Rokon Impressions (and why I doubt I'll own another one)
I know this is a near dead thread, but I want to document a few things about the venerable Rokon that the uninitiated might not appreciate until they've ridden one or owned one. I had a 1971 2-stroke Trailbreaker I rebuilt and then eventually donated to my local Search and Rescue/Fire department/EMS (I worked with them, so when I moved I told them they could use it or auction it to raise cash as I didn't want to even bother crating it). Please keep in mind that this was just my experience, and this was one of the old models.
1.) The turning radius is terrible (this may have changed on the newer models, but I doubt it). As far as a go-anywhere vehicle, this limits its true mobility and makes maneuvering it more difficult than you might think. That whole front wheel drive system limits the turning arc, meaning you can only turn the handlebars about 30 degrees (don't quote me, but I would measure it if I still had one). It's maddening. You have to back up and go forward fifteen times to turn around. This was the one thing that drove me to distraction, because it limits your ability to switchback (which is needed--read #7).
2.) As many people mention on forums there is no suspension on the old ones, but mine was actually quite comfortable (relatively), and the seat had some give (as did the tires). These things move so slow that proper suspension isn't really needed. They crawl, so you don't get bounced around much anyway.
3.) Mine was really temperamental (again, this was a 40 year old 2-stroke model, but it had great compression and when it ran it buzzed along). It was easy enough to work on, and I like 2-stroke simplicity, but I never had the confidence to take it 20 miles into the wild (I just knew I'd have to push it back or wind up cursing and troubleshooting in failing light). Also, the spark plug was harder to get out than on any motorcycle I've ever owned (the frame was sort of in the way which meant carrying a socket and extension instead of just one of those little plug wrenches you get in a spare parts kit). It being a 2-stroke, you're a brave soul if you go on a ride of any length without a plug wrench.
4.) It was pretty light and easy to wrestle around or over anything it couldn't climb, but (again) the lack of steering angle made it sometimes tougher to move than one might think.
5.) It was loud and irritating (not just the engine, the entire machine clanked and stuttered). The noise was not at all pleasant. Not unlike an old tank with a chainsaw engine.
6.) I was not a fan of the transmission or clutch, but can see why it was designed as it was. It's as easy as operating a scooter.
7.) The hillclimbing ability is wildly exaggerated (why aren't Rokons sitting at the top of all the hillclimbing events, posting record-slow times? Because they can't get up there). I've been on several motorcycles that can get up hills the Rokon simply couldn't climb. The engine is simply far too weak, even in low gear, and will bog down. I really doubt the newer ones with the Honda engines can climb much of a hill. If you doubt this watch the youtube videos--they're not that impressive. Making ultra-low gearing will only help so much.
8.) They sell all sorts of ridiculous add-ons: side cars, trailers, etc. But they don't have the power to work when loaded up like that (again, watch youtube--all the videos are on flat ground). You're not going to pull a log up a hill because it's not a winch on wheels.
9.) Overall, it felt like riding a piece of lawncare equipment--agonizingly slow, loud, and only somewhat capable. I certainly did look at terrain differently than people on quads do. It would (eventually) get you almost anywhere, could sidehill and therefore (theoretically) switchback (if you could get it turned around, which was murder) and didn't tear up the ground very much. However, the same could be said for a pair of hiking boots. It will not drag a moose over a mountain, if that's what you are expecting, nor can you point it at a long incline and hang on for the ride. Riding one is work.
10.) I chuckle when people ask what the top speed is, because that's not the point, and it's not very fun to ride at 20 miles per hour with that engine screaming anyway. The shorter answer is: dang slow. I don't think you really need to ride one before you buy one, but in my case the novelty wore off not long after the project was finished. It was probably more fun to rebuild than it was to operate, but that's just me.
I have been tempted to get another one (they are horribly overpriced, even used, so people pull them out of the garage and put them on Craigslist constantly to make money), but honestly I think a TW with some modifications (ATV tire, lower gearing, and racks) would serve the same purpose, be more utilitarian, be easier to maintain and much more pleasant to ride. In a heads up contest a good rider on a good dirtbike could go anywhere a Rokon can go, but the operative words are "good rider." You don't need any skill to get the full potential from a Rokon, but jumping felled trees and getting up dangerous hills on a bike is something else.
Possible Rebuttal: "But they are the only vehicle to cross the Darian Gap!"
Response: Mmmm, read the details of that fiasco before bragging. I have, and I have mixed feelings about it. Much of that trip involved crossing water with the Rokons in canoes, and while the trip was an adventure, the lowly Rokon wasn't the unsung hero there. It would have been easier to just hike it. Those guys were just hardcore lunatics with more motivation than sense who took the Rokons along for the trip so they could say they "rode." I'll bet they could have done the same thing with Segways or Honda Scooters, anything light enough to put in a canoe or carry.