Does anyone else miss 2 stroke sports bikes?
Discussion
I've owned countless 'strokers' and certainly miss bikes like my Suzuki RG500, Yamaha RD500 and Aprilia RS250. There was talk a while ago that modern technology and oil could make 2 strokes viable again. A tough ask i suppose.
I love the simplicity and light weight of a good 2 stroke motor. Having raced a TZ350 water cooled way back when, i never felt 4 strokes seemed right on the track until their development gave us much more compact and powerful engines. Just look at the current R1 motor for example. Incredible power, reliability and efficiency.
Talk of a new 2 stroke seems to have gone again, maybe the pollution thing just cannot be solved but i'd love another stroker. There was batch of road legal sports bikes based on a TZ750 engine made 5 years ago or so which all sold out quickly, in Germany i believe.
Many of us could enjoy one of them on road or especially track. 750cc, 150 bhp, 140 kgs. The lucky few who bought one will be having a load of fun methinks. They were expensive though, £55,000 i seem to recall.
(But then some people spend 250,000 on optional extras alone on a Bugatti Chiron).
I love the simplicity and light weight of a good 2 stroke motor. Having raced a TZ350 water cooled way back when, i never felt 4 strokes seemed right on the track until their development gave us much more compact and powerful engines. Just look at the current R1 motor for example. Incredible power, reliability and efficiency.
Talk of a new 2 stroke seems to have gone again, maybe the pollution thing just cannot be solved but i'd love another stroker. There was batch of road legal sports bikes based on a TZ750 engine made 5 years ago or so which all sold out quickly, in Germany i believe.
Many of us could enjoy one of them on road or especially track. 750cc, 150 bhp, 140 kgs. The lucky few who bought one will be having a load of fun methinks. They were expensive though, £55,000 i seem to recall.
(But then some people spend 250,000 on optional extras alone on a Bugatti Chiron).
Kind of...I'm 58 so grew up riding 2 strokes, last 2 stroke road bike I owned was a RG500, last mxer was an 87 CR250, I recently rode an immaculate and original RD400, and it was a bit meh...I loved my 2 strokes back in the day, but the bikes we have today are just so good to ride, I would love to try a modern 2 stroke road bike, but as far as I'm aware there arn't any.
Grindle said:
There was talk a while ago that modern technology and oil could make 2 strokes viable again. A tough ask i suppose.
I love the simplicity and light weight of a good 2 stroke motor.
KTM recently updated the EXC 2T range with a fuel-injected two stroke that meets Euro4, I keep hoping they'll put that engine into an RC for an RC300 TPII love the simplicity and light weight of a good 2 stroke motor.
Yep. Obviously chassis & brake technology has come on a long way, but I love the old 2-strokes.. They took work and effort to get the most out of them.. Personally, I think we've got obsessed by rider aids and chasing lap-time figures and along the way we've lost a large chunk of the challenge and the simplicity..
Something along the lines of the new 'super-twin' sized bike with a modern 2-stroke engine would suit me fine.. (and no, not the V-Due)
Something along the lines of the new 'super-twin' sized bike with a modern 2-stroke engine would suit me fine.. (and no, not the V-Due)
I do...but as a occasional summer blast. I raced them as mx bikes through the 1990's and after a 10 year gap from racing got another 2 x 250 smokers alongside my 450 thumper. Ive had a lot of new at the time mx 2 strokes from 80cc to 250cc
As road bikes I only ever had an Aprilia RX50 which I put 13,000km in a year. It was great at 16 but the carb would freeze in the winter and my clothes would smell of 2 stroke. It was my only form of transport so I loved it but that bit wasn't so good
If I had one now it would be different as Id be specifically going out for a ride in my leathers
I still have in the garage a fully restored 1997 last of the steel frame 6 speed CR125 and currently getting rebuilt 2 Maico's my dad raced in the '70s (440 and 490)
OK not road but thats my bit to 2 strokes
As road bikes I only ever had an Aprilia RX50 which I put 13,000km in a year. It was great at 16 but the carb would freeze in the winter and my clothes would smell of 2 stroke. It was my only form of transport so I loved it but that bit wasn't so good
If I had one now it would be different as Id be specifically going out for a ride in my leathers
I still have in the garage a fully restored 1997 last of the steel frame 6 speed CR125 and currently getting rebuilt 2 Maico's my dad raced in the '70s (440 and 490)
OK not road but thats my bit to 2 strokes
NS400R said:
Some of us still have them alongside a modern bike. There's 3 in the garage. I took this on the Old Gits trip to Italy this year. I didn't miss the Fireblade.
...on a trailer 
The 4-strokes got ridden all the way down...and back.
Pring-ting-ting-ting-ting
all in jest - your NS400 is a pretty stunning piece of kit.
thatdude said:
No.
They sound horrible, smell horrible, need more maintenance and pollute excessively. Their only saving graces are their general simplicity and potentially lighter weight when compared with 4-strokes.
Anything more than 2 strokes is a wThey sound horrible, smell horrible, need more maintenance and pollute excessively. Their only saving graces are their general simplicity and potentially lighter weight when compared with 4-strokes.
k!But nostalgia/rose-tinted glasses aside, I'm with thatdude - much prefer a good 4-stroke.
PeterGadsby said:
I really do miss 2-strokes.....
I had in the day a brand new Yamaha RD350 YPVS F1, and absolutely loved it. In black it went like the clappers in the power band. Probably wasn't that fast, but certainly felt it.
Would love to have another one, but prices have massively risen.
- Pete
First thing I did after passing my test was go and buy a YPVS. It had a Kenny Roberts paint job to start with, but I soon started modding it with a Stan Stephens Stage 3 tune, a set of his expansion pipes, braced JMC swingarm (complete overkill I had in the day a brand new Yamaha RD350 YPVS F1, and absolutely loved it. In black it went like the clappers in the power band. Probably wasn't that fast, but certainly felt it.
Would love to have another one, but prices have massively risen.
- Pete
), twin Bates headlights, Koni shock on the back and uprated springs in the forks. It was completely mental and didn't get into the proper power band until past 9k. I loved it to bits, but it was completely impractical and needed an engine rebuild every 6 months ! Absolutely love em! Never had the privelage of owning a quick one (my fastest was a RD125LC) but rode a few different higher powered strokers. They deliver power in a way that nothing else does and they just have a certain crispness about them. I don't think they will make a return on the roads, can you see them passing Euro 5!?
tvrolet said:
...on a trailer
The 4-strokes got ridden all the way down...and back.
Pring-ting-ting-ting-ting
all in jest - your NS400 is a pretty stunning piece of kit.
😂 You know I never ride a bike down. First class on the motorway - comfort, aircon dry etc. We need the car to return your fallen comrades to the UK The 4-strokes got ridden all the way down...and back.
Pring-ting-ting-ting-ting
all in jest - your NS400 is a pretty stunning piece of kit.
Still did brilliant 1,500 miles between riding the B500 and racing around Cortina on the NS. The petrol cost was horrific but the bike was faultless which is saying something for a 31 year old bike.
I've never had a two stroke sports bike (had a couple of 2T dirt bikes when I was a kid). Wanted to get a V-Due when they were announced but they ended up at 916SP money here in Australia and that was too much for me. Hoped that Aprilia would bring out a road version of the 500cc V-twin but they never did. The fuel injection thing didn't do much and various other factors around markets (or lack thereof) look to have sealed the fate of a two stroke sportsbike. I'm sure technology could produce a storming bike with V4 Panigale R matching power-to-weight for GSXR money but it'd be something which no one would end up buying....
Still have my RS250 track bike and despite it costing me a titanium wrist and fooked ankle I love the bloody thing!!
Also got my 2T trials bikes and if a decent 2T road bike came out I’d be first in line.
Back in the day I was a Suzuki X7 fan but had the obligatory KH’s and an RD 400 which was nice. One of my favorite bikes was a teeny Suzi GP100. Bought as a runabout while I fixed my forever exploding KH, the little 100cc rotary valve motor was a peach. Until I blew it up running pure octane booster. If a little is good, a lot must be better right??
All dog slow by today’s standard but great fun to hustle along keeping the motor on the boil and with your finger hovering over the clutch!! (Still ride like that today!!)
Also got my 2T trials bikes and if a decent 2T road bike came out I’d be first in line.
Back in the day I was a Suzuki X7 fan but had the obligatory KH’s and an RD 400 which was nice. One of my favorite bikes was a teeny Suzi GP100. Bought as a runabout while I fixed my forever exploding KH, the little 100cc rotary valve motor was a peach. Until I blew it up running pure octane booster. If a little is good, a lot must be better right??
All dog slow by today’s standard but great fun to hustle along keeping the motor on the boil and with your finger hovering over the clutch!! (Still ride like that today!!)
Edited by Steve Bass on Saturday 10th August 05:38
I think the realistic answer to the OP's question is no.
The last major hurrah for the 2 stroke sportsbike saw the RG500, RD500 & NS400. None of them sold many. Yamaha and Suzuki had to repaint them in Marlboro/Pepsi/Skoal colours just to get rid of them.
Back in 85, given the choice between an RG500 or the GSXR750, the 750 was the clear winner with good reason. Some countries declined to import the RG as sales would have been non existent.
The last major hurrah for the 2 stroke sportsbike saw the RG500, RD500 & NS400. None of them sold many. Yamaha and Suzuki had to repaint them in Marlboro/Pepsi/Skoal colours just to get rid of them.
Back in 85, given the choice between an RG500 or the GSXR750, the 750 was the clear winner with good reason. Some countries declined to import the RG as sales would have been non existent.
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