Pics of what you drive around in, in the gold fields.

[Grumpie]

Pics of what you drive around in while in the gold fields.

Just out of pure curiosity, what do you drive around in when out in the desert or mountains looking for gold. I know most are probably using an atv but I'm curious about the 4wd pickups, crossovers and the like.

 

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[Assembler]

Hello
Tote Gote anyone?

 

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[treasuresalvor]

Dirt bike to get places I can't get the truck into and good for prospecting around.

 

[Clay Diggins]

I used to drive a Brum




but I realized if you really want to get back into the remote areas you need much bigger wheels...



Heavy Pans

 

[Assembler]

Hello
Tote Gote anyone?

Just in case anyone is interested one can take the early say 1960-1963 models with 33 1/2 to one gear ratio and easily add a different 35 chain sprocket on the front shaft to make a slow tank (3-10 miles per hour) out of it to tow what ever you want up trails. One will have to weld a tow bar with a ball on the back of the Tote Gote. The traction is not the best with only a single 4.80" x 8 " tractor tire.

 

[Assembler]

Anyone seen or have a Rokon project bike like this?

 

[treasuresalvor]

Anyone seen or have a Rokon project bike like this?View attachment 1487704

They're around but usually expensive. I've seen several old ones for sale. They make newer ones that are more reliable now but kind of a novelty bike. Heavy and slow. I'd like to have one though.

 

[Assembler]

They're around but usually expensive. I've seen several old ones for sale. They make newer ones that are more reliable now but kind of a novelty bike. Heavy and slow. I'd like to have one though.

Is the older Rokon bikes made out of thicker 3/4" tubing like the older Tote Gotes? Yes the older trail bikes are on the heaver side and are for sure slow.
This one does not mind if the bike is slow if towing say heavy equipment. By the way most of the early Tote Gotes are to light on the front axle and one has to add weight. The early 1960 - 63 models have two 3/8" bolt holes on the front fork so it makes it easier to add a welded up rack for say up to 150lbs. of equipment if one likes. The 3/4" tubing (not alloy tubing though like today's bikes) used is not that hard to weld on. The early Tote Gotes bikes looked like they where welded with batteries and have poor welds. For the cost of most Rokon bikes one can do a lot of rebuilding of a older Tote Gote plus build a all aluminum trailer to use for what ever equipment one wants to use out in the field. Next bike however will likely be a Rokon bike of some type, maybe a new one.

 

[Assembler]

Tote Gote.

Hello
8 HP is about all that will fit on the early Tote Gotes. Think this is a 1959 bike?
Again it is easy to add on too the frames like welding on a tow bar especially with any mig welder. If one gears down to around to 50-60 to one gear ratio will turn the bike into a tow bike up to the traction point of the rear wheel.

 

[Kace]

Really a lot of fun.
View attachment 1487677

Love It!! Love All Of The Bikes!!

 

[Assembler]

Love it.

Love It!! Love All Of The Bikes!!

Yes this one as well. The idea of these older, slower, somewhat heaver bikes is that they are far easier to rebuild to the way you like without much cost. For example this one is going to make the Tote Gote with a gear ratio of 55 to one as the tank speed and a smaller highspeed sprocket for open skid roads speed.
The down side is most Tote Gotes have thinner tires unless one installs say a honda 450 rear end and front forks. If one goes on the internet you can find u-tube clips of such.

 

[Assembler]

Yes this one as well. The idea of these older, slower, somewhat heaver bikes is that they are far easier to rebuild to the way you like without much cost. For example this one is going to make the Tote Gote with a gear ratio of 55 to one as the tank speed and a smaller highspeed sprocket for open skid roads speed.
The down side is most Tote Gotes have thinner tires unless one installs say a honda 450 rear end and front forks. If one goes on the internet you can find u-tube clips of such.

The value of a older non running bike can only go up some if fixed up. One can have welded up aluminum racks to really turn into a prospecting 'Mule' or something else. A tow bar is a great feature if nothing else. This one is thinking of mounting a aluminum parallel pantograph arm as a metal detection test stand for sorting rocks. Don't know of anyone doing this yet how ever I'm all ears if you have any ideas.

 

[63bkpkr]

Replacing the original engine with up to a 175 CC Motorcycle Engine with its transmission of course can also be carried out, if one should feel up to it. Take a lot of measurements first though before investing money in the change out engine!.................63bkpkr

Also, they were built to be slow! I mean you do not take a 3' vertical object at 35 mph or even much less. Slow makes balancing critical as the gyroscopic effect of each wheel is very low! Of course this also relates to the load one is carrying.

 

[Assembler]

Replacing the original engine with up to a 175 CC Motorcycle Engine with its transmission of course can also be carried out, if one should feel up to it. Take a lot of measurements first though before investing money in the change out engine!.................63bkpkr

Also, they were built to be slow! I mean you do not take a 3' vertical object at 35 mph or even much less. Slow makes balancing critical as the gyroscopic effect of each wheel is very low! Of course this also relates to the load one is carrying.

Yes one can go look at internet pictures of what others have done with a motorcycle engines and these old bikes. One can also buy off the shelf torque converter kits and bolt on to the engine they want as long as it will fit the bike you have. Most Tote Gote bikes before 1964 have a two shaft gear reduction already on the bike just have to connect a engine with a torque converter kit and this is what this one is doing.
The Tote Gote bikes start to become unsafe above 10-15 MPH anyways. Any trail that has rocks and small wood on it will limit the speed to around 2-5 MPH. Start carrying a load and the speed could be even lower.

 

[Assembler]

Yes one can go look at internet pictures of what others have done with a motorcycle engines and these old bikes. One can also buy off the shelf torque converter kits and bolt on to the engine they want as long as it will fit the bike you have. Most Tote Gote bikes before 1964 have a two shaft gear reduction already on the bike just have to connect a engine with a torque converter kit and this is what this one is doing.
The Tote Gote bikes start to become unsafe above 10-15 MPH anyways. Any trail that has rocks and small wood on it will limit the speed to around 2-5 MPH. Start carrying a load and the speed could be even lower.

Forgot to point out that most of the Tote Gote bikes have way to light front axle and you really need to add weight to the front so as to not do "Wheelies" and better steering handling / braking.

 

[4x4x4]

....my '88 troopy.....
Low and slow ! Only 300K.miles. one inch wider than a Samurai.
30 gallons of water, full galley, solar, 4 wheel disk, rooftop tent with vestibule, racks for tools, spares and reading materials for the honey bucket.
Have installed a personal record of 16 windshields too !
.... Oh yea...heat and air !

 

[4x4x4]

Forgot to point out that most of the Tote Gote bikes have way to light front axle and you really need to add weight to the front so as to not do "Wheelies" and better steering handling / braking.

....Wish pictures of my early ToteGote ... 10hp Kohler that idled with a Harley-like thump, and huge torque/speed/brake transmission.
It was red and had the short seat and two game boxes, one front and one rear.
I pulled the motor and did some Tinkering then re-installed it . I was so eager to test it out , I had forgotten to re-install the throttle clip and spring or re- wire the handlebar kill switch. With my little brother behind me in the larger game box we took off and I mean TOOK OFF as the beast went to full throttle ~24mph ! I began to panic when I realized the kill switch didn't work and I kept getting shocked every time I reached for the grounding spring near the sparkplug! I started barking orders to my brother to "JUMP OFF WHEN WE GET TO THAT BRUSH !" But he'd have none of that ! Approaching the point of no return , I pulled off a shoe and started jamming it against that grounding tab . I finally got the beast stopped and was surprised how far a carburetor float bowl of gas would take us !

Mark.

 

[4x4x4]

We don't have any gold fields here in the Ozark Mountains but after roughly 1,500 hours labor over nearly two years I built this one of a kind street legal rock crawler I call The Mistress. It has a High Pinion Dana 60 front axle from a 79 Ford and a 14 bolt full float rear axle, custom cross over stearing, suspension, 4 wheel disk brakes, 37" tires, and on and on and on. The best part is being able to say I built it myself.

View attachment 1417486View attachment 1417488

....Nice truck/job . I think full floater is next on my rig (I'm on the 2nd set of axle bearings in 300k).

 

[Assembler]

....Wish pictures of my early ToteGote ... 10hp Kohler that idled with a Harley-like thump, and huge torque/speed/brake transmission.
It was red and had the short seat and two game boxes, one front and one rear.
I pulled the motor and did some Tinkering then re-installed it . I was so eager to test it out , I had forgotten to re-install the throttle clip and spring or re- wire the handlebar kill switch. With my little brother behind me in the larger game box we took off and I mean TOOK OFF as the beast went to full throttle ~24mph ! I began to panic when I realized the kill switch didn't work and I kept getting shocked every time I reached for the grounding spring near the sparkplug! I started barking orders to my brother to "JUMP OFF WHEN WE GET TO THAT BRUSH !" But he'd have none of that ! Approaching the point of no return , I pulled off a shoe and started jamming it against that grounding tab . I finally got the beast stopped and was surprised how far a carburetor float bowl of gas would take us !

Mark.

Great story you will never forget 4x4x4. This one had the option of using a 10Hp engine however did not know if it would fit inside the frame so going forward with a 8HP engine still should have some good torque with 55 to one gear ratio low gear. Just going to use as a slow tank to pull up to 500 lb. trailer / crusher.

 

[4x4x4]

Great story you will never forget 4x4x4. This one had the option of using a 10Hp engine however did not know if it would fit inside the frame so going forward with a 8HP engine still should have some good torque with 55 to one gear ratio low gear. Just going to use as a slow tank to pull up to 500 lb. trailer / crusher.

....Had the chance to use a Rokon for a month....that screaming 2 cycle at 5mph wasn't fun....the trials were great fun though!

 

[Assembler]

....Had the chance to use a Rokon for a month....that screaming 2 cycle at 5mph wasn't fun....the trials were great fun though!

Yea a 2 cycle engine can be more noise then some would like. Putting a 4 cycle engine on the Tote Gote. May not have enough muffler will have to try a few things. Will not have to worry about bears and cougars though.