Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Rokon's

Any members out there that use one? I'm thinking about buying one.
Pros and cons from personal experience would be appreciated.
thanks

Wow, did you find the right guy. I've been riding them since the '70's and am on my third one right now. They are getting pretty pricey for what they are, but what they are is a darned specialized, no nonsense hunting machine that will go places all be it slowly where no four wheeler would be able to go. My bear hunting buddies always wanted that bike in camp because we'd put a 350 pounder over the back rack and just drive out of the woods with it. I pulled a 10 pointer out over the top of a beaver dam and back to camp and no wheeler would have done that. I stacked two bucks on the back once and drove those out too. Because they are narrow, they fit between trees that would stop a wheeler. Those things like paths and we have two wheelers too, but all a Rokon needs is a direction to head. Rokon finally got it right with that four stroke Kohler engine. #1 had the Chrysler two stroke, #2 had the Honda, but #3 with the Kohler is the only way to go. Questions?

They look better than they perform. They can't go as well as advertized off road and they are heavy and hard to ride. Comfort is a 2 on a scale of 1-10, other than that, they aren't too bad...

You dog seems comfortable.

My first one had those aluminum hubs and sure the thing floated, but the bearing seats galled out and actually I like the weight of the steel spoke wheels better. In fact I have a 20# dumbbell strapped to my front rack to help keep the front end down on steep up hill climbs. There is a You Tube video on line where the guy climbs over a picnic table on a Rokon. I've pulled my F-150 with mine on dry pavement just to see if it would do it and it did. They are a chunk at just over 200#, but you can lift that if it goes over on you. Mine fits along the wall in the garage nicely like a bicycle and sure takes up less room than a four wheeler.

It is amazing how a 50 grain bullet in the head will make so many critters comfortable...

Windfall----PM inbound

Make sure to get the newer 4 stroke models. The old 2 stroke are loud. When you are traversing unstable areas, you end up constantly using your feet to balance. Meaning immersion in mud. water, snow. Not a problem with an atv. You will be able to access more remote areas. Make sure to buy the single wheel cart that is built specifically for it by Rokon.
Do a craigslist nationwide search and you will find a few. There is also a rokon specific sale sight that will help you locate some.

Just for thought. There is an AWD motorcycle called the Christini, that functions similar to a Rokon. It is in use by Spec. Ops. units. Also not cheap.

I sure agree on the 4 strokes. That Chrysler 2 stroke went faster, but was a bear to start in cold weather and the oil stink and noise were the problem. Also you don't want those taller 15" wheels. My new one has the 12's and the center of gravity is lower. I pull a deer cart or sled with mine to keep the narrow foot print that fits between trees. Not much to go wrong on them, but you do need to be your own mechanic for the most part because parts are all factory direct out of the East coast. Not as good as a horse for packing, not as comfortable or as fast as a dirt bike, not as stable as a four wheeler, but no wheeler or dirt bike will follow you through the rough stuff. My problem here is that the state does not recognize them as an ATV so I can't legally take it on state ATV trails, so it is private property only.

A buddy just sold one. He had the thing over 10 years, barely used it. I think he made out on selling it.

Thanks for the input guys
Good Hunting
Lj

That can be a pain. Idaho has basically 3 catagories: motorcycle trails for 2 wheelers only, atv trails for anything 50" wide or narrower, and jeep roads for anything you've got the nerve to drive on them. When I bought a Polaris RZR, I got a 50" one just for that reason.

IIRC, Safariman, Mark Claiborne, claimed some degree of Rokon expertise.

The Rochester made Rokons were pretty common in New England when I was a kid, but I always thought that they were awkward and a real small niche market vehicle.

Rock Chuck, LJ (Heavybullets) also from Idaho and I had a real nice conversation on the phone yesterday. Idaho has a real nice two wheeler trail rule that should be ideal for a Rokon. My Honda CT110 trail bike and the four wheelers get most of the open trail miles, but where I hunt is on the top of about half a mile of snow covered 30-40 degree up hill and I don't need a coronary event on the way to my deer stands.

The things do hold their resale value very well. I bought that first two stroke Rokon back in the mid seventies for like $950. brand new. I rode the dickens out of that one and then when I saw that the new ones had Honda four stroke engines, I sold that two stroke Rokon to a couple bear hunting buddies in 1998 for $1,000. The Honda was just okay around here at our 600 feet above sea level, but out west at altitude it would run out of power real fast. The newer Kohler engine is a big improvement.

I have 2 of the 4 stroke Rokons. They will go anywhere. They take more skill to ride than a 4 wheeler but I can fit 2 of them on a small utility trailer that would only fit one 4 wheeler. You can also load one on a hitch hauler. They only leave one track so the trail looks like a deer track instead of a wheeler track. Important where I bear bait so others don't follow to bait stand. Not street legal from factory so cannot be legally ridden on a Forest Service road. In some states not legal on an ATV trail which requires 3 wheels. Off road motorcycle trails are not that prevalent compared to ATV trails. Kinda of a maintenance hog but you can fix most of it yourself. Kohler engine was originally developed by Yamaha for constant full throttle use - pump, generator, etc. Flat spot on acceleration. Carb has a breather hole on top where all the mud collects. It looks like a jet and has to be kept clear, Factory support is atrocious because owner is a turd but good support group at Bob Gallagher's forum. Great machines but specialized. Last bit of advice. If you buy one for your wife as a Mother' Day gift and she is riding it around your house and panics and drives into the garage door and lays it down, make sure you pick up the wife before picking up the Rokon. The order is important. Just sayin.

I don't know of any atv's that are really street legal. They might have the lights and a horn but for any 4 wheel vehicle to be street legal, they have to pass the federal safety and emission tests, etc. I've never seen the FS enforce that, though. In ID, as long as you have the off road license plate, they leave you alone.

I find that I'm out of date on this. In recent years, many states have changed their laws on what's street legal. It's a hodge podge of laws so you have to study up on your state.
Idaho has a restricted use plate that allows use on all federal and state roads except highways. The bike or atv must have the right equipment that includes a horn and brake lights. In Idaho, turn signals are not required.

Yes, I was going to comment on that street use as I've seen them using the roads right in town out in South Dakota. They use to slap us with a big fine for even crossing a paved road here in Wisconsin, but now lots of the county roads allow them with just the standard four wheeler equipment. Not so with the Rokon, but the state and county owned lands have way more restrictions than the wide open National Forests here for off road use.

In Idaho, a Rokon meets the definition of an off road motorcycle and can be used about anywhere. It must have a spark arrestor and have a limited use license but that's about all that's required.

That's wrong