This is a Rokon Trail-Breaker from 1969, it’s an unusual two-wheel drive motorcycle made in the United States, and beloved by adventurers, hunters, rangers, explorers, farmers, and prospectors.
In short, the Rokon has a steel tube frame with a centrally-mounted engine that drives both the front and rear wheels via a patented system, and it rides on tractor-like front and rear wheels. These wheels are hollow and allow the Rokon to be floated across streams, or they can be filled with fuel or water for added range.
Fast Facts: The Rokon Trail-Breaker
- The Rokon Trail-Breaker is an American-built two-wheel-drive motorcycle designed for extreme off-road use. It uses a tubular steel frame, a centrally mounted engine, and a patented drivetrain that powers both wheels, giving it exceptional traction for hunters, farmers, explorers, and utility work in rough terrain.
- A defining feature of the Rokon is its hollow, tractor-style aluminum wheels, which can be left empty for flotation or filled with fuel or water to extend range. The bike includes integrated front and rear cargo racks, a single sprung saddle, and a design focused on slow-speed control rather than road performance or comfort.
- Power is supplied by a 134cc two-stroke single paired with a hand-shifted 3-speed Albion transmission. Drive is sent rearward by chain and forward through a shaft, over-run clutch, and chain system that allows steering without binding, disengaging the front drive at full steering lock.
- The Rokon shown here was refurbished in 2025 and acquired by the seller in 2026. Finished in yellow with black graphics, it features kick and recoil starters, a hitch mount, side stand, and mechanical front disc brake. It is offered for off-road use only in Colorado with a bill of sale.
History Speedrun: The Rokon Trail-Breaker
The story of Rokon and the company’s famous two-wheel drive motorcycles began in 1958 when the first designs were laid out by Charlie Fehn in California. Soon prototypes would be built, and the problem of providing power to the front end of a motorcycle, while retaining steering functionality, would be solved.
Each Trail-Breaker is built with a tubular steel frame with a centrally-mounted engine. Large, tractor-like front and rear wheels are fitted to aluminum-cylinder wheels, these wheels can be left hollow or filled with fuel or water, containing up to 2.5 gallons each. Image courtesy of Rokon.
Charlie Fehn’s patented invention would be called the Trail-Breaker, and it was bought by Nethercutt Industries in 1960 with plans to put it into mass-production. Some production did begin, however numbers were small and the design needed some refinement based on real-world use.
As a result, the rights to the design were bought by Orla Larsen in 1963 who moved production to Wilmington, Vermont. Rokon Inc. bought the design a year later and moved the production to New Hampshire – where the company remains based to this day.
The bumpy start of the Rokon Trail-Breaker was perhaps fitting – it was designed for use on bumpy terrain after all.
The core design of the Rokon Trail-Breaker would remain largely unchanged over the decades, it would be refined somewhat and engine options would be updated from two-stroke to more reliable (and more modern) four-stroke units.
Each Trail-Breaker is built with a tubular steel frame with a centrally-mounted engine. Large, tractor-like front and rear wheels are fitted to aluminum-cylinder wheels, these wheels can be left hollow or filled with fuel or water, containing up to 2.5 gallons each.
Front and rear cargo racks are built in, and each bike gets a single seat, though some have an optional rear padded seat that is removable. Drive is sent from the engine through a torque converter to the transmission, and from there via a chain to the rear wheel, and via a shaft drive and linked chain to the front wheel.
The cleverness of the Rokon design, conceived by Charlie Fehn all those years ago, is based around a shaft drive which travels up to a universal joint under the headstock. From here it travels through an over-ride clutch which allows the front to turn more than the rear, it also disengages the front wheel at full handlebar lock. From here the power is sent down from a sprocket and chain to the front wheel. Images courtesy of Rokon.
Driving the front wheel of a motorcycle is a relatively complex affair, as in corners the front wheel needs to travel further than the rear – so if both wheels are locked to the engine, the bike will stall or the wheels will slip.
The cleverness of the Rokon design, conceived by Charlie Fehn all those years ago, is based around a shaft drive which travels up to a universal joint under the headstock. From here it travels through an over-ride clutch which allows the front to turn more than the rear, it also disengages the front wheel at full handlebar lock. From here the power is sent down from a sprocket and chain to the front wheel.
While the Rokon Trail-Breaker was the original model, the company now has a number of versions in production aimed at different use-cases. The model family includes the Trail-Breaker, of course, as well as the Ranger, Scout, Fire-Ranger, Mototractor, as well as models specifically for Preppers and Hunters.
The 1969 Rokon Trail-Breaker Shown Here
This 1969 Rokon Trail-Breaker was refurbished in 2025 and acquired by the current seller in 2026, as with most Rokons it’s for off-road use only, as such it does not have a title or registration and will be transferred with a bill of sale.
It’s finished in yellow with black graphics, equipment includes a black sprung solo saddle, a front cargo rack, and a rear cargo platform with an integrated grab handle built into the frame. It also has a hitch mount and a side stand.
This Rokon rides on 15 inch hollow polished aluminum wheels fitted with Goodyear tires. Each wheel can store approximately 4.5 gallons of fuel or water, providing ample onboard storage or flotation capability if left empty. Braking is handled by a mechanical disc brake mounted to the front.
This 1969 Rokon Trail-Breaker was refurbished in 2025 and acquired by the current seller in 2026, as with most Rokons it’s for off-road use only, as such it does not have a title or registration and will be transferred with a bill of sale.
Power comes from a 134cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine with a partially shrouded cylinder head, an open-element air filter, a black-finished exhaust, and both kick and recoil starters. Drive is sent to both wheels via a hand-shifted Albion 3-speed transmission, miter boxes, and chain drive at the front and rear.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Denver, Colorado on Bring a Trailer, and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
