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Wakan’s founder, Joel Domergue had a passion for motorcycles as well as bicycles. Left unimpressed by a bicycle his parents had given him as a present, Domergue decided to build his own. His parents’ present did not have all the features that Domergue considered important on a bicycle. Since the ripe old age of 15, Joel’s bicycles, as well as motorcycles, had to meet his exacting standards. Therefore, he would later them himself and add the features that he considered necessary. His passion for cycles informed his desire to build his own motorcycle company.

Domergue spent thirteen years working as an engineer in the nuclear industry. He then decided to make his dreams come true and launched his first motorcycle factory which he named Scorpa. It quickly gained success selling about 6,000 motorcycles globally. Scorpa motorcycles also performed well in competitions winning numerous races in the World Trials Championships as well as 1998’s Scottish Six Day Trial in with Graham Jarvis riding a Scorpa motorcycle.

The company was able to promote and sell its motorcycles all over the world primarily through local companies. In Japan, for instance, the company worked with four local companies to gain access to the local market. This was a first as far as marketing strategies are concerned and it worked surprisingly well for Joel Domergue and his company.

In 2003, Joel Domergue resigned as the president of Scorpa and sold the company. He wanted to build his a roadster which was his dream bike. He then set out to work collaborating with various companies such as the US-based S&S. Finally, he 2005, he launched his first roadster prototype. In another year, Domergue introduced not only three brand new motorcycles but also a new company which he named WAKAN.

The ensuing years were significant for Domergue’s new company as consumer expectations were pretty high. Bike enthusiasts were holding their collective breath for the contemporary and high-performance motorcycle that Joel Domergue had in mind. They expected it to be quite advanced.

Joel Domergue’s new company introduced two different versions of Road and Racing, a 1640 motorcycle. Each version came with the following features: OHC, air-cooled, 45-degrees V-twin, four-stroke, and four valves per cylinder engines.