Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Two-Wheel Drive Motorcycles

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Rokon seems to have been the only maker of two-wheel drive bikes in the US of A - or anywhere - for as long as I can remember.  I've never driven one and rarely seen one, but they hold a certain mystique as being durable and unique All American machines.  As far as I can tell, they aren't like regular motorcycles.  Their engines put out a scant 7 HP, they have low-geared automatic transmissions, they don't have suspensions, they have hollow wheels which can float the bike when empty or be filled with water or fuel, they have very high clearance, and of course they have power to their rear AND front wheels.  They look like real ball-busters.  Perhaps the coolest thing about them is that they actually function more like tractors than motorcycles, and they can be outfitted with a plethora of attachments to turn them into farm/work vehicles.  Accessories include a game rack, a side car, a PTO with pump or generator, saddlebags, farm implements and front suspension.  If I had the money to outfit a Bug Out retreat, I'd furnish it with a few dirt bikes for transportation, and at least one Rokon for work.

Enter Christini Technologies, which is now producing state-of-the-art two-wheel drive dirt bikes.  You've got to see them to believe them.  Unlike the Rokons with their ungainly front wheel chain drive, the Christini's front drive is hidden within the frame and front forks.  They are decidedly hi-tech, 2-stroke bikes.  Check out their website!
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Do you ever miss the good old days, when the Cold War was in full swing and the threat of nuclear war was ever-present and the Russkies were scaring the piss out of us with their bat shit antics in the Sandbox?  Sometimes I do.  It wasn't a fun time to live in, but it has become brighter in retrospect.  I remember honest-to-God REAL survival magazines like Soldier of Fortune and Survive, and t-shirts that said Big Mac Attack and Nuke Em Til They Glow Then Shoot Em In The Dark.  Back then you could buy Uzis and real AR-15s and high-capacity pistols in California, and full-auto parts kits at gun shows.  But the world has changed.  TEOTWAWKI took a sharp turn and become The Slow Slide.  Survivalism, my Friends, has gone mainstream.
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