7 two-wheel drive motorcycles

1. Taurus 2WD
Looking remarkably similar to the Rokon 2WD bike of the 1960s, the Russian-built Taurus is a small, lightweight and collapsible all-terrain vehicle. Designed to go pretty much anywhere, the Taurus uses large 12-inch balloon tyres which measure over 60cm wide. It’s powered by a choice of either a small-capacity chainsaw engine or a 210cc Honda four-stroke and, depending on the chosen power plant, weighs between 50kg and 90kg, ready to ride. Perhaps more ingenuous than the basic 2WD system is the bike’s ability to be broken down quickly into separate pieces for ease of transporting it around.

2. Christini AWD
Possibly the most well-known name in two-wheel drive motorcycling is Christini. The American brand offers six different Christini-branded AWD off-road bikes of its own, as well as conversion kits which can be retrofitted to most dirtbikes. The Christini concept differs from most other 2WD machines in that, when actuated, the front wheel will only begin driving when the rear wheel loses traction. According to the brand this not only gives the rider improved traction when it’s most needed, but gives a more intuitive feel as well as significantly improving tyre life. Speaking of tyres, or lack thereof, the American brand has recently unveiled an AWD snow-going machine based around a dirtbike.

3. Drysdale 2x2x2
Australians can’t think about two-wheel drive motorcycles without thinking of our very own green and gold contraption built by genius engineer Ian Drysdale. The Drysdale 2x2x2 was built 27 years ago by a fresh-out-of university Drysdale who not only created a 2WD machine, but he created a 2WD motorcycle that boasted two-wheel steering, too. If that wasn’t enough for a young bloke to achieve, he designed and built the 250cc two-stroke that would power it. The genius, if you still need convincing, is that the power to the wheels and the actuation of the power-assisted steering all happened by way of a series of complex hydraulics. Why? Cos he can. Related reading: Drysdale V8

4. Wunderlich BMW R 1200 GS
Just over two years ago, BMW touring accessory specialist Wunderlich made what is arguably the world’s most popular adventure bike arguably more capable when it released a BMW R 1200 GS concept featuring 2WD. Partnering with an Italian mob which specialises in electric motors, the Wunderlich BMW R 1200 GS used hub-mounted electric power to turn the conventional shaft-driven bike into a two-wheel drive affair. The bike also used regenerative braking system to keep the battery charged to power the front-wheel drive system.

5. Yamaha PES2
It was at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the international show known for its weird and wonderful concepts, that Yamaha unveiled two versions of electric-powered machines. There was on off-road version (called the PED2) as well as the PES2 road-oriented sportsbike and, while 2WD is widely regarded as a traction advantage for off-road machines, it was the only road-going version that benefitted from the technology. Using the same idea as the Wunderlich-built BMW, the front wheel’s power was by way of a hub-mounted electric motor which complemented the rear wheel’s belt drive. Despite being unveiled in Tokyo, both bikes were widely understood to be set for the production line, though it soon became apparent the Japanese manufacturer had shelved production plans. For now, at least.

6. Suzuki Nuda concept
Suzuki stunned the biking world over 30 years ago when it unveiled a working 2WD prototype at the 1986 Tokyo Motor Show. Dubbed the Nuda, it was powered by an inline four-cylinder GSX-R750 which transferred power to both the front and rear wheel and was said to be good for a top speed of 280km/h. Despite its moniker, it was a totally enclosed sportsbike boasting a single-sided swingarm at the rear matched by a hub-centred steering affair at the front.

7. Yamaha WR450F 2-Trac
While the Japanese firm’s 2WD PES2 didn’t make production as many anticipated, Yamaha did offer a production version of a two-wheel drive off-roader back in the early 2000s, when it released a limited number of the WR450F 2-Trac for competition use only. The 2WD system was a result of a collaboration between Yamaha and Öhlins and it proved its mettle when David Frétigné took honours in the 450cc class as a rookie racing in the 2004 edition of the Dakar Rally. In fact, back then, the Dakar had machines up to 950cc competing in the gruelling event and the Frenchman won three stages outright to end the event in seventh overall.