Winter riding - sidecar or Jeep?
in [Motorcycles]
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From: Mark Olson on 26 Jul 2010 16:20 Futility Man wrote: > On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:36:35 -0500, Mark Olson <olsonm(a)tiny.invalid> wrote: [Re: Rokon Trail Blazer] >> I love how the wheels can either be drained for flotation, or filled >> with water or spare fuel... > > These things get something like 160mpg, I can't imagine riding one somewhere > where I'd need an extra 9 gallons of gas in addition to the couple of gallons > the tank holds. (each wheel holds 4.5gal) Not to be an argumentative cuss, but- Given the fact that being 2WD has to consume some extra power due to friction, and the huge tractor-style tires aren't going to roll as smoothly as normal motorcycle wheels, I have a really hard time believing there is any way that thing is going to do 160 mpg no matter how or where, or how slowly you ride it. Or maybe it really gets 522 mpg. http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/rokon_trail-breaker_2009.php Rokon's own website quotes fuel consumption of a modern Trailbreaker in a fixed number of gallons per hour, and best case, at a top speed of 35 mph, it works out to 78 mpg. http://www.rokon.com/products/trailbrkr.htm Trail-Breaker Specifications Drive System Full time, front and rear wheel drive Engine Kohler, single cylinder, four stroke, fan cooled Piston Displacement 172cc Power Output 6 HP at 4,000 RPM Power Transmission Automatic torque converter into a three gear range selector Speed Range 1st gear 0-10 MPH (16 kph) 2nd gear 0-22 MPH (35 kph) 3rd gear 0-35 MPH (56 kph) Power Take Off 6.0 HP (est.), speed proportional to throttle setting Fuel Tank Capacity 2.69 US (10.0 L) Hi-impact polyethylene tank. Auxillary Fuel storage 4.5 US gallons (17 liters) per wheel. 2.5 US gallons per 12" wheel Fuel Regular unleaded gas Fuel Consumption 0.45 gal/hr (1.7L per hour), Brakes Disc type, front and rear, dual handlebar hydraulic mounted controls Starter Automatic recoil Ignition Electronic Magneto Electrical 12 volt with 90 watt alternator Exhaust Muffler with US Forestry approved spark arrestor Carburetor Fixed Main Jet Carburetor Air Filter Dry type Grade Capability 60 percent Weight 208 lbs. (94 kg) dry weight Warranty 12 month Limited Warranty Trail-Breaker Dimensions Wheels 15 inch Aluminum Drum(12" optional, overall ground clearance reduced by 1") Tires 5.9x15 with tube or 8x12 tubeless Wheel Base 51 inches (129.5 cm) Ground Clearance 15 inches (38 cm) Height Over Seat 30 inches (76 cm) Height Over Handlebar 42 inches (107 cm) Width 31 inches (79 cm) Length 79 inches (200 cm) Fordable Water Depth 24 inches (61 cm)
From: sean_q on 26 Jul 2010 17:26 Futility Man wrote: > On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:17:31 -0700, sean_q <no.spam(a)no.spam> wrote: > >> So I thought about getting a small 4WD Jeep > > I have what you need. I'm currently rebuilding a 1968 Rokon Trail Breaker, a > 2WD motorcycle. Impressive concept. I think I saw one long ago at a dealership. They said you could float the thing on its side if you had to cross water too deep to ride through, using the big tires for buoyancy. It might work in the snow, if the wheels didn't slide out from under me. One problem is the deep ruts in the snow formed by cage wheels, which also pack it down to a wet, icy, slippery surface. However Google Images found a Rokon with a sidecar. I don't know yet if it has a live axle. I just called the dealership for BC (in Prince George up in the interior. Waiting for the salesman to c/b. SQ
From: Futility Man on 26 Jul 2010 18:05 On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:26:13 -0700, sean_q <no.spam(a)no.spam> wrote: > Google Images found a Rokon with a sidecar. >I don't know yet if it has a live axle. It doesn't have a live axle, but one went on Ebay last week for under $1000US. There are stud kits and snow-chain kits for the bike wheels. And Mark, you really didn't have to quote to me from the website. I'm quite familiar with those specs. Mine doesn't have the Kohler engine, it has the Chrysler two stroke. And surely you realize that best fuel economy is not achieved at top speed? All I know is that some members on the two Rokon forums I'm reading have reported mpg approaching 160 under ideal conditions. What those conditions were, I have no idea. Off a cliff with a tailwind for all I know. I'll never see ideal conditions, nor do I care what the gas mileage will be. This thing is going to get one of those Harbor Freight Honda-clone go kart engines and it's going to be used to tow a garbage trailer at the campground strictly as a gimmick. If it'll make a round of the garbage cans on a tank of fuel, I'll be happy. That would be about two gallons to the mile and that's OK. It has no suspension other than the low pressure tires. A long distance machine, it is not. There is a kit to add a HD Sportster seat with a hydraulic shock but since I don't have a sportster seat, that's probably not going to happen. I do have two or three old Magna seats, an ST1100 stock seat and a couple of CB200 seats, maybe I can adapt one of those. -- Futility Man
From: Futility Man on 26 Jul 2010 18:07 On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:03:52 -0700 (PDT), "S'mee" <stevenkeith2(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >Road trip!!! Go to the rally you silly man...it's a sign from St. >Roper you MUST go! I can't. I just broke an axle in my tractor and had to pull it home with the truck. I got too much to do here. Next year I'll be there pulling the Rokon on a trailer behind the ST1100. -- Futility Man
From: sean_q on 26 Jul 2010 18:11
Futility Man wrote: > On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:17:31 -0700, sean_q <no.spam(a)no.spam> wrote: > >> So I thought about getting a small 4WD Jeep > > I have what you need. I'm currently rebuilding a 1968 Rokon Trail Breaker, a > 2WD motorcycle. I just talked to the BC dealership and found out that the Rokon isn't road-legal here. SQ |