Rooke Customs' Scrambler 450

Custom scrambler with dirt bike guts

I love an unclassifiable motorcycle. One that's not a chopper or a bobber, definitely not a cafe, but different from any scrambler we've seen. It's between the lines of moto customization that this little jackrabbit lies. A custom creation possible nowhere other than the mind and garage of Jesse Rooke.

Rooke's shop looks like every adrenaline junky's dream. A custom Polaris RZR perched high above the entry, choppers in one corner, raced-out Sportsters in another, and by the door sat a row of dirt bikes with this little gem tucked in the lineup. This crazy little bobber-scrambler-brat with a CRF 450 engine and a Unicam head. I have always had a soft spot for thumpers (single cylinder engines) as they tend to be incredibly lightweight and very torque-rich, and this beast just sang to me.

Kickstart only and weighing in under 300 pounds, it's hard not to spin some tire or pick up the front end while taking off. This bike doesn't have the highest top speed, but it takes off like a rocket and stops on a dime. The hand-done paint and dirt bike/ rugged components make you want to take this thing out and beat the crap out of it. It just looks like it would handle whatever you can throw it's way without breaking a sweat, and it can.

The idea with this bike is that Jesse can sell the frame as a sort of kit, he called it a father-son project. If the dad has an old dirt bike (or a newer one), he could call up Rooke, get the frame and the wheels and some other components, mount the dirt bike engine in it, have the wheels put on the stock hubs, transfer over electrical and suspension components and bada-bing! You've got yourself an incredible looking and riding little jammer. Hopefully he brings this idea to fruition, as we love the concept and we love the bike!

To see more of Rooke's Custom bikes, check out his website RookeCustoms.com