2 strokes; Noisy smelly unreliable things or the very soul of motorcycling?

[Cousin Jack]

Nothing quite like the simplicity of a 2 stroke. A mate had an old Bantam that he ran at full throttle everywhere. More than once it seized, so he stopped, whipped the head off, hammered the piston free with a block of wood, replaced the head and off again.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah there's a reason they use them in Chainsaws

[Ian]

More than once it seized, so he stopped, whipped the head off, hammered the piston free with a block of wood, replaced the head and off again.

They also had close fitting crankcases to keep crankcase compression up which meant that once I snapped a big end pin and still rode a mile or so home with the crank kept roughly in line by the cases

To be fair I was running it on methanol and massively over revving it

I had a necklace of holed pistons too

[MingtheMerciless]

I had great fun on my KR1-S. Very fast, annihilated my mates CBR400. I got stopped by a Police Jag at the top of the M23 in Hooley, opening line from the coppers was "WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER A 140 SINCE GATWICK TRYING TO CATCH YOU"

I didn't have the heart to tell them I'd backed off the last few miles as it was running hot.

"That's just a 250 isn't it?"

"Yes"

"FUCK!"

It was even quicker after Graham File rebuilt it with TZ pistons after it went pop.

[ChrisW]

opening line from the coppers was "WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER A 140 SINCE GATWICK TRYING TO CATCH YOU"

Hehe - I had something like that once when I was blatting down the bypass in an XR2 on the way home at 2 in the morning - when the police in the SD1 caught up whilst I was 'lights dark' on a side road all they wanted was a chat and a look under the bonnet.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I see plenty of two strokes at work - in ships and trains.

Anyway, two stroke motorcycles, they can be the greatest thing ever made when they're running right, and complete barstards 5 minutes later when atmospheric conditions change, race RGVs are especially bad for this, when they're crisp, they're crisp, when they're not, they're not.
YPVS350 is probably the easiest 1980s engine to live with, easy to get 70bhp out of and they're still rideable, if you want to spend the money you can get 100bhp out of them, this is an engine and gearbox that one very average 57 year old man can pick up and put in the frame.
The last 500cc Grand Prix bikes were over 220bhp, that's 440bhp per litre, not bad for a 20 year old engine, better than a current 1000cc MotoGP bike.

Are they the greatest motorcycle engine ever, no, the engine in my CB1000R is way better than any two stroke I've ridden.

[Sunny]

They're a thing of the past from my POV, never been "current" for me and therefore a bit outdated and shite.

Plus they always look and smell like they're broken

You're around the same age as Bob and I aren't you? Or did you start late?

I passed my test 2 days after my 17th Birthday in 2001. Back then, IIRC, you could just about still buy a Honda NSR125 and also the Aprilias and Cagiva Mito. And obviously a load of "dirt bikes" for want of a better term.

For me it was all about Jap 400s etc.

Same. (Well, I was 21 in 2001, so close enough ). I was obsessed with Jap 400s

I remember Slapper back in VD days had a KR1S, before her NC30. Years later she was getting rid of it in boxes, and I'd have bought it, not because I knew anything about them, just because I fancied a project, but Muz talked me out of it

[Skub]

I remember Slapper back in VD days had a KR1S, before her NC30. Years later she was getting rid of it in boxes, and I'd have bought it, not because I knew anything about them, just because I fancied a project, but Muz talked me out of it

Punish him every waking moment for that one.

[roadster]

Here is my favourite from the 1970s. A twin cylinder Yamaha 125 which ran rings around the stodgy British four strokes on the road even with only a quarter of their cc's.

Ducati450-Yamaha125.jpg (199.72 KiB) Viewed 638 times

On the left is a Ducati 450 racer.

The Yamaha was last known to DVLA in 1997 - I hope its still around.

[Sunny]

I remember Slapper back in VD days had a KR1S, before her NC30. Years later she was getting rid of it in boxes, and I'd have bought it, not because I knew anything about them, just because I fancied a project, but Muz talked me out of it

Punish him every waking moment for that one.

To be fair, I've always got some kind of project on the go, so it'd probably still be in boxes if I had.
The one project I regret selling on because of time constraints and lack of funds was a Mini pickup - they're so rare, and it was so cool, but I was 21 and skint

[Skub]

To be fair, I've always got some kind of project on the go, so it'd probably still be in boxes if I had.
The one project I regret selling on because of time constraints and lack of funds was a Mini pickup - they're so rare, and it was so cool, but I was 21 and skint

Pah,nothing the odd £20k wouldn't sort....
https://www.carandclassic.com/list/3/mini+pickup/

[asmethurst99]

I remember Slapper back in VD days had a KR1S, before her NC30. Years later she was getting rid of it in boxes, and I'd have bought it, not because I knew anything about them, just because I fancied a project, but Muz talked me out of it

Punish him every waking moment for that one.

To be fair, I've always got some kind of project on the go, so it'd probably still be in boxes if I had.
The one project I regret selling on because of time constraints and lack of funds was a Mini pickup - they're so rare, and it was so cool, but I was 21 and skint

I used to get a lift home from college in one - it was like a go kart

[Buckaroo]

My favourite 2 stroke was my RD125LC YPVS. I bought it new, without the YPVS kit and a bikini fairing. Somehow, and I can't remember how, I ended up getting friendly with Yamaha racing UK. The guys helped me buy the YPVS direct from Japan. This really pissed off the stealer and he threatened to exact some physical violence on me for not dealing through him. Numerous go forth and multiply later, I left and never went back to this day. Anyway, with a full fairing, better reed valve, modified end can and the ypvs, it flew for a small bike. I kept it for many years before a young lad from Ireland bought it to race. I never had any issues with it at all and used it all year round.

I have owned a few Suzuki Hustlers and other Yamaha strokers but the RD was my favourite.

[Ian]

I've had all sorts GT185, KH250, YDS7, RD250, LC350, RG500 my favourite is a H1 I should get one of mine back on the road but four strokes are too easy and I'm too lazy

[Taipan]

I remember Slapper back in VD days had a KR1S, before her NC30. Years later she was getting rid of it in boxes, and I'd have bought it, not because I knew anything about them, just because I fancied a project, but Muz talked me out of it

Punish him every waking moment for that one.

To be fair, I've always got some kind of project on the go, so it'd probably still be in boxes if I had.
The one project I regret selling on because of time constraints and lack of funds was a Mini pickup - they're so rare, and it was so cool, but I was 21 and skint

I drove one from sarf Essex to Leicester to pick up a yank v8 engine and then drove straight back again. That was in 1980 and my back still isn't over it yet!

[The Spin Doctor]

I drove one from sarf Essex to Leicester to pick up a yank v8 engine and then drove straight back again. That was in 1980 and my back still isn't over it yet!

I'm surprised it didn't fall straight through the bottom!

[demographic]

I had great fun on my KR1-S. Very fast, annihilated my mates CBR400. I got stopped by a Police Jag at the top of the M23 in Hooley, opening line from the coppers was "WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER A 140 SINCE GATWICK TRYING TO CATCH YOU"

I didn't have the heart to tell them I'd backed off the last few miles as it was running hot.

"That's just a 250 isn't it?"

"Yes"

"FUCK!"

It was even quicker after Graham File rebuilt it with TZ pistons after it went pop.

Jag speedos eh? Optimistic as feck.

[weeksy]

[Skub]

Nice crackle.

[Yorick]

Nice crackle.

And pop

Couldn't resist