos above, I have no doubt a trails bike would sink/bog down due to its narrow wheels, but I have an open mind about the Rokon...

Regards,

Peter

I obviously have not been there, but have ridden accross some nasty, wet gooey stuff with the Rokon and an Alaskan outfitter I used to book hunts for uses one in the nastiest boggy area's with great success. I think the Rokons light wieght (Only 200lbs with gas and gear) combined with the fat low pressure tires and full time traction and power going equally to both tires at all times makes these pretty usefull for such endeavors.

The last Rokon I sold went to North central Alaska to an avid Moose hunter. Trees and such too thick where he hunted to get an ATV or 4 wheeler to the moose. Rokon a better fit for him and his hunting as it is for me where I go.

The key factor in getting a four wheeled atv across bogs or marshes is tire selection.The factory tires are useless for bog, marsh or muskeg.Proper tires will have you riding across places in two wheel drive,where you couldn't go with factory tires in four wheel drive.Using proper tires,and a locking front differential,I can crawl across muskeg where many people need a running start and have to keep the throttle open to keep up the momentum so they don't get stuck.

I hunted for the first week of this month in the foothills of Alberta,and I never used four wheel drive at all,while friends running factory tires needed four wheel drive every day.

Agree 100% that whether on a Pickup, Jeep, Landrover, ATV, motorcycle or ROkon, tires are a HUGE factor! Upgrading my wife's Suzuki 200 to wider than factory Trials tires was a BIG improvement.

last year for the 520exc was 2002. It was a dirt only bike. Then came the 525, and now the 530. They all have a 510cc motor.

I dunno bout washington but here you cannot dualsport a dirtbike unless the title indicates it is a dualsport. The newer EXC's have this title and are set up with turnsignals and such.

EXC is the dualsport bike, a wide ratio 6spd transmission, and smooth power from the bottom to the top. Dont get me wrong, you get ont he throttle and stuff is goona happen still.

The XCW is the same bike as the EXC except a dirt model and doesnt have the emissions crap that the EXC does.

Keep an eye out. I found mine on Craigslist for $3000, The steering dampner set up is pushing $500 alone. and like I said it was hardly ridden, shucks the chrome polished headers hadnt even started to turn yellow yet!!

Also keep an eye on Thumpertalk.com and KTMtalk.com Both have more info on the bikes than you could ever soak up, But also classifieds where folks are selling bikes pretty regularly.

WOW! Coll links and info! Thanks a ton!

MARK

What I want, I am sure is a EXC 525 or 530, sounds like. Should act a lot like my old Yamaha TT500 but easier to start and better suspension, brakes etc.

Let me wade in on this thread, I have 2006 Rokon Ranger and so does my son.

How do they rate against 4 wheel ATV and 2 wheel dirt bikes?

Slow. On decent trails, our friends blow by us. Even in high range, you cannot keep up.

But....get into thick woods where the trail is at best shoulder width hiking trail wide, or on nasty slopes and rocks, the Rokon dominates.

ATVs cannot pass due to width, dirt bike tires are not enough, although I agree in expert hands, a trials bike is unstoppable.

But I don't have expert hands and am very happy with 2 wheel drive, fat tires and 200 lbs of weight. I can muscle it anywhere, both my son and I have become very adept at rock and log climbing, there isn't much except cliffs that stop us, albeit at a leisurely pace.............


Simple as that, different horses for different courses.

Our hunting property has gravel road, atv/snowmobile trail and then no trail at all into thousands of acres of Crown Land.

It will pull massive amounts (we use it to skid logs clearing up the property), I have a sidecar attachment for load carrying and will be buying or having custom built the single track trailer designed for it.

I would like to have an ATV and a Rokon (maybe an Argo too!), but if I have to make a choice (and I do), the Rokon is more versatile for my enviroment and having something that is half to a quarter of the weight of 4 wheelers, and also mechanically simple (relatively) is a real plus.

Thanks for the replies gents..

There is a company in Scotland making a 2wd motorbike and its apparently quite popular with shepherds in the mountains, but I've yet to see one being used by stalkers. For hunting quads seems to dominate with argos and similar vehicles along way second...

Anybody care to post a few pics of their Rokon carrying deer or other game?

Regards,

Peter

I would like to see a picture of a Rokon carrying a whole elk,or half a moose in rough terrain.Not dragging,but carrying.

JJ has a photo of him carrying a Bear, but I drag, not carry, using a tarp but plan to by a skidding sled for my Rokon.

I have always thought the rokons were cool with the 2wd.

If a person is looking for a slow and steady motorbike for hunting and is street legal -look at the little yamaha tw200.
They have been around since 1987 and there are lots of aftermarket parts like front and rear racks ,tanks for extra fuel and water etc..
They will go 75-80mph and get 75-80mpg giving a range of over 125 miles on a tank of gas -take an extra gallon of fuel and go nearly 200 miles.
Kolpin makes a gun carrying case for them too.
You can get some very aggressive tread tires -gear the bike down 4-5 teeth on the rear sprocket and go into some rough terrain !
Just throwing this out there for no real reason other than the fact that the tw200 seems like a "the" bike for my kind of use.
Cool info and opinions on this thread.-Mike

I'm not gonna read the entire thread...I've got one running right now. It has a Honda clone engine (OGM 140) in it. As soon as I can find another Honda ATC 90-110 with the high/low selector I'll be modifying it further. I also have another that I'm in the process of building that I've already fitted a ATC 110 engine to & taken test rides to verify that I have the right sprocket ratio going for the hi/low gearing option.
It WILL go places an ATV won't...easily...as far as outclimbing one...think about this...IF the hill was PERFECTLY flat an ATV MIGHT be able to climb as steep of a hill as a Rokon...but there are no perfectly flat hills I know of. It is also far easier to shift your weight forward on a Kon' & get the optimal traction for both wheels. It is also quite easy to turn one around on a steep hill...or go sidehill which is impossible on a 4 wheeler. If you modify one with a Honda engine 90/110 CT or ATC with the high/low selector you'll have the ability to shift on the fly & they have MORE than ample power for traverseing any terrain you have the cojones to try & tackle...Another thing they'll do is cross downed logs...for a 2' diameter log, it's pretty simple. Roll up to the log & as soon as you bump it, twist the throttle...It will high center on the frame...lean forward until the front tire bites the log & twist the throttle again & it will pull you across. There are not many obstacles you can't overcome. I used to have a Honda Rubicon & had put a Detroit locker kit in it. Sure it was a lot of fun BUT it damn sure couldn't follow a Rokon...If you're sticking to ATV trails or logging roads an ATV would win hands down but don't try & follow a Rokon on one...it'll get trashed.

I had a Rubicon myself,but the extra 5" of ground clearance that my 700 Grizzly has makes a huge difference in crossing obstacles,as does the four wheel independent suspension.I can't fit between trees like a Rokon,but a Rokon can't carry nearly as much,and it certainly can't drag as much in muskeg.And trying to drag an animal in deeper snow really puts the Rokon at a disadvantage because two wheels with 200lbs of weight,don't provide as much traction as four wheels and over 600lbs.If you really want the ultimate atv,add a track kit to a 4x4 atv like my Grizzly,and it crosses really deep snow as well as a snowmobile.I don't care what you do,you are going to have a very difficult time getting a Rokon through four feet of snow,but a tracked atv just floats on top.

The bottom line is that I can't follow a Rokon between tight trees,but it can't negotiate deeper snow,or muskeg like I can.And if I want the most capable vehicle there is for difficult terrain with the exception of snow,I will choose an off road motorcycle.It will go places that neither a Rokon or four wheeled atv will go.It all comes down to a persons intended use for his vehicle.

I'll have to politely call B.S. on that...an off road motorcycle would not even come close to being able to traverse terrain like a Rokon...I'm 58 & have been rideing bikes since I was 10. I've ridden a whole bunch of bikes between then & now. If you ever get out this way with an off road MC that you think can go places I can't...Give me a jingle & we'll go up to the hills for a little "Friendly" competition... When you leave, you'll be a "Believer"...Keep in mind though that my "kon" is modified...About the only thing stock on it are the miter boxes...even the frame is modified.

MM,

Wifey and I will likely be bringing our Rokon and our dualsports to the Foresthill area this summer for some camping and riding. Property owner has several 4 wheelers on site and a Yamaha XT500 as well as a late model Honda Dirt only 650. Perhaps you would like to play on his challenge hill as well as around the mountainside he owns other than the challenge hill. Quid pro quo: We always play with big guns as well when we go down there. Not TOO big, just moderate stuff like the 500S&W, my hot loaded 416 Rigby and various other toys.

It would be fun to see and ride your Hondakons. I wish that I had not sold my last one, it had a bit more power than my current unit. You might like to see the aftermarket hydraulic brake setup on my Kon.

MARK

I'd really like that Mark. Let me know when & I'll be there. I go through Foresthill on a regular basis. There used to be some REALLY gnarly trails down to the river when I was a kid but I think they've all been closed down.
I've got the one Hydraulic brake on the front miter that I'm rideing now but find I REALLY need one on the back too, cause when it gets too steep & you've got the front wheel locked up you lose any capability to steer. Sounds like fun to me. Keep me posted...

Will do, and bring the Black lab in the avatar photo as I will have my Lab GSP mix Goober there as well.

Perhaps we can con a good rider with no axe to grind or dog in the fight so to speak to try the dirt bikes, 4 wheelers and Rokon's on the challenge hill. Would be fun and educational to videotape such a thing.

How about you watch the entire video at the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxNImv5LgZA


If after watching that video you post that you can go everywhere those motorcycles went with your modified Rokon,I'll have to politely call B.S. on that.

Not meaning to hack on ya,but I had 2 TWs, both '02 200, with low miles and they were a big disappointment. They won't go 75mph, mine might have made 50 if pushed harder than I was willing, both were 5 sp, not low geared enough to really go anywhere steep. My old XL 250 had 'em beat every way. Yamaha also has a 225cc TW, think it might have 6 spds, haven't ridden one yet.

I've had 2 TWs, 2Fat Cats, sold all them and ended up with 2 Yamaha Big Wheels, I think they have the same engine as the TWs, but they will climb, top spd might be 25.

Not street legal tho