2017 Rokon Ranger Motorcycle - Jay Leno’s Garage
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- Опубликовано: 11 апр 2020
- Jay gets out on the dirt with this bombproof two-wheel drive motorcycle that's made in America!
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2017 Rokon Ranger Motorcycle - Jay Leno’s Garage
• 2017 Rokon Ranger Moto...
Jay Leno's Garage
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I like it when Jay shows off and promotes quality products made by small companies that could probably use an endorsement fro him. Kudos to Mr. Jay Leno.
Yessir I’m with you on that. We need to do a lot more manufacturing in this country, make some quality products and put some good people to work.
And they have to be American made.. by American's..
I agree Ed! Thanks to Mr. Leno I am now sold on this bike.. and will have one as soon as I can scrape together the coin.
Agreed! And Jay is such a nice guy, I would find it hard to believe anyone could ever dislike the guy..
Well said Ed!
When I was 20, I liked going real fast. When I was 30, I liked going fast. When I was 40, I liked going kinda fast. When I was 50, I liked going. When I was 60, I liked taking it slow and enjoying the trail and all mother nature had to offer. Rokon is the perfect off road unit for going up and down those trails. Quiet, powerful and reliable. Great review for a really great machine.
I still like going fast and I'm over a half century old, i start off slow but always end up going like a maniac.
Powerful is not the word I would use to describe this thing. Capable is a better word
You could buy a Yamaha TeeDub for less that a 5th of this lump's price and do 60 mph.
@@tauncfester3022 I had the BW 200, got around better that the rokon because of the big soft rear tire. And was 100 times smother to ride.
@@totallyjonesin - Not in soft terrain you can’t. TW’s also have too short of leg too foot peg design. The seat is exactly like sitting on a 2 inch wide board. Suspension is horrid. Too hard to negotiate clutch balance and difficult slow terrain for us 60 plus year olds. Just sold mine. Test riding on the dealers lots is not testing anything.
Rokon is a complete different unit designed to go low gear slow speed. Even low air pressures. Just my take is all. When you get old. You’ll find you buy the same shoes. If they work, make you’er feet happy feet! Its all you need!
I also like Vespa 300 Scooters. Don’t own one, if I could, I’d love riding one. For fun and relaxation, pavement only. The Rokon? Fun and exploring public licensed vehicle back roads. With the ability to cross even ride on public roads legally having a motorcycle tag. Forest Service, Campgrounds have really cracked down on who and what can motorized anything be used these days. I see this bike as fulfilling many aspects to exploring, especially for people like me as limited mobility. Although, I’d be very careful climbing steep inclines. As I’ve felt the weight of many ah contraption upon my body over the years.
I've had one for 15 years now. Zero problems, built like a Tank.
Built like a tank lol. Have you seen a tank? For one it doesn't have steel tracks and two there's no turret gun. Everyone who says this thing is built like a like a tank has never seen a tank being built
@@crispindry2815 that is still not accurate
@@macbook802 it's called a metaphor, it means that something is built to be tough and pretty reliable
@@gavandavis8873 do you think tanks are reliable?
@@macbook802 oh good lord you're thinking about this way too much. The dude literally just a made a metaphor
Jay is so American. I loved his show and he never got all bitter and political like Letterman. Jay is a great person and I could watch him talk about grass haha. He is entertaining and simply the best!
Its a motorcycle designed for the streets of Michigan
It's that where they're going to make Fallout 5 New Detritus?! LMAO! 🤣👍🏼
After the snow storm in the U.P. we just had... It would be perfect right now.
@@colindubord4239 damn you guys still have snow up there? Thats crazy.
What an amazing bike! AMERICAN MADE!!
Born and raised in metro Detroit mi, I can totally agree with this lol
Now that company man was cool! "We're not gonna screw around on quality"...I liked that dude, he was straight up.
I'm fairly positive it's because he's an old school New Hampshire guy, pre Massachusetts invasion. All that generation of New Hampshire guys are no nonsense like that.
He kinda reminds me of Bob Newheart.
@1ForAllandAllForAll Had to escape Taxachussetts, huh?
@@TheMCD1989 New Hampshire native here... agreed
He left out a lot of information and was wrong about a few things he said. For example he never mentioned that rokons can be laid down on their left side and taken across streams and such that way when water is to deep. Or the purpose of the extra long flat foot kickstand was designed that way to be used as a pivot point you can stand and rotate the bike on to turn it around easily. The older bikes (mine) do have a kick start and a pull start... etc. I mean it was a cool video but for a big shot of rokon I thought he should have known more.
When Jay wears a smile on his face whilst driving/riding anything, you know he's having fun!
This is an expensive channel to watch. Now I feel that I need one of these.
Me too!
At it's inexpensive price! Hell... I'll by TWO!
"The only limiting factor on this machine is me" ain't that the truth. I've been riding rokons all my life and if you can stay on it you can climb it. Such a fun machine
Ditto
That 30 mins flew by. Didn't think I'd like this episode much. Jay kept it interesting and honestly gives props to vets.
He has even given away cars to vets, there’s videos here on RUclips, check it out
I’m unclear as to why any of that makes sense when you wrote it
@@fishhuntadventure dh
Videos are more enjoyable when you can tell that Jay enjoys a vehicle.
Facts! And when he is suspicious of a company then he goes on a killing spree.
Jay can’t go full dirt.
He knows you can’t come back!
It was more like tolerating it for what it is than truly liking it
Great video. Jay is grinning like the idiots portrayed in the Progressive bike ads who have a closed eye from bee-stings.
In fact seeing Jay, riding this bike without eye protection like those idiots, that's the first time my respect for him has trended downward. I don't care if the ads have fine print about "dramatization", it's a bad idea every time (I have a brother who's lost an eye).
Jay Lenno is arguably the coolest car collector/automobile enthusiast . He's knowledgeable; he collects and actually drives all his pieces.
A cool dude . He knows all the secrets and details that a good collector should know.
Not to mention he also works on them.
Perfect to keep at a cabin when you’re camping / hunting or a farmer. Love this bike
This is the type of video that Jay has the “I am getting one” face.
getting a boner, I thought that too.
Not really, It's more like "I like it, but it still needs development"
I think he owns one now
Need to get two, share the experience with friends. No Jay, don't need a 650 cc version.
I have 6 of them since 1977. Three of them automatic, the other three are 3 speed with gear shift. Those are 2 stroke bikes, Wisconsin engines. At that time there were no 4 stroke engines on the Rokon. The model name was Trail Breaker. I had the best times with them!!!!!
LOL why 6 of them? :-D
Spazik86 hahaha, i guess because we were a family of six, so my father got six... but i am the only one crazy about bikes. The way i remember is, a friend of my father got twelve to show them to the venezuelan army, but the venezuelan army was not interested, so my father got six from his friend.... i'm not sure what happen to the other six. We used them in the Amazonas, in Los Andes, and all the mountains and rivers around our home. And, to the six bikes, you have to add about 4 huge boxes of spare parts that i still keep.
@Wayne Bryan I'll chime in, mine was a 1971, 2 stroke 3 gears. I would much rather have had the 4 stroke they now use.
@Wayne Bryan My brother in law, a sergeant in the USAF was a firefighter. He served in Iraq during Desert Shield, he said they used several Rokons in their unit to haul around stuff on the base and to some of the crews out on scene. They had a two-wheeled trailer they used and he said the amount of stuff they pulled with the Rokon was incredible.
So once again Jay Leno proves to us all why he's our hero... I ran into a guy who had a few of these and I too remember, just as Jay did, about the ads for these but I had never seen one in person. The dude I met had one with a sidecar lol! That was a few months ago... Now Jay has me checking my bank account and looking up Rokon. This is why my wife hates you Jay.
She's lucky. What if you were looking at a McLaren?
He's got a lot of money but he's lost a lot of smarts lately..
Proven, reliable, durable, made in USA and still reasonably priced. If I was a bike rider I'd be all over this.
We all saw them in our youth ... but only in the back of Popular Mechanics.
LOL, right after I clicked thumbs up on your comment he said exactly what I was going to comment about the X ray glasses,
I recall seeing a review in Dirt Bike magazine in the mid-70's. I had no idea they were still around.
ROKON was In Field and Stream magazine. Folks use them for out of the way hunting and fishing.
Leave it to Jay to recognize and appreciate the most unique motorcycle or car ha. Way to go Jay! 🏁
This was one of my favorite episodes. Both guests were enthusiastic and interesting without being overbearing. The interaction between these three men was amazing. I remember the Rokon from my youth and was actually able to ride one that my brother somehow got hold of in about 1973. Slow, but unstoppable. Still looks like a great machine.
I´m a geologist, that motorcycle is perfect for my usual work
A camel would be better
@@daedalx a rokon can go where a camel can't, trust me
Get you one!
I like how the compass also serves as an artificial horizon.
68 thumbs down? How could anybody not like the Rokon? I just smiled all the way through the video. It's so pure and simple, and so well thought out. I hope they get a flood of orders for it.
Made to do , not to look at ....
There are 68 idiots out there.
Back to basics all round, i love down to earth rough terrain vehicles.
Probably because the company man was an absolute idiot. It was obvious he knew very little about the product he was trying to sell, which is just a crude, poorly engineered and over-blown mini-bike. When Jay asked questions, the guy just ignored him eg: 6:23 how the slip clutch works. And 8:14 about speed limit of 35mph being the result of the "clutching"= ROFL
I hope so too!
If I had the bucks I’de get one just to perpetrate the company.
Ride it and wear it out.
Maybe even get a second one and do an auction it off and charity the results too!
Made proudly in my State New Hampshire. Live Free or die! 😎
They won't even use American switch gear or levers - don't you Yanks make them for your Hardleys... I thought your magnificent Leader - the one who promotes riots - said you cannot call a product made in USA if it has parts from overseas? Lying f@ckers.
@@GuitarRyder11 Harley has been outsourcing for years !!!
That’s a commercial I enjoyed watching, great job again by Jay and his team!
Simple engineering.
It stands the test of time. That bike will be running after we’re all gone. Looks like it would be fun in the snow.
It's the Harley Davidson of the woods..
I have 3 of them.
The best pack mule of modern times !
How does it do in ice and snow? I like the price point.
@@umpatas5468 YA got me there , not very good , but I haven't tried putting chains on either.
I remember these in the magazines, as well-glad to know they are still made-thanks, guys!
Good simple quality engineering!!! Thanks Rokon !! And Jay too
!!!
My dad had one of these in 1972 or 73. He used it for hunting and getting out in the woods. The damn thing would go just about anywhere. He called it a Trailblazer but I think it was actually a trailbreaker?
I think in the old days in popular science and popular mechanics the little motorscooters were called tote goats
Yes, the original name was the Rokon Trailbreaker. It was decided that the name didn't sound very enviornmentally friendly so they changed the name to Ranger.
No ... a trail maker for Fat bike
Jay has the perfect MC jacket... gotta love that guy, with all his rides he still can truly appreciate the engineering of this cool little thing.
I saw my first one about 20 years ago. I was out on a trail in Western NH and my Jeep was having difficulty going up a hill. Next thing I know I am getting fun poked at me by a guy on the coolest motorcycle I had ever seen as he drives straight up the obstacle...
They're not the only 2WD motorcycle anymore, but they're certainly the most off-road capable, particularly for people that might not be expert dirtbikers. We had a couple on our family farm when I was a kid (replaced with 4-wheelers in the '00s), and they're pretty amazing off-road and will carry an awful lot of stuff. I've always sorta-kinda wanted one for camping and such, I have TW200s now for those purposes (mountain goats themselves), but these are a step up in terms of unstoppability. Cool bikes! Great episode!
Just when I thought Jay had already reviewed everything period, yet another surprise, the Rokon.
you can tell how much Jay is enjoying himself by how much he's grinning.
Very cool. The most limiting factor this has for wide appeal is it's top speed. If a variant could be made with the capability of 65mph, I feel like a LOT more people would want one.
There are 2wd motocross/enduro bikes available..They also have slipper clutch that allow the rear wheel to spin like 20% before engaging the front one. Can drive full speed and still have grip when needed.
Thanks guys. This was great. I just bought my first dirt bike two years ago, and my first dual sport about six months ago. I've been on Harleys, Hondas, Yamahas, road bikes for ever. My nephew had one of these. It was an absolute tank!! I'm 67 years old now, and wish I would have discovered off road biking about 30 years ago. I don't need to go fast. Going to see where they sell them in Missouri or surrounding states. Damn, another toy!! Luckily I'm divorced, and do/buy what I want. "PLAY TIME"!!!
Did you ever see where they sell them in Missouri? I live in Missouri around cape Girardeau and I’m curious myself lol
I remember seeing Marlon and Jim riding these on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.
thats righT!
"Now watch as Jim wrestles that crocodile while I stay in the car."
Cool bike. Reminds me of the Unimog. Just go out there, get it done, don't be flashy. It's an honest vehicle :)
Might look like a unimog but it’s waaaaaay tougher, the mog won’t survive an EMP or climb where these will go .... this is the vehicle to carry on your MOG to get back for help when the MOG gets stuck or broken as they sometimes do .....
I've got a 73 rokon and and 86 unimog 1300L😁
That's what I thought. Two vehicles I want have in my driveway someday. Unimog & Rokon. Yea.
I would say more like a Land Rover Defender. The classic one. It will survive an EMP as well.
I just read how you stopped to help stranded motorist amid the corona virus and popped the hood to try and fix the problem. You are really a cool person and I love your old school values your parents did a great job. I think that if there is hope for humanity it will come from lessons from real people like you. You are a great comedian I love jay walking and this show but I think you value is in your real enthusiasm for cars history and people. You remind us who we were and what we still are.
I don't know what I would have done if there was no Jay Leno. Great job Jay today you showed me that lemon 2023 yellow C8 💛 and then came the good old Rokon.
Thanks a bunch Jay you are pure gold😁
Jay's smile toward the end says a lot about the experience. Was a treat to watch and learn about.
This is without a doubt, a great piece of equipment for traveling in any terrain and purpose. I would imagine with it having a PTO, the accessories are endless!
This really hit my switch! Great post Jay!
That's what I was thinking too. They probably could have done another episode on everything that could be run of of the pto.
I freaking love this thing. And I love that when Jay does a review you get all the info you need on a vehicle. I went through 3 other videos that told little to nothing before watching this one
I'm going to have one of these someday. I rode a two stroke model in the '70's, it was a beast.
My Dad's hunting buddy had 2 of them in the late 60's! I was about 10 yrs old and They would climb a Maine field stone wall like it was a speed bump! Amazing machines
I remember seeing these in magazines in the 1970's, and thought they were fascinating. I'm glad they're still around.
Gotta love Jay's style. His leather jacket arrears to have quite a bit of mileage on it and it still fits him very well. He's no poser, Jay's genuine. Thanks for the video. I've always wanted a Rokon. Would come in handy when we camp on the bank of the Shenandoah river. Primitive camping, many miles away from paved roads with an outfitter for supplies and canoes. The Rokon would fit the mountainous terrain very well and would be a cool way to get back and forth between the outfitters and our camp site. I'd love to see one with a larger engine. Just enough horse power to keep up with traffic during the small amount of time I'd be on a public road. No need for speed off road unless I'm on an established trail or track. I have other bikes for that. Send me one in exchange for hours of off-roading videos, featuring the Rokon? Had to ask lol. Peace.
I came to Jay's channel because of a different channel called Bikes And Beards. They're restoring an older model Rokon with the Chrysler 2 stroke engine. The owner of that bike used his Rokon to get back and forth to his gold mine in Utah! 💰
I totally remember these from the late 60's and early 70's in the Popular Mechanics ads! Very quirky, but still cool👍
Is it me or is it Jay’s been doing a lot more of interesting vehicles lately!?!Fun stuff
Forget “thanks fir watching,” Jay, thanks for doing this!
This brought back lots of old memories from the early sixties. I remember reading the ads for these in Popular Science Magazine back when i was a kid.
Thank you for your service, Mike, and also for the interesting ride share. I’ve never seen such a thing but it looks like the perfect toy for an adventurer.
Almost skipped this when I saw it posted but decided to watch- ended up enthralled!
“You seek out the things you loved as a kid”
Before I ever knew Jay was into cars and bikes, I was probably ten, I saw his article in Popular Mechanics where he debuted his Y2K bike. For years I’d go back to that article regularly. It blew my mind that was possible. Boys hid Penthouse under their mattress. I had Jay Leno’s bike run by a Bell helicopter engine.
My brother just got one of these bikes and it really is pretty amazing. You drop that thing in low and it just motors its way through, up, and over anything. I rode it around his ranch for an hour and I didn't want to get off it, it was so much fun. It convinced me that you don't have to go fast to have a good time on a bike. Actually, the thing I couldn't get over is how slow you can go and still not feel like it is going to tip. I'm sure those big wide low inflated tires had something to do with it but also the gearing is just about perfect. Bottom line is, I want one, wicked bad.
I've found few motorcycle-related videos more entertaining than Malcom Smith on a trials bike. Watching him moving at about .8 mph over a pile of dirt and logs and rocks with that infectious grin can certainly make for a fun video. This thing would probably be a bit better for hauling a deer back to camp than one of Malcom's bikes though. ;^)
That looks like sooooo much fun! Amazing that the original idea lives on, especially in this “yeah yeah yeah that was last years design, what’s new this year?” world.
I want one. Only on Jay's show could I learn about these odd things. Very affordable as well. Home run guys.
I had a 1971 model. I sold it in 2005 just before I moved to Alaska to teach (I was a poor college graduate, I needed the money just to get to Alaska) but I can tell you, though these things drive a lot smoother than you expect (admittedly mine was pre-front end change, but it was still a decent ride) there's no mistaking the fact that they are built to survive after the Mad Max world falls upon us.
Have you seen a Ridley two-thirds the size of a normal motorcycle and an automatic transmission. Check it out they're pretty cool.
Motorcycle people have known about these forever since they came out in 63 /64
Is it EMP proof?
@@ronalddaub7965
Yep.
They go over this in the video.
Years ago I worked with an older gentleman who was an avid deer hunter. He had a Rokon that he used for accessing the deep woods and for pulling the deer back to the deer camp. He had endless stories about where he had gone with his Rokon. He has since passed, but he had my undivided whenever he told me his stories. The Rokon is a concept that obviously works.
Thank you, Jay. I really appreciate your videos. The Rokon has been my dream bike since I was a child. I too remember them in the back of the magazines. You really took me back to my childhood with this one. I still don't have one yet, but it's on my bucket list. Thank you, Jay.
We had a Rokon in Alaska in 1971. Used it to go from camp down to the spring for fresh water. Awesome. Saw one with a diesel engine with a side car for use in an underground mine in Mexico.
I love the owners passion and perseverance.
I rode a couple of them back in the late '70's in western Washington . Even the junker was great. The thing they didn't mention on this vid is that you can ride over a log that's a slightly larger diameter than the wheels. As the rear wheel pushes, the front one climbs. You just walk it over and keep going. And going.
Great to see Jay doing some offroad motorcycling....!
The first time I heard or saw anything about a Rokon was on a RUclips channel; "Matt's Off Road Recovery" (Matt's Off Road Recovery, gold Nugget..... will bring it up) A friend of theirs had taken a tiny little Suzuki Samurai (with a Rokon on a trailer ) out gold mining and there was a rock slide that blocked the Suzuki from getting out so, he used the Rokon to get out, no problem. The Suzuki was there for 20 or 30 years and then Matt and bunch of friends went up and managed to get the Suzuki out. As a surprise they restored it and the Rokon and presented it to him later. It was a whole series of videos that I enjoyed very much.
When you see where that Rokon had to go to get the guy out you'll definitely have some respect for the Rokon.
Jay…When I worked for your Dad in the early 70’s if I went out to collect my dept. on this he would have
fired me on the spot! He told me one day he was concerned about your financial future because
you thought you could make a living telling jokes!!! You and I meet at your mom and dads
funeral. I miss them, they were kind to my wife and I. Stay health healthy and God Speed.
I saw one of these climb a nearly vertical slope way back in the 60"s ...I always wanted one...but the local dealer went broke and I couldn't help wonder what ever became of them....now I know...thanks Jay
I'm a cyclist and was never tempted to switch to motorbiking... but this thing could change my mind!
Jay does an excellent interview. He asks sensible question and his comments are spot on. Hell of good guy!
The front suspension reminds me of a DC-3 landing gear.
That's just what I was thinking
I can see that
Funny it reminds me of the front suspension of my bmw. It’s a ‘64. I’d love to try riding one of these but it’s so specific I can’t imagine owning one unless I lived in the forest.
@Kickinpony.66, good morning. Front suspension reminds me of the front suspension of a Ural motorcycle or old off-road DKW motorcycles.
"If it works..."
This is what you use after the Ural gets hopelessly stuck!
Yeah he was talking about giving brochures out when somebody asked him about the bike. I owned a Ural for 3 years. He needs to know about the UDF, aka Ural delay factor. It is never a quick ride when you take your Ural somewhere and stop. LOL
watch thing thing here: watch?v=ntGufNjoD50
I could climb that hill faster on a wheelchair.
I always wanted one of these ever since I was a kid. Could never find one...anywhere back then. Now I have to think about it again and maybe get myself one to ride on the back of my Monster Jeep. Talk about riding the back roads! In style. Thank you Jay Leno for sharing with us. You sir, are a great motor guy.
"Thank You" Mr. Leno for this video. I have been using a Honda Pioneer 700 for five years now. And just began looking for something else less bulky, and not needing a trailer to haul it. Lately I have been looking at dirt bikes, and electric off road vehicles instead. But this morning I noticed a few Rokon videos here on RUclips. I watched a few other video reviews on this bike by others, but was still not convinced until I saw yours. Meeting the company owner, and a Military Veterans input on this product, and seeing the quality that goes into it.. (as well as your review) has made me determined to own one of these as soon as I can come up with the $$. I had never seen or heard of the Rokon before today, but I am sure that it is "THE" perfect vehicle for my Moose filming adventures here in New Brunswick Canada. My Sincere "Thanks" to you all, and stay healthy! NBMooselover
Jay: "you're the veteran, I'm the idiot."
If Jay Leno is an idiot I don't know what the hell that makes me >.
That makes you a Veteran.
He is an idiot you're a moron ,simple.
We know what that makes you.
@Vasili Panin Good Answer. I like you.
Jay's mechanical skills are probably above average, but as a historian of vehicles he is very hard to match.
That Vet also received the Purple Heart.
Don C-M: can confirm.
Confirmed
The fact that this bike is still made in America makes me want to buy one right now.
Had the orange one in the seventies! Loved it! It climbed hills I could not walk back down!
That trailer looks extremely well designed. I really want one.
the best of America,design build quality,get the job done and leave out the bling and that zero to sixty nonsense. we need more companies like Rokon
Well, America in traditionally known for crude vehicle engineering. I guess you'll be ready for when China takes you over. Meanwhile, the rest of the world has better products with infinitely better engineering and performance.
Perfect platform for this machine - Jays antique vehicles. These were great in 1970's and 80's, we used them extensively to transport gear in remote areas in Alaska for work.
That was the last time they were the best tool for the job.
This bike fantasists me. I love to backpack and now that I am getting a little older, this bike maybe will get me to places that may be a little to far at my age (61 years). Second, I love Jay's youtube videos. Jay is such a extraordinary ordinary guy. I mean that with that as great compliment. He is never condescending. He seems to be very approachable and a good/nice guy. So refreshing in the day we live in now. I truly wish him the best. I wish I could shake his hand and say thanks. Thanks Jay.
I've never heard of this bike until now.
Ok
The Rokon's are made up the road from me in New Hampshire. Some may laugh at the Rokon's, that said the bikes have a cult following and the company has been in business for 55+ years. Jay was saying he used to see them in magazines- Field and Steam years ago. An Utilitarian bike for a niche market but they are cool 👍.
NHseacoast I used to see them way back in the 80s myself.
These bikes are the real deal, they are used in Africa and indestructible.
I suspect they are about to get very busy :)
I grew up in New Hampshire and remember these being a home state build, what town are they built in now? For some reason I thought they had moved out of new Hampshire in the early 2000s. Pretty cool that they are still made there.
They have a big building between Dover and Rochester N.H. could be the factory?
Was it just me thinking...."Take it up the darn hill Alice!"
I'm 65. Always saw them in mags growing up. Only ever seen 1 in person. Wasn't running, but it was really cool.
Damn Jay, I now remember seeing those adds back in the 60's but I was only about 8 at the time. Thanks for having this bike on your show :-)
Its so quiet.
What?
It's so quiet.
What?
IT"S SO QUIET!!!!!
Yea let's get pizza. 🍕
The original two stroke one was louder than the four stroke one is now plus today’s stuff does have to have forestry approved muffler for flame which makes it much more muffled now you just hear the motor clanking away
Yeah, great for hunting....elk....'deaf elk"!
I would want a biig muffler on that thing if I owned one
@@tokslut It has a big muffler on it the noise you hear is because his MIC is picking up engine noise because of the type of MIC just like on a cell phone when people can't hear you but they can hear back round noise, when they start in the shop it sounds ok
Jim Haines
wind noise
Always great to watch your videos Jay ..I’d never seen one of these before..fascinating thanks from🇬🇧
My neighbor bought one of these in the 70'. He floated it across the Deshutes river to drag his elk back to the river and float it across again fascinating vehicle.
I always wanted one of these when I was a kid back in the 70s, actually, I still do...
The owner of the company must be thinking, "Jackpot" as this video comes out.
I was thinking the same thing. I'd like to have one too, sort of. This is blasphemy, since it's such a cool American product, but I wish there was an option to have one equipped with a 250cc Honda motorcycle engine. Then, I think, people would line up to buy one.
They've been selling these things for almost 60 years. All motorcycle people know the Rokon.
Joe Swinsick
I work on small engines for a hobby and im NOT a fan of Kohler engines. I would much rather have Briggs Vanguard, Thought about Subaru/Robins, or a commercial grade Honda With no timing belt!!!!!!! And also would be fantastic and appeal to more buyers if they could get this with a bigger engine overall 250-CC being the smallest.
Going about 65-70 top speed for this bike could be a game changer.
@@jjjsmith2497 You've just described a completely different bike now.
Bigger engine, faster speed, more complex engineering....ok....but now it's a different bike.
Rokon have been making these for almost sixty years, they know their niche, and have clear aims, change too much you sacrifice some of those and wind up with something else.
Apis4
The Rokon Ranger meets all of these, outside of the bigger engine and higher speeds.... THEY are the ones evolving, ie: Shot show 2020...now able to pull 1,000 lbs more. The option for a bigger better engine (quality first) and speed second is in MY opinion a good idea to consider if their budget permits for future design changes. Even Jay Leno suggested a bigger engine (please no Kohler).
I remember these from Popular Mechanics too. Fascinating engineering. I can vouch for Kohler engines as I once had a Troy Bilt rototiller with a 7hp motor. That motor ran for 30 years when I sold it.
My neighbor had one of these back in the mid 70’s. She rode it all over where we lived in upstate NY. Woods, the street, on side of highway and she let me take it out a few times. Really fun.
They used these on "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" in the 60's and 70's. Circa 1970, I encountered Jim Fowler* riding one of these as they were building the "Animal Forest natural habitat zoo" at Charles Towne Landing, a historical site built to celebrate Charleston SC's tricentennial. Although I was just a child, I swear that Mr. Fowler was ten feet tall. My memory is probably exaggerated because I was terrified at the time. I bumped into him while riding a bicycle in the "No Bicycles Allowed" part of the trail, you see.
*If you can't remember Jim Fowler, maybe this phrase will refresh your memory. "I'll stay in the jeep while JIM goes out and wrestles the crocodile (or rhino, or wildebeest) ". - Marlin Perkins (host of the show).
If Chuck Norris and Indiana Jones had a baby, he'd be Jim Fowler.
😆
Cool post, great story, thanks for sharing :)
Thank you! I knew I had seen them somewhere, but I couldn't put my finger on it!
Those were the days and that was the show!
Jay, you never cease to find the coolest stuff to review. I've never seen such a thing as this. Thanks for sharing brother.
Hi Jay I raced a Rokon in 1977 . It was a 340 cc rear wheel drive. Texas state championship enduro circuit best summer of my life. Mr. Duncan who was the team captain . A warrant officer at Fort Hood Texas had an arrangement with Rokon. We were given three bikes and parts. The races were awesome. Thanks
Love the reference to Cycle magazine. My 1st issue was August 1987 and been riding ever since! Well, almost. I was 15 and eagerly awaiting the day I could get my permit.
Another Episode I didn't think I'd enjoy, but ended up LOVING! I want one!!! Lol
I've always thought these were neat. Great to see them on Jay's Garage. He really seemed to dig it.
It's more of a contraption than it is a motorcycle. The sound of the Kohler generator motor is priceless. Simple mechanical tough off road bike. I want one! Jay should special order a 650cc from them so they'd make one!
Great piece....i grew up near Jay..
There were a few around...mostly on trails of course. Glad to see they still make them. Thanks Jay.