Author Topic: ROKON MOTORIZED HORSES (Read 49349 times)

wsdstan · « **Reply #50 on:** September 10, 2015, 08:19:41 PM »

Great fuel mileage Wolfy. You must be thrilled to have something that gets more than 15mpg.

My new Cruiser gets 45 mpg. but you got me covered ten ways to Tuesday.

Mannlicher · « **Reply #51 on:** October 08, 2015, 04:11:38 PM »

one of my old buddies out in Washington State has a ROKON bike. He uses it when hunting deer and Elk. He is about my age, maybe a little older, and says it's the only thing that keeps him hunting. Without it, he could not get in and out of the heavy woods.

wolfy · « **Reply #52 on:** October 08, 2015, 04:43:21 PM »

Yeah, I can believe that alright......those things still intrigue me, especially after watching Dave Canterbury's videos of the one he has.

wolfy · « **Reply #53 on:** November 26, 2015, 05:58:47 PM »

I found this evaluation article in Motorcycle Consumer News on the Yamaha TW200 that I bought last November and began riding in late summer this year. I've had a lot of fun on it and despite Moe's dire predictions, have not ended up in a full body cast. Great, fun little off and on road machine.......WOLFY APPROVED!

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/model_eval/2010FebTW.pdf

wsdstan · « **Reply #54 on:** November 26, 2015, 06:36:55 PM »

Little wonder you like it so much. Paraphrasing the reviewer; "It is a two wheeled version of a hammock, and when it the last time you had a bad time in one of those."

lgm · « **Reply #55 on:** November 26, 2015, 10:13:13 PM »

Bet it's a lot of fun.
I have been wanting a KLX 250.
Fun, good on gas, go anywhere, did I say fun?

wolfy · « **Reply #56 on:** December 02, 2015, 08:00:09 PM »

Heather's afraid to ride the TW200, so I was thinkin' maybe she'd like one of these for Christmas.....

wsdstan · « **Reply #57 on:** December 02, 2015, 10:07:08 PM »

It would be great for tooling around in Walmart too.

Wonder what they cost?

lgm · « **Reply #58 on:** December 05, 2015, 03:37:17 PM »

Can I put that in the what I want for Christmas thread?
I really want one and I have been mostly good this year.

wolfy · « **Reply #59 on:** February 22, 2016, 03:24:02 PM »

Here's a review of the newest model TW-200.....my '99 was the last one with a kick-starter.

http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/yamaha/2016-yamaha-tw200-ar171244.html#main

Yellowyak · « **Reply #60 on:** February 22, 2016, 03:56:47 PM »

Quote from: wolfy on February 22, 2016, 03:24:02 PM

Here's a review of the newest model TW-200.....my '99 was the last one with a kick-starter.

http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/yamaha/2016-yamaha-tw200-ar171244.html#main

I sat on one of the new ones at a local Yamaha shop this week. Really nice bikes.

wolfy · « **Reply #61 on:** April 23, 2016, 09:41:11 AM »

I was out riding my hog for the first time this season after mowing the lawn......work before play.

It's time to change the oil, clean the air filter, grease bearings, adjust drive-chain slack, etc.....but I just HAD to take advantage of the nice weather! I was searching the online maintenance schedule in the electronic version of the TW200 owner's manual and ran across this article on the forum dedicated to them......

http://hooniverse.com/2014/12/23/bikes-you-should-know-yamaha-tw200/

I'm very happy with my choice in buying this machine.....just what I needed and WOLFY APPROVED!

Yellowyak · « **Reply #62 on:** June 13, 2016, 06:32:47 PM »

Quote from: wolfy on November 03, 2014, 10:41:13 PM

Well, after much thought and consideration (and advice from Stan) I have abandoned the Rokon in favor of a more conventional trail bike. I found this '99 Yamaha TW-200 (Trail Way 200cc) on Craig's List in Omaha. It was previously owned by the finance manager at a Yamaha dealership and he traded it in on a big cruiser. Before it hit the sales room floor, a mechanic at the dealership bought it for his wife. She also went for a larger bike to ride to Sturgis. He already has 4 other bikes in his garage and wants to buy a popup camper & the wife said, "Too many toys!"........so this one gets sold.

Here she is......

Well, it looks like I'm joining Wolfy's Yamaha TW200 Club. I've been looking at various small dual sport bikes such as the Honda CRF250L, Yamaha XT250's, Yamaha WR250R's, and the Yamaha TW200. My main goals were to have a bike that I could haul on a hitch mounted carrier and drive to a base camp and setup camp and then go exploring on the bike. I also wanted to be able to drive on some back roads, and take my time exploring at a slow pace. I wasn't really looking for a speed demon bike, but something that would be fun to ride on the roads and on some deep Florida sand trails, be reliable, and get good gas mileage.

I found a used 2007 Yamaha TW200 on Craigslist in Orlando, FL with only 567 miles on it. I called the seller this past week and scheduled to go see the bike this past weekend. I've got to tell you, this thing looked showroom new. The seller had bought it recently from the Orlando Police Department for his son. His son didn't want it.

The police department had two of these bikes that were mounted on a trailer. Whenever they had a need to investigate something out in the woods, they would trailer these bikes as far as their vehicle could go, and then unload the bikes and go back further in the woods. After 9 years or so, they purchase new bikes and auction off the old ones. I could faintly make out the SHERIFF sticker on the back fender. After taking it for a test drive around the neighborhood, I was sold. I left the seller a good down payment and I'm picking it up when I go back to Orlando in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to get it home and after giving it an oil change and a once over, taking it on some back roads and sand trails.

Also, I want to thank Wolfy for his much valued insight on this bike during a few PM conversations. Thanks Craig

Here she is.

wolfy · « **Reply #63 on:** June 13, 2016, 06:43:39 PM »

WOW!

From your PMs, I figured she'd look good, but not THAT good....ya done good, Greg!

Here's a history of the TW200 and why I think it should be the official B&B Bushbike.....

http://hooniverse.com/2014/12/23/bikes-you-should-know-yamaha-tw200/

This is a VERY good source for all things TW..... www.tw200forum.com Lots of experienced riders and mechanics here that are eager to help you with problems and advice.

wsdstan · « **Reply #64 on:** June 13, 2016, 08:18:12 PM »

Both of those bikes are in great shape. My Kawi Kdx 200 is jealous.

wolfy · « **Reply #65 on:** June 13, 2016, 09:35:50 PM »

Quote from: wsdstan on June 13, 2016, 08:18:12 PM

Both of those bikes are in great shape. My Kawi Kdx 200 is jealous.

Yeah, I'll bet it's GREEN :[ with envy!

wsdstan · « **Reply #66 on:** June 14, 2016, 08:11:24 AM »

Quote from: wolfy on June 13, 2016, 09:35:50 PM

Quote from: wsdstan on June 13, 2016, 08:18:12 PM
Both of those bikes are in great shape. My Kawi Kdx 200 is jealous.
Yeah, I'll bet it's GREEN :[ with envy!

I shoulda thought of that.

Yellowyak · « **Reply #67 on:** June 15, 2016, 03:07:09 PM »

Thanks guys. +1 on this being the official Blades and Bushlore Bushbike. Now all I have to do is pass my Motorcycle Endorcement class this weekend and get a new helmet. Can't wait to take her up to the Ocala National Forest and see what she can do.

madmax · « **Reply #68 on:** June 18, 2016, 07:38:14 AM »

YY, if you're going on one of the off road trails, check the conditions before you make the drive. I've been hearing a lot of complaints about them.

Great looking bikes everybody.

Yellowyak · « **Reply #69 on:** June 18, 2016, 06:20:58 PM »

Thanks Tony, I'll definately look into the trail conditions before I set off on an excursion up to the ONF.

I have been looking at my Florida Atlas & Gazetteer Map Book by Delorme for some back roads to explore.

wolfy · « **Reply #70 on:** February 10, 2019, 01:09:50 PM »

Replica 1926 H-D 'Peashooter' replica board-track racer.....

https://www.touchofmodern.com/sales/bull-cycles-1284c831-3297-48ac-92b2-d8b6d6d1a54a/harley-davidson-board-track-racer-tribute-bike

It would for sure turn heads......at a price much more 'affordable' than than the originals that I've seen on the Mecum Motorcycle Auctions.

EDIT: Damn those apostrophes that turn into question marks!

wsdstan · « **Reply #71 on:** February 10, 2019, 01:42:33 PM »

Won't let me in unless I create an account with my email address or give them all my FB data, neither of which I wish to do. $:-\$

wolfy · « **Reply #72 on:** February 10, 2019, 01:47:42 PM »

Bummer.....it comes complete with faux oil leaks and crazed paint, too!

Pete Bog · « **Reply #73 on:** February 10, 2019, 03:34:32 PM »

Quote from: wolfy on February 10, 2019, 01:47:42 PM

Bummer.....it comes complete with faux oil leaks and crazed paint, too!

http://boardtrackreplicas.com/harley-tribute-speedster-motorized/ is this the same one?

wolfy · « **Reply #74 on:** February 10, 2019, 06:19:16 PM »

BINGO.....that's IT, Pete!

Pretty danged cool, huh?

wsdstan · « **Reply #75 on:** February 10, 2019, 09:12:47 PM »

They are neat looking but where we gonna find a board track these days?

It has been awhile since I read up on board track racers. I recall that the sport was very dangerous, high speeds and no brakes. There was a board track in Denver the teens and twenties of the last century. Board track racing died out after WWI.

wolfy · « **Reply #76 on:** February 10, 2019, 09:55:43 PM »

I saw a program on TV about the board racing era. Pretty amazing, the varying dangers they faced from track to track.....some newer than others, of course. The older tracks just deteriorated to the point where they were a trail of splintered toothpicks.....not a good place to have a wreck! $:-\$

madmax · « **Reply #77 on:** February 11, 2019, 01:46:09 PM »

I wanted to be the guy who rode around horizontally in a wooden circle at the fair. He was cool.

Maybe Kelly would let me have one of those.

Cherokee, NC some years ago. Wooden gocart track. Rattling, loose boards, figure eight death trap. My 10 year old nephew repeatedly lapped me laughing maniacally.

wsdstan · « **Reply #78 on:** February 11, 2019, 01:56:44 PM »

Them there 10 year olds are good at lapping old guys and laughing about it. No mercy either.

Pete Bog · « **Reply #79 on:** February 11, 2019, 02:48:08 PM »

age and treachery outdoes youth and exuberance but you have to let the young ones win once in a while to build confidence.

but if they get to obnoxious, it doesn't hurt to let a little air out of their sails.

madmax · « **Reply #80 on:** February 11, 2019, 03:31:07 PM »

Just when I hang my head about the state of manliness today in our boys, one rises and kicks ass.

Unknown · « **Reply #81 on:** February 11, 2019, 04:57:40 PM »

My wife always beat me at the go-cart track. It is an issue of driver weight not driver skill. She always won before size 12 became the latest fashion need

wolfy · « **Reply #82 on:** March 13, 2020, 06:39:08 PM »

This is a good video on the capability & practicality of Yamaha's TW-200.

wsdstan · « **Reply #83 on:** March 13, 2020, 08:57:14 PM »

I was thinking about needing one of these about three minutes into the video. By the end I talked myself out of it. Neat bike for sure but I think the old KDX is more suited to that country........ just on speed and weight.

I like two things in this video a lot. First is that jacket he is wearing. Second is the line "fly like an eagle, land like a hippo".

Fun video and thanks for the post Craig.

Pete Bog · « **Reply #84 on:** March 13, 2020, 09:28:59 PM »

In the 70's, Honda made several models of the 70 cc powered bikes. the CL70 was a street version, the CT70 was a trail version with fat knobby tires front and rear, and the SL70 was a scrambler model with taller narrow knobby tires. The SL70 had an ignition winding and a lighting winding, so no battery was needed. I had a couple CT70's. One for use and one for parts and an SL70 for parts also.
The CT70 was a great little bike around the farm. Small enough to drag under a fence or wheelie up onto a downed tree and then lift the back end over. The semi-automatic transmission meant no clutch lever and no stalling the motor with an unexpected stop. But that wide fat knobby tire on the back was awful. It would float on top of wet soft ground and you were always stuck and having to walk alongside it in the mud while giving it some throttle to get to dry ground on the other side of a low area.
I was fed up with it. So I pulled the swing arm assembly and the tall narrow tire from the SL70 and bolted it onto the CT70. No mods required. Just a couple wrenches and it was done. Made a completely different bike out of it. No more getting stuck, no more walking it through the low wet areas. I also swapped over the ignition and lighting coils so I no longer needed to mess with the battery every year. All I ever had to do was change oil and lube the chain. Eventually, after 20 years or so, the rubber parts started to deteriorate. By now my son was about 10 or 12 years old and while he was riding it, a rubber gas line broke and leaked gas over the engine. The rubber on the spark plug wire was deteriorated too and the boy had an exciting few minutes as the bike went up in flames. He threw loose dirt on top of the fire and kept it contained, but the bike was a loss. Sad to see it go. It was a good one.
I always liked the looks of the TW200, but could never quite pull the trigger on one because of that fat back tire. I just don't want to walk along side it when it gets a little wet. And it might be a little heavy for a pasture bike. I can't see myself dragging a TW200 under an electric fence. Everything else is perfect for a street legal dual purpose bike.

Mad-max · « **Reply #85 on:** March 14, 2020, 06:24:06 AM »

I had a Honda 70. Not sure the model. It was the 70's. I rode the crap out of that thing on our farm. 120 acres of my own private trails

wolfy · « **Reply #86 on:** December 21, 2020, 10:38:19 AM »

Jay Leno tests a Rokon....

wsdstan · « **Reply #87 on:** December 21, 2020, 02:29:46 PM »

Pretty neat video Wolfy. In my younger days a neighbor had a Tote-Goat and then I think he traded it in on a Rokon. My memory is fuzzy but I remember him with two different ones. I has a senior in high school when he got the second one so I didn't pay much attention to it.

The guy who owns Rokon says ag uses is one of the things it is good at and he is probably right if you have a trailer to haul all the stuff around. It would be great for herding cows and checking or changing the head gate on the ditch. Not so good for use in the alfalfa field as you have soft ground at times and that kick stand would be an issue. Too slow for trips to town too, at least to my way of thinking.

I like them and the fact that they have been around for sixty or so years speaks well of the company that builds them. Leno made me laugh as he wants more horsepower and a higher top speed.

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Author Topic: ROKON MOTORIZED HORSES (Read 49349 times)