Just wondering if any of you guys are into vintage motorcycles? I have a couple that I have restored, a '75 Can-AM 175 and a '76 Rokon 340.

The Rokon is ultra-rare--about the rarest dirt bikes made, actually. They were made in New Hampshire USA until 1977. The coolest thing is the snowmobile-type CVT transmission (twist and go!) but Rokon's were also the first dirt bikes to have disc brakes. My restored Rokon too nice and rare to ride, so it's just a museum piece for me.

 

I like bikes. I used to ride until I got married. Mostly owned Hondas, Suzukis and a POS Yamaha, once! My first bike was a Bridgestone 90 that one of my older brothers gave me when I was 14. He told me if I could get it running, I could have it. He couldn't get it running. It had a left hand thread nut that went on the flywheel and he'd lost it. I took a drivers side lug nut (LHT) off my Dad's 56 DeSoto and tried it and it fit. After about 2 hours of tinkering with the oil injector and points, I had it running. Rode it for about 2 years and then sold it so I could get a Honda SL175. Moved on from there and had a multitude of bikes until I met the wife. Sold my Nighthawk 650 to buy her engagement ring and haven't been on one since 1987.

 

This is my 1975 Can-AM. My dad raced this bike in '75, then it sat for a few decades until I restored/modded it for vintage mx. It's a T'nt 175, with upgraded (within vintage mx 4" travel class rules) suspension. The engine was modded with a 34mm Mikuni carb, cylinder porting, lighter flywheel, 7-plate clutch and a DG low pipe. The thing goes pretty good for a 175, nearly as quick thru the gears as a modern 250F as long as there are no bumps!

 

I like it! And the Rokon is an awesome machine. Those damn things will go just about anywhere. Very ingenious bike, in my opinion.

 

Thanks. Rokons were so technically innovative, way ahead of the Japanese and Europeans in terms of creativity, if not in real world performance. Still, Rokon won a bunch of gold medals in International enduro competitions and had some motocross success too. Unfortunately it was too much too soon, and the expense of developing the 340 project pretty much bankrupted the small New Hampshire company.

I know a couple people who race Rokons, one in vintage MX and one in vintage enduro. Rokons get AMAZING starts...no shifting, just hold it wide open with little wheel spin and it goes faster and faster just like a snowmobile. I actuallly watched 'Rokon Tom' get a holeshot on his short travel '74 340 racing in the long travel 'evolution' class against mid 80's CR480s, YZ490s etc on a long sandy uphill start straight. Thats the magic of CVT transmission eh? The same magic that makes snowmobiles so quick!

Rokon had to use disc brakes at the time when everyone else was using little mechanical drum brakes because with the CVT trans there is no engine braking, so they had no choice but to use big discs.

It would have been interesting if Rokon had the funds to continue developing the 340s to their full potential, or if one of the big 4 had stolen some of Rokons ideas. Dirt bikes might be quite different today...

Anyway heres another view of my '76 Rokon. I'm Canadian, but I always thought the patriotric 'spirit of 76' Rokon graphics were so cool, so I was glad to be able to find one of these bikes and restore it with NOS parts.

 

Very cool!

Back in the early 80's I dated a guy who raced dirt bikes. I've never learned to ride, my horsepower had 4 legs, but I have been on the back of a full size motorcycle a few times. I'm pretty picky who I'll get on behind. I have driven a snowmobile years ago - DH's dad had a couple when we lived in MN. Those were FUN!

 

Snowmobiles are fun for sure! The Rokon is sorta-kinda like a motocross bike with a snowmobile engine and transmission. This is a better shot of my 1976 Rokon than the ones I showed earlier.



This is a pic of me on my 1975 Can-AM trying to pass 'Rokon Tom' on his 1974 Rokon 340



Dirt bikes are fun for sure, but I haven't been riding in a couple years now. Injuries and Illness, you know, the old story...

 

LOL, for me it would be emphasis on 'old'. However, I will still ride a well broke horse - just won't get on the rank ones anymore. Hurts too much.

 

I'd love to have another bike one day, but it would have to be a highway cruiser. None of that dirt stuff for this old man. Been there, done that. Don't have the desire to do that anymore.

 

Injuries have kept me off dirt bikes for about two years now. I'm 45...keeping up with the kids kept getting tougher and tougher, and I was getting hurt more and more often. That's a big part of the Javelin drag car project-my Dad (who still rides dirt bikes at 70!) and I think the drag car might be a little safer and still provide the rush that racing dirt bikes did. After racing in the street stock class a few times this year at the local drag strip in my street car I found it was really fun, and it did give the same kind of rush in the pits and on the track as motocross did, without all the broken bones...