Does anyone else miss 2 stroke sports bikes?

[Rob 131 Sport]

black-k1 said:

Biker's Nemesis said:

You forgot about me touring on my 350 ypvs back in 1989. Northumberland to Dover. Dover to Antibes then into and around Italy, back to watch the Bol, then back to Antibes (South of France) then back home.

120 miles between fuel stops isn't bad either. Only problem was a puncture outside of Paris on the return journey.

You're right, I forgot your run to the Med.

podman said:

Nobody even tried?

Your memory is a little different to mine ...have a look at any old clips of big bike meets home and abroad from back in the day and there where plenty of folks over at Assen or the Bol on their RDs , KHs and what have you...



We only tended to own one bike back then and that had to do everything...

If you know the scene a little , you’d know plenty of folk are out there touring on their 2 strokes every Summer , my friend just sent me this , he’s on his way back from Germany at the mo on his GT750...



One of my other friends is riding his 350LC to Portugal at the moment from Bedfordshire...the 2 T tour is still very much a thing...

I'm glad to hear people are still using them and touring on them. My memory (from about '79 on) was that there were very few 2 strokes touring. An occasional RD350LC with tent and luggage somehow bungee'd to the back but they were rare and never looked particularly far from home. I certainly never saw any of the bigger 500cc+ 2 strokes obviously off on holiday where I did see lots of 4 stroke 500cc+ sports bikes with luggage and pillion on French roads.

As you say, most people could only afford 1 bike back then and it was often a form of transport first and a toy second. increased practicality of the 4 stroke bikes along with lots of other circumstances were all nails in the 2 stroke sports bike coffin.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s you would see many a UK Plated Suzuki RG500 touring around Continental Europe. They were actually quite a comfortable bike.