There are a lot of comments questioning my geographical knowledge at 10:42 when I said California is the largest state. On the screen at 10:47 appears the text " Largest by population," clarifying what I meant. I was surprised so many people did not see the text. It is on there for a good 5 seconds.
by land mass no,,, by population WELL,,,, Their all coming to ATX and screwing it up now,,,, go home people, Texas will be ok without your nonsense and we texans like our 2 strokes
I wish everyone that has thrown a leg over a dirt bike could see this , join together and bring back the 2 - stroke ! I love the 2- stroke . Bring them back .
The irony is Yamaha is one of the last Japanese manufacturers still making two strokes (YZ and YZ-X models), and is still evolving these models albeit very slowly by comparison to Euro 2T manufacturers (Beta, KTM, etc, etc). Now that KTM has gone with throttle body injection and the latest Euro emission standards are being met even by other Euro brands running carbs still its going to be an interesting future for 2Ts. Certainly the market demand for 2Ts has exploded in recent time despite all the 4T hype of the last 20-odd years.
Indeed, it's ironic that Yamaha is responsible for doing it, yet they also seem to redeem themselves by still making 2 strokes. Hope they will also follow KTM's mark in using fuel injection.
Yeah I just picked up a 2023 yz125x thing rips and it's a 6 speed thing is scary fast and I'm hoping of a crf250rx the 2 stroke is a bad bitch I was going to get the 250x I'm glad I went with the 125x for my 2 stroke next I'm going to try to get my hands on a rmz250 😜
@@samuelhoffman6804 you should use yamlube r full 100% synthetic two stroke oil in your pre-mix at 50 : 1 ..its eazy to do that is a pint of oil in a five gallon can of gasoline is 50 : 1 ...and you can tear down your engine after a month of sunday motos checking for wear and there wont be any ..as a matter of fact it will look its never been started . There wont be any carbon inside the motor at all,,the piston ring will look brand new with mill marks on it from the time it made ....it aint magic Synthetic oil has all of its molecules are made to the same size ....regular oil is not ...and a blend is even worse as the synthetic molecules will try and carry all the load the petroleum oil mix in will build up on stuff like the power valve until its clogged ...use the 100% synthetic and pay the extra bit for it..its cheaper than loosing horsepower. And i almost forgot. When you look inside for the first time and every time .make sure the edges of all the ports are. Slightly rounded off like the edge of a butter knife .if they ever wear down and become sharp they will cut into the piston and chew up the piston ring. That is why you see other guys buying pistons every other week ...and it probly has a nikasil coated cylinder so becareful rounding down the port not to chip the nikasil its real brittle stuff so dont use files just wet sand paper
I'm 57 yrs old and have been riding since I was 10 yrs old. First bike was a '71 Honda SL 70. Loved the bike because it was my first, but it wasn't until 1978 when my best buddy got a YZ80 and I was totally blown away at the sound and quickness when you got on the power band. I was hooked because it just sounded so badass. I'll take buzz over thump any day!
I am about the same age as you and my first bike was an SL 70 that my uncle gave me. And what a coincidence, my mate had a YZ80 and he thought he was king shit with this, but it was shit hot! So a little later I got hold of a Montessa Capra 250 which scared the he'll out of me but I got used to it. Now I was king shit because none of my mates had the guts to kick start this beast. The sound of that 2 stroke was wild. Much better than a thumper.
been there done that nothing yanks like a 2 stroke on the pipe. I love all bikes but 2 strokes are the best light fast nimble dirt or street. best street bike I ever rode and I rode many from 400 four honda super sport to zx10 and many in between most fun was friend rz 350 back yrs ago. Not the fastest but I could not stop grinning when on it, easy wheelies fast in turns and the sound was like listening to a Beethoven symphony
I'm 55yrs old and mine was a Honda Mini-Trail 50 & I currently own a Honda CR250R. I clearly remember our neighbors screaming around in the mid 1970's on they're 2 strokes. My dad said then "it sounds like a mad bee in a gourd" and it did and still does. Long live the 2 stroke dirt bike.
Back in 2015 I bought a two stroke as my first bike,a 1994 Aprilia Red Rose Classic. Interestingly,it's not a dirt bike or a sports bike,but actually one of the few two stroke cruiser models made. I learned to ride on that bike,to use a clutch and shift gears,rode it around town,had a lot of fun,and unfortunately had my first (and so far only) crash. It was a great first bike,wish it and other two strokes were still being made.
When I was 12 I had a YZ 80. Now, 37 years later I have a 250 SX. 2-stroke is what I grew up with and I still love everything about them! Sound, smell, thrill! ♥
Thankful that I live on the perimeter of Windrock and they don't care what you ride as long as you have purchased land use permit Literally one mile on asphalt(which is legal on off road motorcycle) and I'm right in the back door of 76000 acres of killer riding
Grew up on an IT175 and then joined the service. Life happened and didn't ride for about 30 years then within about the last year or so I'm getting back riding and I actually still have my old girl and am rebuilding it. What blew my mind was like the 2-strokes disappeared! I couldn't believe my eyes and ears for that matter. These four strokes to me just sound like a bunch of flatulence going around the track! It's very hard for me to used to. I'll always be a 2-stroke man. Also...F the politicians as well.
Even a small displacement 2-stroke is a total BLAST to ride! I have a rare vintage HONDA MB5 50cc 2-stroke, which was sold in the USA for one year only (1982). It's got a 5-speed manual, 7.1 HP, and a sweet powerband that will hit 55 mph! It sounds like a chain saw on steroids, and the stares, comments, and money offers I get are akin to a rock star's! Anywho, I have more pure FUN riding this little engineering marvel than I do my much larger displacement bikes!
I am still in my teen years and I love to hear older people’s experiences growing up around dirt bikes because I have grown up loving bikes but never being allowed to get one. Now I am building my own dirt bike in my school shop class out of an old engine and bicycle frame. I wish it was a 2-stroke but it is still better than pedaling. Thanks everyone for telling your stories, I enjoy reading them.
Aye you just gotta start somewhere. Just like he mentioned in the video the sport itself has become expensive. My first bike was Yamaha 225 ttr. My brother in law bought it. It sat around for years then he gave it to me told me it would never run etc. the electric start cable was disconnected. Hooked that up 500$ later after some other stuff and before you knew it I was taring up dirt lol. You don’t have to shoot for the newest either. I’ve come across alot of used bikes that had decent owners that were going cheap. My same bike that I pretty much paid 500$ for is now worth 2k. What’s funny is my brother in law bought it brand spanking new in 2002 for 1800$ and now it’s worth 200$ more as it sits in the shed at the lake😂😂
Great video. My kid wanted to get into motorcycles and I said Ok and figured I would get back into them (at 54). Started easy not thinking I would catch the bug again, boy was I wrong. He wanted to get into street riding, I said you have to learn in the dirt. I bought a KLX300 and a KLX230. Good for trail riding, did suspension and tires to extend trail capability, just not enough. Picked up two 2023 Beta 200RRs, the best part is I was able to plate them in NY, so connecting trails won't be illegal. Absolutely love the Betas, and really glad to be back on a 2 stroke. Best part is he lost interest in getting a street bike and loves the dirt riding, and totally loves the two stroke.
Get a set of supermoto wheels to ride on the street, it’s really fun just messing around doing wheelies and not that dangerous because you can’t go faster than 100 mph
Get a set of supermoto wheels to ride on the street, it’s really fun just messing around doing wheelies and not that dangerous because you can’t go faster than 100 mph
I used to work at Pasadena Honda. They didn't make money selling bikes, they made money fixing bikes. Anything that could make it harder for the average rider to work on their own bike was music to the manufactures ears.
they did the same thing in the car business,i remember the training center saying,we will get rid of the backyard mechanics,they want their cars fixed,they come to us,at 115.00 per hour,CADILLAC first ones with that rate over the door,now they can't sell nothing,priced out of the market,destroying the design of the two stroke was nuts,now they don't repair cars or sell many,who wants a car with 28 sensors and 9 modules on it,and where do you get parts when its 5 years older,not pick n pull------suzuki 80 hillbilly was the best backwoods two stroke ever made,it'd even haul out a deer on its rear carrier,4 LOW SPEEDS,FLICK A LEVER AND 4 HIGH SPEEDS WE HAVE WENT BACKWARDS AND THE VIEW AIN'T PRETTY
@@strattunerodules have to be programmed to the vehicle. Even if you bought it at pick and pull you still need to pay someone to program it. Utter bullshit.
@@strattuner why I WOULD NEVER BUY A CADILLAC, my sister was quoted $500 labour to change her headlight bulbs from dealer and a garage so I get stuck doing it for 2 hours. I just changed a signal light in my VW took 5 seconds and no tools just fingers.
A couple of years after the 4stroke came, almost all smaller tracks started to shut down because of the increased noise. At least here in Sweden, Europe.
Im always shocked at how quickly 4 strokes replaced 2 strokes. One year (2005 I think) there was one 4 stroke at the starting line of the Seattle SuperCross (piloted by Jimmy Button, I think). The next year it was one 2 stroke when the gate dropped. Completely replaced in 1 year. . .and no one even talks about the utter decimation of the 125 class and the style of riding required to go fast on one.....
i remember as a kid riding an early Suzuki RM125 (maybe 81') and we were all blown away by the power and speed of this beast. It was unstoppable. Those early days made me a true believer in 2-strokes. nice video!
Nice video, the 2 stoke engine has always held a special place in my heart. I love the sound, the smell, the incredible snappy throttle response. When growing up as a teen in the 80’s everyone dreamed of owning a Yamaha YZ, Kawasaki KZ or a beautiful red Honda CR. Although I’ve never owned a straight dirt bike, I did own a Suzuki LT250R Quad. This quad was 250cc water cooled 2 stroke with 6 speed manual clutch with thumb throttle. This 2 stoke quad was sooo much fun! I swear I could probably go from 0-55 in about 4 seconds. I had so much fun on the dunes in Silver Lake in Michigan many years ago on this quad. I miss 2 stoke motorcycles quads, etc. Long live the 2 Stoke engine!! We adore you ❤️
Total truth. Politicians are the true enemies. I’m 54yrs. I ride a 2022 CRF450RX, I love it but if Honda brought back the CR250 I will purchase said 2 stroke. I remember very well my 2 stroke years when I was young and dumb but had one hell of a good time.
They did the same thing to the venerable 2-stroke outboard. Toward the end engines like the OptiMax with fuel and oil injection were hardly making any more smoke or using any more fuel than a 4 stroke, but yet we ended up with car engines in the boats and a whole host of new problems. You can get 4 stroke outboards now, and they are pretty amazing, but if you ever have to rebuild it, whew, it's a whole new level of complex.
I do miss the old merc towers and jonnyrude v engines they always sounded amazing at the lake but folks now seem to disregard the 2 strokes saying their 4s are just as fast but I'll tell ya what my merc 70 triple will outrun most of the boats with 90 4strokes pretty easily and get on plain faster but I think that has alot to do with weight too my old starcraft is a light hull and the motor is pretty light too at least compared to modern glass boats and the injected 4 strokes on them
@@zZWolfyZz I think at equal horsepower a 2 stroke is faster out of the hole. They have a fatter power curve. The weight is also a huge issue on plane because a heavier engine means a heavier hull to float it and it all has to "fly" on the water. But at 5 mpg the argument for the 30% efficiency increase of the 4 strokes is a strong one, minus the loses from the weight. Of course the fuel injected two strokes more or less eliminated the fuel pass through so they were in some ways ideal for marine applications. All gone now though.
@@zZWolfyZz you will never get the same power in the same amount of cc as in a 2 stroke, your right about the additional weight too. The only disadvantage I see for boats is for the same amount of hp the 2 stroke seems more thirsty
Thank you for your California take on two stroke dirt bikes. I live in Buffalo and they always worked great here because it's cool they can make tons of power and not overheat. Two stroke engines benefit from cool air induction, especially if it's under more pressure as the bike accelerates.
@@barrydworak The big snow you hear about melts several days later and doesn't happen often. It's usually mild here. If you like to ride dirt bikes in the mud there's no better place than upstate NY.
I grew up riding 2 strokes in the 70s. Some of us could tell oil brand by the exhaust smell. I was a 40:1 synth Klotz man in my Suzuki. Agree with your conclusion. Those angry bees at the end brought a big grin of delight. Thanks from Colorado.
I will never forget the smell inside the Astrodome during Supercross when I was a kid. Fell in love with the sound and smell then and it never left me.
Great vid bro. I learned on 2 smokes cuz that’s all we had back in early 90’s. Now I’m actually looking to get back into it and I’m most definitely looking to buy a 2 smoke. Mixxin gas and haulin ass is all I know.
I remember having to drag start my CR500 because after the rebuild the compression was so high. Never maxed out the bike on the trails. Had power band feel in every gear. And definitely wheelie in any gear.
I had a Maico 490, only ever maxed it out once on Enduro gearing. (Bike had been modified for a professional racer to compete in the 1980 Le Touquet Beach Race in France) Took it home and fitted larger rear sprocket plus a smaller front, doubt it would do 90mph afterwards? Over revving in top gear worked out around 130mph, way too fast for a firebreak in the woods!
I had 1 to would have killed myself if I didn't get rid of it traded for a cbr 900 and well almost killed myself on that also now I have a 1998 kx250 and I hope I don't kill myself again damit
I really miss all 2 strokes! Even though the cops in my area use to bust only the poor 2 stroke riders, they could pick us out because the sound of the exhaust. Dirt bikes in my area dyed out when no one could afford either fix there new bike or get parts for the old ones. :( Just like cars and trucks to day!
To add to the story: Yes the YZ400F was important, the reality was This started years before. Clinton had put two strokes on the chopping block by '06 Gone, Finito. The EPA had rules for Non-road bikes, including competition that were drafted in '95 So, the industry knew something had to change. Yamaha jumped first, used the Works rule and everyone laughed thinking it would be a XR600 slow and heavy turtle. That was until the Las Vegas Supercross everyone stopped laughing. Enter Geo Bush, he changed laws that affected the EPA rule and changing the deadline. Too late, everyone was tooling up. The 400/426 was easy to race and ride. By the time the CRF450 hit the dirt, then RMZ it was done. 2002 Motocross gates were fully red, 2005 jumped to yellow. By 2010 we all missed the simplicity of Two Stokes and it was too late. Next up, you should do a story on how in 2008 lead paint almost ruined the motorcycle industry.
The very first time I ever went to a motocross race, before I even had a race worthy motorcycle, the thing that stuck in my memory the most was the smell of two stroke racing oil - that was such a cool smell.
Great video! Had no idea it was Yamaha that pushed this agenda in the USA.. I raced dirt bikes in the 70’s and early 80’s.. Switched over to road racing in the mid 80’s..Entered the Motorsport industry also at that time in So Cal.. Started racing a TZ 250 in 1993; Regional and selected AMA events.. Apx 210 pounds (dry), and 90 (or so) hp.. As I came to know the bike and learned how to tune it, the biggest revelation I found was tuning both cylinders separately.. I was tuning 2-125 cc engines to run in harmony together.. There was the old saying “give it what it wants”. Read the burn on the piston (you could read the plug too, the piston provided much more detailed burn information for the power jets).. Each cylinder had a different base gasket thickness, (for exact dome capacity), different timing marks, main jets, nozzles, power jets.. Only thing I never changed was the pilot jet.. A nozzle change was easier and more accurate.. Then you had everything else to set-up.. Suspension front and rear, ride heights, external gearing, internal transmission gear ratios, wheel widths, tire pressure.. The combinations were endless… Nothing in my motorcycle racing career was more rewarding, or more elusive, than always hunting for the “set-up”… When it was “right” it was a most phenomenal experience..And you would know.. The demon had been summoned..The bike was just an extension of my body and I could do no wrong.. It was a fantastic time to be alive! 😊
Great vid! When my brother and I were teenagers, back in 1981, our mother bought us Yamaha MX 80s; basically they were Yamaha’s detuned 2 stroke play dirt bike. My friend across the street got a Honda XR 100 and the spoiled kid next door get got his parents to buy him a Suzuki RM80. That thing was CRAZY fast! Ahhh the memories.
I rode a old yamaha 175 two stroke. My friends in the neighbor hood had all brands covered. In the 80cc two stroke class, kx 80 would run circles around the other three. Cr80 was kind of gutless but it was atleast reliable. Rm80 was fast, but always broke the friend with the yamaha 80 it was quiet, i assumed it was a yz, maybe his was mx 80. It was the slowest, but it was more reliable than the suzuki
Im from Germany and drive 430 maico, 250 RM Suzuki, 125 YZ and CR 250 all of them in France by my Friends. After that i buy a TT 600 for driving every Day ✌😂 But i never forget the 2 stroke noise and the power😢
What surprises me is why is nobody asking the question "WHY DID YAMAHA MANAGEMENT BETRAY NOT ONLY 2 STROKE TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO THEIR OWN 2 STROKE CUSTOMERS" ???????....
I can even now feel the noisy sheer power of leaving a corner in a sand race on several two stroke moto crossers that all lifted the front wheel while cranked over. A three sixty Montesa,Bultaco,250 KX Kawasaki would leave most four strokes for dead My last race was in Wallesy .or Southport in 1963.At the time was embarking on a business venture in Spain that sadly failed after a years glorious living but never road off road again.
Well done video! I grew up watching the change. The ama killed 2strokes and miss the smell and sound at mx and sx events. Your video is 100% accurate. Just bought a 450rl. Your videos on the 450rl have been educational and look forward to more!
I have never ridden a 4 stroke MX'r I quit racing in '87 (last bike was a '86 CR250 Honda) I also raced CR125's with mugen kits ('84 & '85) I quit due to injuries. It is highly unlikely that I will ever own a dirt bike in the future, But if I did It would most definitely 100% be a 2 STROKE. I hate the sound of the 4 strokes, & Forgetabout Electric dirt bikes!
I have the new 2023 ktm 250sx and its awesome has its few flaws being a new fuel injected 2 stroke but its rides more similar to a 4 stroke with that same 2 stroke power, sound, and weight
Your politics are spot on. Great chronicle! I didn't know any of this story, but certainly could have guessed some of it-the CARB part. Another fine example of why power should be wrested from government at every opportunity simply because of human nature. "Like fire, government is a dangerous servant and a fearful master".
As a jr goonologist, that was a perfect video. It cleared up one thing and that is my distaste for Yamaha even after having a T7. The other thing is it once again showed how much Cali just plain sucks. I was born and raised down there and moved to WA. I have a 450RL and a Beta Extrainer and love both. Good job Professor Goon. Rock on
Yamaha the worst..have a 98 xt 225..they stopped making parts..even aftermarket shit..shady af really cause they flooded the market with the fucking things
My memory says cali put out the mandate no more new 2 strokes after a certain year. Yamaha not wanting to be caught with their pants down started developement. All the ama had to do was pack up and leave cali and reschedule races not in that state, but they bowed down to the smug a$$hats that live there. Mark my words how Cali is fazing out diesel trucks and cars. Give it a few years and they're gonna eventually make the no new combustion engine dirtbikes for sale after a certain year , then all the manufactures are gonna run electric developement bikes in the 4 stroke class like yamaha did with a 4 stroke in the 2 stroke class
Yamaha never forced Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Honda to stop making two strokes. They should have just put the old two stroke engines in updated 4 stroke 250f chassis
I've heard people have been fitting 2 stroke engines into the modern 4 stroke bikes. The 4 stroke engines often fail catastrophically. The 2 strokes go on forever and just need a simple rebuild.
@@chrishart8548 4 stroke engines, if maintained properly, will last far, far longer than a 2 stroke motor. It is a fact because of the design differences.
2 strokes are amazing ,I own Aprilia sx125,and old enduro ctx 90 tuned,I owned kx125 and I can tell you i enjoyed more on 2 stroke bikes than on any 4 strokes.
Joan Claybrook of the Carter Administrstion tried to ban ALL motorcycles. That failed, but she did manage to get two stroke bikes banned. She tried to get seat belts on bikes and later, a metal cage.
In my younger years I grew up in swampy area with big hills spread around as well as abandoned taconite mines, big piles of overburden and deep pits. The weight of 2 stroke in unstable ground and very wet soils as well as deep peet bogs gives the light bikes a massive adventure. I know it's apples to oranges but riding the trails the 4x4 ride it's obvious how important weight to power is. The 4 bys destroy the sensitive wet lands and leave massive pits of mud and chewed up peet where as respectful 2 strokes can pic your way across everything but open water and cat tails. Out in the pits the the light bikes are able to accelerate in very short distance to shoot up very steep hills of softball size rocks mixed with smaller rocks and sand, by buddy wasn't able to keep up on his much newer 450f while I was on a 99 yz this was back in 09. Hands down the 2stroke out performed the 450f. I'll be a 2 stroke guy till I tip over!
Around 1980 ish,I bought a new 250 Yamaha crosser for the sole purpose of sand racing in the UK un like previous makes this water cooled model came with a choice of front and rear sprockets and main jets and a spare piston. Sand racing can involve very long flat out stretches needing a richer main jet and higher gearing .Probably the most refined ready to race bike at that time,
My first dirt bike cost $650 for a Honda CR80R used. It got me hooked. I couldn't afford much back then. But I became obsessed. Later on graduated to a CR125 then a KX500 then a CR250. All of those bikes combined didn't cost what a new bike today does. If course they were used but still... It got me involved and interested. Kids now aren't so interested...
Remember when James Stewart raced a 250f at the last 2 nationals after riding a 125 all season? He was asked why he switched for the last 2 races and his response said it all "I already clinched the championship so I was told by kawi either race the 4stroke or don't race" like WTF man
Interesting discussion on 2 strokes. My friend here in Christchurch NZ Mike Sinclair was Kenny Roberts top mechanic at the end of the 2 stroke era, having a conversation with Mike how I had begun to really like 2 strokes he told me that at the end of 2 stroke era in grand prix racing they were on the verge of some clever developement with 2 strokes. The team were remaking better engine top ends for their racers than what Yamaha was making. Yamaha did not like this, Yamahas comment to Mike master Sinclair what you not telling us ???. I still have our K6, 125 RM Suzuki, my son did 4 years of competition, we ran blended fuel 16 litres of 100+ avgas high octain plus 4 litres of 95 unleaded to help slightly bring down the high octain slightly plus 631mls of castrol synthetic 2 stroke oil, a fantastic brew grey pipe clean plug clean in the combustion chamber, on full song no smoke seen comming form bike, our 125 class competed against 250 4 strokes, we would often beat the 4 strokes. There is a great book written by Kerry Swanson on Mike Sinclair well worth reading.
Really great video! I had a '75 Yamaha 175 Enduro 2-stroke for a few years in my early 20s. It was under-powered but I had fun with it. That bike is long gone now. I didn't realize 4-strokes conquered America. Sad. Someone I knew had a 400cc 4-stroke. It was too heavy for me to throw around a trail. I think if I kept up with the sport I would have traded the 175 for a 250 2-stroke.
I had a Suzuki 250 endruo then a Montessa 250 that was fitted out full race. I would love to have either or both of them again. I spent many hours and many miles riding on dirt and never got hurt. Only got hurt riding on concrete.
This is an awesome video that shows how a conglomeration can glom on to one another and congeal under different guises and in the end, no one is better off than they were before the self righteous decided to get involved in something that was not harming anyone in the first place. Well, no physical harm, but harm to several egos and wallets. I always knew there was more to this than the CARB and other political organizations. Thanks for bringing everything together.
Great video, I just hope we can get some rejuvenation of two strokes in the sport bike market. I would really like my sport bikes to be lighter and pack a ton of power.
Thanks for the video, very high quality, well done. I appreciate that you took the time to show the corruption involved, and why the seemingly small regulations turn out to be big problems. Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.
Always rode a 2-stroke. First one was a Hodaka 100 in the late 60s. My favorite was my 1987 KX 500 Very fast and always held a good idle. I gave it to my nephew in almost perfect running condition. ( new piston and barrel). I just got to old at 64 years old.
I had a 1988 kmx200 in 1997 paid £1k it was an absolute blast. Felt like be 6' off the ground on a 100mph bicycle. I think I was only 9st at the time aswel. Had a bit of an eating disorder at the time. Can't stop eating now.
@@chrishart8548 yeah those bikes were fast for what meager ccs they had, a lot are still running here but mostly used as trail bikes now, dt 50-170's, tsr125, few crs, kmx125. very rich classic bike scene here too called vinduro, 80's 2t's, i think i learned to ride on an L2 or an rs100.
The costs to race a late model 4 stroke are quite a bit higher. Current 4 strokes (especially the 250F's) have a pretty short lifespan and the rebuilds are $$$$. IMO they're now 80 hour bikes if MX raced at a moderate level, much less at the pro level. 40 hours for the first top end/valve service, then sell it after another 40. By 40 hours on a piston the bike is way down on power, which is why Yamaha's spec on the 250F is 12.5 hours on a top end. By 80 hours with a fast rider the second piston, cylinder, and whole valvetrain are well past due for replacement. Just sell the bike at that point and grab a freshie. I like both 2 and 4 strokes, but there's no denying the 4 stroke revolution made racing less available for the average working man/woman.
I remember my friends getting crf250's in the early 2000s. They were absolutely terrible, constantly breaking down, maintenance regime's that we're akin to top fuel dragsters. Was enough to keep me loving 2t. The hilarious part was they claimed their 4t was more reliable and needed less maintenance. I was running a 96 rmx on the original piston at the time and was always in front of them.
Even the cases get tossed by a pro mechanic on a hard run 250 4 stroke, the crank doesnt last under a pro, nothing does....they just keep building engines and swapping them out. 25K builds a killer engine.... They only run fast WFO....the engines kill them selves.................a kid trying to race one hard ends up with scrap.
@@bradsanders6954450 4ts turn 14,000 rpm to make max horsepower ...the valve springs are wore out the first year but usually the cam chain breaks and goes through the bottom of the cases not without jamming the valves into the piston driving the valves sideways into the valve seats destroying the entire engine . On a two stroke Have you ever seen rod nettle bearings tapered down to a point of both ends of each nettle bearing at the crank pin .that is due to the runout of the crank even if it is within spec can be out as much as 0.05" .make the crank read zero at both ends at the same time while turning it in v blocks ...rod bearings will last twice as long and free up some horse power
550,000 on a dirt bike? I did a double take and had to rewind that part. The bike better be made of solid gold and diamonds, I better be able to lift it with one hand, and it better be dual sport for that price. Hell I want it amphibious too where it’ll just float on water like Jesus for 550,000 doll hairs
Funny thing is, not just 2 stroke dirt bikes sound like this... I raced go-karts, and once you said "If you've ever heard this sound" *plays a mp3 audio of 2 stroke engines rumbling* I instantly thought "GO KARTS!!!!"
Great video!! I’m getting ready to turn the big 6-O soon and don’t ride much anymore, because of the loss of my favorite open trail riding grounds here in SE Virginia. Oh, what fond memories! But, what I still have in my possession is my 2017 YZ-125…’til death do us part, LMFAO!☝️🤣🤘🇺🇸
I remember back in 1975 you could buy the exact same World Grand Prix MX Championship CZ 250cc mx bike for $1000. This is sad because today's youth end up on drug's instead of faster lighter cooler dirt bikes.
I'll never have as much fun as I did when I was a kid riding on the 1986 YZ80 for the first time! "the yellow and black one" I'll never ever forget that smell! that fear at first after that power band kicked in! and the fun sharing it back and forth with my best friends! I feel sorry for kids that didn't get to experience it. I'm 40 years old now and about to get a KLX300 or the CRf300L because it's like a dirtbike you can legally ride on the road! but it's still not like a 2 stroke.
Ooh, I learned how ride on a bike with gears on a 87 yz, loved it, then I bought a kx 80 87. Weapon, but my mates yz 87 was bulletproof. I’m talking 10 of us taking turns on it, compression braking, because half of us couldn’t ride, dinking for hours at a time, no problem. This was in 1990, & thus, my motocross journey began. I think the yz 80’s got back disc in 1992 or 1993 if I’m not mistaken. Fastest 80 I rode when I was a kid was 85 yz on its last bore, ridiculous.
After a 15 year break from riding, I traded a few rifles(1 of them very high end) for a 2013 KTM 250sx. Haven’t had much chance to ride it yet cause it was November but looking forward to spring. This bike won’t see much air time but it will get my 53 year old ass outside more. Been working out more too cause I want to be ready to ride it this spring. Not too sure about the hydraulic clutch thingy though.
Hydraulic clutch will be the least of your concerns once out riding... 😂😂.. they are smooth and reliable.. the ground gets harder as we get older I've found out i don't bounce like i used too..😂😂
I am a 70 year old street rider who grew up with the Kaw 500 and 750 2-stroke triples, and the Yamaha RD series. I SO, so wish somebody could come up with a modern updated 2-stroke road bike. I am fortunate enough financially to buy pretty much any bike I want. If Kawasaki or Suzi or Yammy would build a 2-stroke street bike....especially a triple....I'd buy it in a heartbeat !!
Interesting enough the little 2 stroke through its high revving engine can produce a lot of horse power. With internal combustion engines horsepower and rpm are directly related. 40 years ago the 4 stroke scooter wasn't much compared to the little light weight 2 stroke. It was about this time that Suzuki had the RM and PE models. I had an opportunity to ride a PE and was that a joy especially coming from a 4 stroker. Recently, I was looking at the KTM 150 XC-W and wondering what this little 214 pound monster could do with a good competent rider. Good Video, Goon-Man.
Good video, really?...I dunno I suppose if you've been hiding under a rock for the past thirty to forty years. I do get it but the title of the video kinda determines it's audience. Anyways the climate is changing and in terms of mass production/consumption something needed to change and still does. I actually think in regards to motocross racing the future can and will possibly be electric dirtbikes, just give them another decade of development.
I’m 65 and when I was a kid all I wanted to do was move to California from Ontario Canada with my dirt bikes and ride. Nowadays you couldn’t drag me there.
EPA and CARB was about 50% of it, the other 50% was the 200cc advantage 4 strokes got. A 450 and a 250 2t make pretty much the same power but the 4 strokes are easier to ride, make more traction, and are smoother giving them the edge over a 250. This little edge is enough to make a difference around a track so every manufacturer and racer went 4 stroke.
@@2smokejoke what’s old will be new again and I honestly think it’s coming 👍🏻 I see a 2 stroke future. They are cheaper to produce and believe it or not, when done correctly they actually run cleaner than a 4 stroke
I had an almost new (but worked) Suzuki PE250, loved hitting the power band! Very quick, used to leave my friends behind who had Yamaha TT500s. The big 4 strokes never had a chance. I would love another one or even better a Yamaha IT465 or YZ490.
Great video and honest commentary that is 100 % spot on and truthful, thank you for the honesty , a vote for you and your analytical honesty would put American back on top of the world 👍🇦🇺👍
@@BornAGoon yes it does! That’s why they’ll never stop over regulating and over stepping. Notice how when the 4 strokes were being mass produced, CARB suddenly implemented noise emissions for the newer bikes? Total joke! As if the noise produces some sort of effect on the air quality they had already claimed while they drive around in their government issued v8 SUV’s and motorcades
The last 2-stroke I had and raced local motocross was a 1979 Husky 250 CR... sold it in the late 80's (I'm an old dirt rider). Ever since then I've ridden 4-stroke enduro bikes off road for fun. About 5 years ago I found someone selling a 1979 Husky 250 CR in running condition... I test rode it and almost lost control due to how much more incredible power than my 250 4-stroke Yamaha TTR 250 that I was used too. Being 70+ the 4-strokes are good for an old guy like me, BUT any serious able bodied dirt rider needs a 2-stroke to truly appreciate what 2-stroke riding provides to power and speed demons like I was when younger.
It's a simple difference of torque based on rpm. When I raced dirt bikes, it was the feel of the high revs= peak power that gave the bike its stability & feel and it became the animal I tried to tame. Today's 4 stroke engines have incredible low end torque and don't rev as high as a 2 stroke, but they feel better on trail riding than the race track. There's 2 things to consider. In a 2 stroke, the power stroke is roughly half the travel down the bore because of intake and exhaust ports, but no valves means high rpm. 4 stroke with its intake and exhaust valves make possible a full travel power stroke delivering much more torque and at low rpm. 4 strokes weigh more too. It all comes down to preference.
so, i have an 02 kx125 and a 23 klx300sm. the kx125 is a lot more fun to ride all because of the power band. the benefits of the 4 stroke on the trails i ride are definitely there but still the 2 stroke ends up being a funner experience every time. i guess on days when i just want to cruise and have a chill trail experience the 4 stroke is the clear winner.
I rode my brother's dirt bikes occasionally, both 2 strokes and 4 strokes, and I have found that much of the 4 stroke's supposedly better low end was illusionary. What kind of power band the manufacturer was shooting for, and the displacement, made much more of a difference than whether it was 2 cycle or 4 cycle. His 1979 YZ 400 motocross bike seemed to make nearly as much low end as his DR 400 4 cycle trail bike. Maybe the smaller displacement engines would show more of a difference between 2 cycle and 4 cycle.
This was very well researched and presented. I appreciate that you saw the light at an early stage and were able to hold onto the superior design of the much simpler and powerful two stroke engine. I totally agree with you about how the two stroke fell into disfavor, but I do have a different take on why: Why? For the same reason the Indy turbine car was choked down to where it could never compete and why no Wankel engine designs are utilized: Big Oily wants the world to use four stroke piston engines (because they waste a full stroke, have more friction and consume more fuel).
On your last statement with big oil, I’d argue they’d appreciate a 2 stroke more. They use more petroleum products to run, (gasoline plus the mixing oil) They are less fuel efficient than 4 strokes. (They don’t “waste a stroke” so they’re consuming petroleum products on every up stroke). And they still have the same transmission service intervals. A 2-stroke straight up uses more oil products. And I absolutely love my YZ250
I love 2-strokes as much as anyone But to the question of four strokes being to expensive December’22 I purchased my first ever “ modern “4 stroke for $7998 that is a brand new’22 yz450f with 0 hrs And to the question of Yamaha killing the 2-stroke I do agree they had a part with the yz400 but who is the only Japanese manufacturer still producing them YAMAHA and the yz250x is a amazing machine and wish I kept the’17 model I had. But the tech on the 450f with the Yamaha app is very impressive.
I had a 1979 Yamaha MX175 - best motorcycle I ever owned- street or trail - it used YamaLube (oil) that the bike mixed with the gas as you were riding! I put a 52 tooth sprocket ⚙️ on the back to replace the stock 49 tooth sprocket for more low end torque and to climb hills. Those were the good old days! Four stroke is fine for the street (I had a 1983 Honda Nighthawk 650) but 2 stroke for the dirt - period.
Yeah they sound cool but a 4 stroke sounds way cooler. Both have pros and cons but I think a 4 stroke is the better buy. Plus without the manufacturers going crazy with them we wouldn’t have the tech we have now.
2500 and up rebuild cost on modern 4 stroke dirtbikes, 100 hour engine life, rebuild it wrong and they explode.................for sure the better buy..................a 250 4 stroke ran hard can last 20 hours.....................try to sell a used 4 stroke, they are treated as scrap.
@@bradsanders6954 Exactly! I totally restored my 1995 CR250. All new bolts, powder coated the frame, replated the cylinder, new piston and rings, tires, all new seals on the suspension, and it cost me around $2000. Go get an old four stroke and try to do that for that price.
Crazy I never realized ALL of my family and friends stopped riding around the 85/125 class time. About 13-16 years old and our parents all picked school based sports. Never really knew why but makes since. How could my dad work 2 boys and his own business afford 20k in bikes plus new gear, boots, helmet etc of growing kids…. I’m lucky I had such a great dad to be able to ride from pd50 in the yard to super mini at LL.
I never really got into dirt racing with bikes, but I can understand the fury in your voice. It would seem like there'd be enough room for a 2 and 4 stroke series, being separate from each other.
El problema es que hubo y hay muchos pilotos diabólicamente rápidos. A mí me impresionaron Valentino, Lorenzo, Stoner y Márquez. Luego hay 100 más, todos buenísimos.
This has me wondering why Can-Am doesn't develop a bike powered a Rotax 2-stroke. Their direct injected 2-strokes are on the cutting edge of what's possible as far as emissions and power are concerned.
It isn't only for dirt bikes. I had the suzuki 750 water cooled first model. It had torque power and luggability. It had no valve clatter and it took no maintenance. But what is more is that it used marginally more fuel than my Honda CB 250. So a good two stroke can be made. In fact had they gone to direct fuel injection it would have eliminated that final menace, smoke. I had many road two strokes and they had developed a long way over the years.
@smitajky - FYI - direct (or transfer port) fuel injection will NOT solve the 2-stroke smoking issue. All loop-scavenged 2-stroke engines (i.e. motorcycle 2-strokes engines) run the incoming fresh air through the crankcase (where the descending piston forces that air through the transfer ports into the combustion chamber. The main bearings and big-end rod bearings need some form of lubrication; that lubricating oil (regardless if it's pre-mixed with the fuel, or injected directly onto the crank and rod bearings) will inevitably mix with the incoming fresh-air, and therefore be swept into the combustion chamber (causing the infamous blue smoke). It doesn't matter when the fuel is introduced into the incoming charge. However, it is possible to make a 2-stroke engine where the incoming fresh air does not go through the crankcase first (therefore separating the lubricating oil from the incoming fresh air), but these engines require an external supercharger to pressurize the incoming fresh air (to force it through the transfer ports). However, this type of 2-stroke engine has never been made for a mass produced motorcycle. The best known examples of this type of 2-stroke engines are the "Detroit Diesel" (the name of a company, not the city) 2-stroke diesel engines.
Started on 75’ YZ80 Currently riding 05’ Gas Gas 300 2-stroke for singletrack. 99% of buddies ride smokers. The old style four stroke motors aren’t bad (XR200 was a fun bike) but these new high reving short stroke motors are time bombs, my buddies shop is full of them constantly. Make mine pre-mix👌🏻
Captured the heart of the matter very well! I miss riding. I'm in my 60's, have had injuries making it a bad idea, but I would be sorely tempted.... Loved my 2 stroke, torquier than most at the expense of being quick, great hill climber (ran with 250's there!) and pretty good for enduro style which was my main interest. Have run XR500, CR250, and test road an IT400, all were impressive in one way or another. But two stroke was my favorite for sure.
I lived in socal. At one point 2 strokes went back to green while 4 strokes went to red. It flipped back and forth a couple times. By the time we left, all competition bikes were red regardless of stroke. Only trail bikes were green. I thought it was mainly because of spark risk . Once it was clear that 4 strokes sparked and 2 strokes didn't, they switch sticker color.
When I was in high school I worked part time at the local Yamaha shop as a mechanic and I had a clapped out yz400 that had been traded in. The previous mechanic had taken the top end off but had done nothing else, so I rounded up the parts, put it back together, and discovered why he had taken it apart - severe piston slap. I was too broke to fix it so I just rode it with the slapping piston and had a blast with it. It would absolutely haul ass if I wanted that, or would calmly navigate trails. Experiencing a two stroke coming on the pipe truly is an orgasmic experience. It is a shame that those days have gone by and bikes are now out of reach of many kids that otherwise might be the next generation of motocross riders.
There are a lot of comments questioning my geographical knowledge at 10:42 when I said California is the largest state. On the screen at 10:47 appears the text " Largest by population," clarifying what I meant. I was surprised so many people did not see the text. It is on there for a good 5 seconds.
by land mass no,,, by population WELL,,,, Their all coming to ATX and screwing it up now,,,, go home people, Texas will be ok without your nonsense and we texans like our 2 strokes
Alot of us are just listening, didn't catch it... some... good job tho
I think you are correct? Ronnie Mac in earlier days.
I also saw you can't ride electric scooters there too
Bold of you to assume that people who complain about TH-cam videos can read.
I wish everyone that has thrown a leg over a dirt bike could see this , join together and bring back the 2 - stroke ! I love the 2- stroke . Bring them back .
Grew up riding KX”s would love to see Kawasaki Bring Them Back ..
@@pabloescobar7802 I’m a big fan of KX!!
Rode mine today
my first kx125 was life-changing for me. Wish I still had it!
2 stoke was the only thing I knew
Some people don't deserve to experience a 2 stroke
The irony is Yamaha is one of the last Japanese manufacturers still making two strokes (YZ and YZ-X models), and is still evolving these models albeit very slowly by comparison to Euro 2T manufacturers (Beta, KTM, etc, etc). Now that KTM has gone with throttle body injection and the latest Euro emission standards are being met even by other Euro brands running carbs still its going to be an interesting future for 2Ts. Certainly the market demand for 2Ts has exploded in recent time despite all the 4T hype of the last 20-odd years.
Indeed, it's ironic that Yamaha is responsible for doing it, yet they also seem to redeem themselves by still making 2 strokes. Hope they will also follow KTM's mark in using fuel injection.
Yeah I just picked up a 2023 yz125x thing rips and it's a 6 speed thing is scary fast and I'm hoping of a crf250rx the 2 stroke is a bad bitch I was going to get the 250x I'm glad I went with the 125x for my 2 stroke next I'm going to try to get my hands on a rmz250 😜
@@mahiru20ten Let's hope not. That's the beauty of the Yamaha.. it's simplicity
@@samuelhoffman6804 you should use yamlube r full 100% synthetic two stroke oil in your pre-mix at 50 : 1 ..its eazy to do that is a pint of oil in a five gallon can of gasoline is 50 : 1 ...and you can tear down your engine after a month of sunday motos checking for wear and there wont be any ..as a matter of fact it will look its never been started . There wont be any carbon inside the motor at all,,the piston ring will look brand new with mill marks on it from the time it made ....it aint magic
Synthetic oil has all of its molecules are made to the same size ....regular oil is not ...and a blend is even worse as the synthetic molecules will try and carry all the load the petroleum oil mix in will build up on stuff like the power valve until its clogged ...use the 100% synthetic and pay the extra bit for it..its cheaper than loosing horsepower. And i almost forgot. When you look inside for the first time and every time
.make sure the edges of all the ports are. Slightly rounded off like the edge of a butter knife .if they ever wear down and become sharp they will cut into the piston and chew up the piston ring. That is why you see other guys buying pistons every other week ...and it probly has a nikasil coated cylinder so becareful rounding down the port not to chip the nikasil its real brittle stuff so dont use files just wet sand paper
Kawasaki still makes the 65, 85, 100, and 112
I'm 57 yrs old and have been riding since I was 10 yrs old. First bike was a '71 Honda SL 70. Loved the bike because it was my first, but it wasn't until 1978 when my best buddy got a YZ80 and I was totally blown away at the sound and quickness when you got on the power band.
I was hooked because it just sounded so badass.
I'll take buzz over thump any day!
I am about the same age as you and my first bike was an SL 70 that my uncle gave me. And what a coincidence, my mate had a YZ80 and he thought he was king shit with this, but it was shit hot! So a little later I got hold of a Montessa Capra 250 which scared the he'll out of me but I got used to it. Now I was king shit because none of my mates had the guts to kick start this beast. The sound of that 2 stroke was wild. Much better than a thumper.
I owned a 1976 MX 125 & 2000 YZ 125 Yamahas & I never liked the sound of Honda 4 Stroke turds. 4 Stroke are for communist trolls 😅.
been there done that nothing yanks like a 2 stroke on the pipe. I love all bikes but 2 strokes are the best light fast nimble dirt or street. best street bike I ever rode and I rode many from 400 four honda super sport to zx10 and many in between most fun was friend rz 350 back yrs ago. Not the fastest but I could not stop grinning when on it, easy wheelies fast in turns and the sound was like listening to a Beethoven symphony
I'm 55yrs old and mine was a Honda Mini-Trail 50 & I currently own a Honda CR250R. I clearly remember our neighbors screaming around in the mid 1970's on they're 2 strokes. My dad said then "it sounds like a mad bee in a gourd" and it did and still does. Long live the 2 stroke dirt bike.
@@markwinchester3005 here is to bees in gourds long live the bees
Back in 2015 I bought a two stroke as my first bike,a 1994 Aprilia Red Rose Classic. Interestingly,it's not a dirt bike or a sports bike,but actually one of the few two stroke cruiser models made. I learned to ride on that bike,to use a clutch and shift gears,rode it around town,had a lot of fun,and unfortunately had my first (and so far only) crash. It was a great first bike,wish it and other two strokes were still being made.
When I was 12 I had a YZ 80. Now, 37 years later I have a 250 SX. 2-stroke is what I grew up with and I still love everything about them! Sound, smell, thrill! ♥
Love the simplicity of 2 strokes
as do I
Thankful that I live on the perimeter of Windrock and they don't care what you ride as long as you have purchased land use permit
Literally one mile on asphalt(which is legal on off road motorcycle) and I'm right in the back door of 76000 acres of killer riding
hate the idiocy of lawyers
And sound
Its only simple for the simple minded.
Grew up on an IT175 and then joined the service. Life happened and didn't ride for about 30 years then within about the last year or so I'm getting back riding and I actually still have my old girl and am rebuilding it. What blew my mind was like the 2-strokes disappeared! I couldn't believe my eyes and ears for that matter. These four strokes to me just sound like a bunch of flatulence going around the track! It's very hard for me to used to. I'll always be a 2-stroke man. Also...F the politicians as well.
Thanks for watching
Also rode an IT175 first, love 2Ts
My first bike was a 76 DT175 steel tank, dual rear shocks, and the seat still lifted from the side, so you could fill the oil mix.
owned and rode my IT in 86 then bought a blaster same motor in them in 88. both never failed me and loved them.
True fucking story...I has atc 250r...what a machine
"This isn't our enemy, this is (Picture of politicians spending our money.)" Hit the head on the nail!!!
Nothing worse than the government getting involved in anything. Especially Sleepy Joe and his band of commies.
Nothing worse than the government getting involved in anything. Especially Sleepy Joe and his band of commies.
Even a small displacement 2-stroke is a total BLAST to ride! I have a rare vintage HONDA MB5 50cc 2-stroke, which was sold in the USA for one year only (1982). It's got a 5-speed manual, 7.1 HP, and a sweet powerband that will hit 55 mph! It sounds like a chain saw on steroids, and the stares, comments, and money offers I get are akin to a rock star's! Anywho, I have more pure FUN riding this little engineering marvel than I do my much larger displacement bikes!
I am still in my teen years and I love to hear older people’s experiences growing up around dirt bikes because I have grown up loving bikes but never being allowed to get one. Now I am building my own dirt bike in my school shop class out of an old engine and bicycle frame. I wish it was a 2-stroke but it is still better than pedaling. Thanks everyone for telling your stories, I enjoy reading them.
Aye you just gotta start somewhere. Just like he mentioned in the video the sport itself has become expensive. My first bike was Yamaha 225 ttr. My brother in law bought it. It sat around for years then he gave it to me told me it would never run etc. the electric start cable was disconnected. Hooked that up 500$ later after some other stuff and before you knew it I was taring up dirt lol. You don’t have to shoot for the newest either. I’ve come across alot of used bikes that had decent owners that were going cheap. My same bike that I pretty much paid 500$ for is now worth 2k. What’s funny is my brother in law bought it brand spanking new in 2002 for 1800$ and now it’s worth 200$ more as it sits in the shed at the lake😂😂
Great video. My kid wanted to get into motorcycles and I said Ok and figured I would get back into them (at 54). Started easy not thinking I would catch the bug again, boy was I wrong. He wanted to get into street riding, I said you have to learn in the dirt. I bought a KLX300 and a KLX230. Good for trail riding, did suspension and tires to extend trail capability, just not enough. Picked up two 2023 Beta 200RRs, the best part is I was able to plate them in NY, so connecting trails won't be illegal. Absolutely love the Betas, and really glad to be back on a 2 stroke. Best part is he lost interest in getting a street bike and loves the dirt riding, and totally loves the two stroke.
Thanks for watching and commenting
Get a set of supermoto wheels to ride on the street, it’s really fun just messing around doing wheelies and not that dangerous because you can’t go faster than 100 mph
Get a set of supermoto wheels to ride on the street, it’s really fun just messing around doing wheelies and not that dangerous because you can’t go faster than 100 mph
Yes you should ride the dirt before the street.
That's what always told everyone that wanted a motorcycle. First, learn in the dirt for 3 or 4 years.
I used to work at Pasadena Honda. They didn't make money selling bikes, they made money fixing bikes. Anything that could make it harder for the average rider to work on their own bike was music to the manufactures ears.
I used to hang out there as a kid drooling over the dirt bikes!
they did the same thing in the car business,i remember the training center saying,we will get rid of the backyard mechanics,they want their cars fixed,they come to us,at 115.00 per hour,CADILLAC first ones with that rate over the door,now they can't sell nothing,priced out of the market,destroying the design of the two stroke was nuts,now they don't repair cars or sell many,who wants a car with 28 sensors and 9 modules on it,and where do you get parts when its 5 years older,not pick n pull------suzuki 80 hillbilly was the best backwoods two stroke ever made,it'd even haul out a deer on its rear carrier,4 LOW SPEEDS,FLICK A LEVER AND 4 HIGH SPEEDS WE HAVE WENT BACKWARDS AND THE VIEW AIN'T PRETTY
@@strattunerodules have to be programmed to the vehicle. Even if you bought it at pick and pull you still need to pay someone to program it. Utter bullshit.
@@blakbanshee i'm trained to flash anything,utter truth
@@strattuner why I WOULD NEVER BUY A CADILLAC, my sister was quoted $500 labour to change her headlight bulbs from dealer and a garage so I get stuck doing it for 2 hours. I just changed a signal light in my VW took 5 seconds and no tools just fingers.
A couple of years after the 4stroke came, almost all smaller tracks started to shut down because of the increased noise. At least here in Sweden, Europe.
I know some complained about 2 stroke noise but my 4 stroke is so loud I have to wear ear plugs
Happened all over the United States as well.
I've seen the same in the states.
@@arglock36 Four strokes are louder than two strokes.
Same thing happened in Belgium. That's why I'm selling my Cr250 1993.
Ooooooo. That last line gave me goosebumps. You couldn’t be more spot on
100%
Im always shocked at how quickly 4 strokes replaced 2 strokes. One year (2005 I think) there was one 4 stroke at the starting line of the Seattle SuperCross (piloted by Jimmy Button, I think). The next year it was one 2 stroke when the gate dropped. Completely replaced in 1 year. . .and no one even talks about the utter decimation of the 125 class and the style of riding required to go fast on one.....
Yep. 05-06 was the change for the big bikes
i remember as a kid riding an early Suzuki RM125 (maybe 81') and we were all blown away by the power and speed of this beast. It was unstoppable. Those early days made me a true believer in 2-strokes. nice video!
Thanks for sharing
The Libs which is CARB dont want anyone to use OUR land. They would love to only be able to hike on our public land
Nice video, the 2 stoke engine has always held a special place in my heart. I love the sound, the smell, the incredible snappy throttle response. When growing up as a teen in the 80’s everyone dreamed of owning a Yamaha YZ, Kawasaki KZ or a beautiful red Honda CR. Although I’ve never owned a straight dirt bike, I did own a Suzuki LT250R Quad. This quad was 250cc water cooled 2 stroke with 6 speed manual clutch with thumb throttle. This 2 stoke quad was sooo much fun! I swear I could probably go from 0-55 in about 4 seconds. I had so much fun on the dunes in Silver Lake in Michigan many years ago on this quad.
I miss 2 stoke motorcycles quads, etc. Long live the 2 Stoke engine!! We adore you ❤️
Great article. Love Michigan riding areas lived there 07-17 . Now in Ohio w/hardly no riding areas.
Love the content! I recently have fallen into the motorcycle community and all I have ever driven is a 4 stroke. I can't wait to try out a 2-stoke!
Total truth. Politicians are the true enemies. I’m 54yrs. I ride a 2022 CRF450RX, I love it but if Honda brought back the CR250 I will purchase said 2 stroke. I remember very well my 2 stroke years when I was young and dumb but had one hell of a good time.
Yamaha is still making yz125 and yz 250!!
They did the same thing to the venerable 2-stroke outboard. Toward the end engines like the OptiMax with fuel and oil injection were hardly making any more smoke or using any more fuel than a 4 stroke, but yet we ended up with car engines in the boats and a whole host of new problems. You can get 4 stroke outboards now, and they are pretty amazing, but if you ever have to rebuild it, whew, it's a whole new level of complex.
Not only that, I just had to get new 2.6 HP outboards for my catamaran. I can tell you that they weigh twice as much
I do miss the old merc towers and jonnyrude v engines they always sounded amazing at the lake but folks now seem to disregard the 2 strokes saying their 4s are just as fast but I'll tell ya what my merc 70 triple will outrun most of the boats with 90 4strokes pretty easily and get on plain faster but I think that has alot to do with weight too my old starcraft is a light hull and the motor is pretty light too at least compared to modern glass boats and the injected 4 strokes on them
@@zZWolfyZz I think at equal horsepower a 2 stroke is faster out of the hole. They have a fatter power curve. The weight is also a huge issue on plane because a heavier engine means a heavier hull to float it and it all has to "fly" on the water. But at 5 mpg the argument for the 30% efficiency increase of the 4 strokes is a strong one, minus the loses from the weight. Of course the fuel injected two strokes more or less eliminated the fuel pass through so they were in some ways ideal for marine applications. All gone now though.
If only we could have 2 strokes that doesn't need topping 2 stroke oils, making it basically equal to a 4 stroke.
@@zZWolfyZz you will never get the same power in the same amount of cc as in a 2 stroke, your right about the additional weight too. The only disadvantage I see for boats is for the same amount of hp the 2 stroke seems more thirsty
Thank you for your California take on two stroke dirt bikes. I live in Buffalo and they always worked great here because it's cool they can make tons of power and not overheat. Two stroke engines benefit from cool air induction, especially if it's under more pressure as the bike accelerates.
Believe me, CA sucks as far as politics goes. I lived there. Everything is beautiful, except the libtard government.
How do you ride in 4 feet of snow? Or do you only ride a few weeks a year? 🤣
@@barrydworak The big snow you hear about melts several days later and doesn't happen often. It's usually mild here. If you like to ride dirt bikes in the mud there's no better place than upstate NY.
@@barrydworak these days I ride a CRF 230L I don't care about going fast any more I just want to putt around and stay in one piece. I'm getting old.
I grew up riding 2 strokes in the 70s. Some of us could tell oil brand by the exhaust smell. I was a 40:1 synth Klotz man in my Suzuki. Agree with your conclusion. Those angry bees at the end brought a big grin of delight. Thanks from Colorado.
Thanks for sharing!
You might be pleasantly surprised to know they have a Klotz candle now that smells pretty close
@@thetechlibrarian now that's funny, thanks for the smile
I miss that angry bee noise soo much! Four strokes in mx is so boring.
And they are so easy to wheelie.....
I will never forget the smell inside the Astrodome during Supercross when I was a kid. Fell in love with the sound and smell then and it never left me.
You mentioned 2 strokes in the same sentence as the old Houstn Astrodome You are a legend
Great vid bro. I learned on 2 smokes cuz that’s all we had back in early 90’s. Now I’m actually looking to get back into it and I’m most definitely looking to buy a 2 smoke. Mixxin gas and haulin ass is all I know.
Got my son a dirt bike for Christmas. and I purposefully got him a 2stroke because they sound awesome
Neighbors must love ya.
I remember having to drag start my CR500 because after the rebuild the compression was so high.
Never maxed out the bike on the trails.
Had power band feel in every gear.
And definitely wheelie in any gear.
I had a Maico 490, only ever maxed it out once on Enduro gearing. (Bike had been modified for a professional racer to compete in the 1980 Le Touquet Beach Race in France)
Took it home and fitted larger rear sprocket plus a smaller front, doubt it would do 90mph afterwards?
Over revving in top gear worked out around 130mph, way too fast for a firebreak in the woods!
I rode my buddies cr500..... I saw god in every gear.
That cr500 was a monster. Holy CRAP!!!
I had 1 to would have killed myself if I didn't get rid of it traded for a cbr 900 and well almost killed myself on that also now I have a 1998 kx250 and I hope I don't kill myself again damit
You did t have a compression release lever The RM 500 had one if not you couldn’t kick it over
I really miss all 2 strokes! Even though the cops in my area use to bust only the poor 2 stroke riders, they could pick us out because the sound of the exhaust. Dirt bikes in my area dyed out when no one could afford either fix there new bike or get parts for the old ones. :( Just like cars and trucks to day!
To add to the story: Yes the YZ400F was important, the reality was This started years before. Clinton had put two strokes on the chopping block by '06 Gone, Finito. The EPA had rules for Non-road bikes, including competition that were drafted in '95 So, the industry knew something had to change. Yamaha jumped first, used the Works rule and everyone laughed thinking it would be a XR600 slow and heavy turtle. That was until the Las Vegas Supercross everyone stopped laughing. Enter Geo Bush, he changed laws that affected the EPA rule and changing the deadline. Too late, everyone was tooling up. The 400/426 was easy to race and ride. By the time the CRF450 hit the dirt, then RMZ it was done. 2002 Motocross gates were fully red, 2005 jumped to yellow. By 2010 we all missed the simplicity of Two Stokes and it was too late. Next up, you should do a story on how in 2008 lead paint almost ruined the motorcycle industry.
The very first time I ever went to a motocross race, before I even had a race worthy motorcycle, the thing that stuck in my memory the most was the smell of two stroke racing oil - that was such a cool smell.
Great video!
Had no idea it was Yamaha that pushed this agenda in the USA..
I raced dirt bikes in the 70’s and early 80’s..
Switched over to road racing in the mid 80’s..Entered the Motorsport industry also at that time in So Cal..
Started racing a TZ 250 in 1993; Regional and selected AMA events.. Apx 210 pounds (dry), and 90 (or so) hp..
As I came to know the bike and learned how to tune it, the biggest revelation I found was tuning both cylinders separately.. I was tuning 2-125 cc engines to run in harmony together.. There was the old saying “give it what it wants”. Read the burn on the piston (you could read the plug too, the piston provided much more detailed burn information for the power jets).. Each cylinder had a different base gasket thickness, (for exact dome capacity), different timing marks, main jets, nozzles, power jets..
Only thing I never changed was the pilot jet.. A nozzle change was easier and more accurate..
Then you had everything else to set-up..
Suspension front and rear, ride heights, external gearing, internal transmission gear ratios, wheel widths, tire pressure.. The combinations were endless…
Nothing in my motorcycle racing career was more rewarding, or more elusive, than always hunting for the “set-up”… When it was “right” it was a most phenomenal experience..And you would know.. The demon had been summoned..The bike was just an extension of my body and I could do no wrong..
It was a fantastic time to be alive! 😊
Great vid! When my brother and I were teenagers, back in 1981, our mother bought us Yamaha MX 80s; basically they were Yamaha’s detuned 2 stroke play dirt bike. My friend across the street got a Honda XR 100 and the spoiled kid next door get got his parents to buy him a Suzuki RM80. That thing was CRAZY fast! Ahhh the memories.
There always a spoiled kid next door. Why is that? 😁
@@barrydworak LOL
Sounds like 4 spoiled kids to me. I delivered papers, mowed lawns, shoveled snow and bought a new 77 RM100B for $998 plus tax when I was 15 yo.
I rode a old yamaha 175 two stroke. My friends in the neighbor hood had all brands covered.
In the 80cc two stroke class, kx 80 would run circles around the other three. Cr80 was kind of gutless but it was atleast reliable. Rm80 was fast, but always broke the friend with the yamaha 80 it was quiet, i assumed it was a yz, maybe his was mx 80. It was the slowest, but it was more reliable than the suzuki
Im from Germany and drive 430 maico, 250 RM Suzuki, 125 YZ and CR 250 all of them in France by my Friends. After that i buy a TT 600 for driving every Day ✌😂
But i never forget the 2 stroke noise and the power😢
What surprises me is why is nobody asking the question "WHY DID YAMAHA MANAGEMENT BETRAY NOT ONLY 2 STROKE TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO THEIR OWN 2 STROKE CUSTOMERS" ???????....
I can even now feel the noisy sheer power of leaving a corner in a sand race on several two stroke moto crossers that all lifted the front wheel while cranked over. A three sixty Montesa,Bultaco,250 KX Kawasaki would leave most four strokes for dead My last race was in Wallesy .or Southport in 1963.At the time was embarking on a business venture in Spain that sadly failed after a years glorious living but never road off road again.
Well done video! I grew up watching the change. The ama killed 2strokes and miss the smell and sound at mx and sx events. Your video is 100% accurate. Just bought a 450rl. Your videos on the 450rl have been educational and look forward to more!
Thank you
The last dirt bike I rode was a 1998 YZ 250 smoker, never ridden a modern four stroke, never will. Some things will never change.
no doubt Had a 2000 yz 125 I dont think that bike had any flaws
I just started riding again in my 50s. I restored a 1995 CR250. I love it and I do not need or want a four stroke.
Sweeeeet👍
Right on !
I have never ridden a 4 stroke MX'r I quit racing in '87 (last bike was a '86 CR250 Honda) I also raced CR125's with mugen kits ('84 & '85) I quit due to injuries. It is highly unlikely that I will ever own a dirt bike in the future, But if I did It would most definitely 100% be a 2 STROKE. I hate the sound of the 4 strokes, & Forgetabout Electric dirt bikes!
I have the new 2023 ktm 250sx and its awesome has its few flaws being a new fuel injected 2 stroke but its rides more similar to a 4 stroke with that same 2 stroke power, sound, and weight
Your politics are spot on. Great chronicle! I didn't know any of this story, but certainly could have guessed some of it-the CARB part. Another fine example of why power should be wrested from government at every opportunity simply because of human nature. "Like fire, government is a dangerous servant and a fearful master".
As a jr goonologist, that was a perfect video. It cleared up one thing and that is my distaste for Yamaha even after having a T7. The other thing is it once again showed how much Cali just plain sucks. I was born and raised down there and moved to WA. I have a 450RL and a Beta Extrainer and love both. Good job Professor Goon. Rock on
California sux.
2-strokes rule!
Brrrappp!
Yamaha the worst..have a 98 xt 225..they stopped making parts..even aftermarket shit..shady af really cause they flooded the market with the fucking things
My memory says cali put out the mandate no more new 2 strokes after a certain year. Yamaha not wanting to be caught with their pants down started developement. All the ama had to do was pack up and leave cali and reschedule races not in that state, but they bowed down to the smug a$$hats that live there. Mark my words how Cali is fazing out diesel trucks and cars. Give it a few years and they're gonna eventually make the no new combustion engine dirtbikes for sale after a certain year , then all the manufactures are gonna run electric developement bikes in the 4 stroke class like yamaha did with a 4 stroke in the 2 stroke class
Yamaha never forced Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Honda to stop making two strokes. They should have just put the old two stroke engines in updated 4 stroke 250f chassis
I've heard people have been fitting 2 stroke engines into the modern 4 stroke bikes. The 4 stroke engines often fail catastrophically. The 2 strokes go on forever and just need a simple rebuild.
@@chrishart8548 4 stroke engines, if maintained properly, will last far, far longer than a 2 stroke motor. It is a fact because of the design differences.
@@easternyellowjacket276 well the piston rings will last longer. But on these bikes they will both be rebuilt equally as often.
2 strokes are amazing ,I own Aprilia sx125,and old enduro ctx 90 tuned,I owned kx125 and I can tell you i enjoyed more on 2 stroke bikes than on any 4 strokes.
Joan Claybrook of the Carter Administrstion tried to ban ALL motorcycles. That failed, but she did manage to get two stroke bikes banned. She tried to get seat belts on bikes and later, a metal cage.
It's awesome that you put in the ancient, ancient 1800Collect commercial.
2 stroke street bikes were awesome in the early 80's. Rz 350, rz500, 500 gama, 250 gama 400 nsr, 250nsr (Canada).
In my younger years I grew up in swampy area with big hills spread around as well as abandoned taconite mines, big piles of overburden and deep pits. The weight of 2 stroke in unstable ground and very wet soils as well as deep peet bogs gives the light bikes a massive adventure. I know it's apples to oranges but riding the trails the 4x4 ride it's obvious how important weight to power is. The 4 bys destroy the sensitive wet lands and leave massive pits of mud and chewed up peet where as respectful 2 strokes can pic your way across everything but open water and cat tails. Out in the pits the the light bikes are able to accelerate in very short distance to shoot up very steep hills of softball size rocks mixed with smaller rocks and sand, by buddy wasn't able to keep up on his much newer 450f while I was on a 99 yz this was back in 09. Hands down the 2stroke out performed the 450f. I'll be a 2 stroke guy till I tip over!
Around 1980 ish,I bought a new 250 Yamaha crosser for the sole purpose of sand racing in the UK
un like previous makes this water cooled model came with a choice of front and rear sprockets and main jets and a spare piston. Sand racing can involve very long flat out stretches needing a richer main jet and higher gearing .Probably the most refined ready to race bike at that time,
My first adult dirtbike was a 1993 KDX 250 and I lived that bike. 2 stroke is still my favorite
My first dirt bike cost $650 for a Honda CR80R used. It got me hooked. I couldn't afford much back then. But I became obsessed. Later on graduated to a CR125 then a KX500 then a CR250. All of those bikes combined didn't cost what a new bike today does. If course they were used but still... It got me involved and interested. Kids now aren't so interested...
sweet line up of CRs there
Remember when James Stewart raced a 250f at the last 2 nationals after riding a 125 all season? He was asked why he switched for the last 2 races and his response said it all "I already clinched the championship so I was told by kawi either race the 4stroke or don't race" like WTF man
Interesting discussion on 2 strokes. My friend here in Christchurch NZ Mike Sinclair was Kenny Roberts top mechanic at the end of the 2 stroke era, having a conversation with Mike how I had begun to really like 2 strokes he told me that at the end of 2 stroke era in grand prix racing they were on the verge of some clever developement with 2 strokes. The team were remaking better engine top ends for their racers than what Yamaha was making. Yamaha did not like this, Yamahas comment to Mike master Sinclair what you not telling us ???. I still have our K6, 125 RM Suzuki, my son did 4 years of competition, we ran blended fuel 16 litres of 100+ avgas high octain plus 4 litres of 95 unleaded to help slightly bring down the high octain slightly plus 631mls of castrol synthetic 2 stroke oil, a fantastic brew grey pipe clean plug clean in the combustion chamber, on full song no smoke seen comming form bike, our 125 class competed against 250 4 strokes, we would often beat the 4 strokes. There is a great book written by Kerry Swanson on Mike Sinclair well worth reading.
thanks for sharing that story
Really great video! I had a '75 Yamaha 175 Enduro 2-stroke for a few years in my early 20s. It was under-powered but I had fun with it. That bike is long gone now. I didn't realize 4-strokes conquered America. Sad. Someone I knew had a 400cc 4-stroke. It was too heavy for me to throw around a trail. I think if I kept up with the sport I would have traded the 175 for a 250 2-stroke.
I really miss my blue and white 1975 Yamaha DT 175! I rode it all year in Wisconsin in the early 80’s
I had a Suzuki 250 endruo then a Montessa 250 that was fitted out full race. I would love to have either or both of them again. I spent many hours and many miles riding on dirt and never got hurt. Only got hurt riding on concrete.
Love the smell of Bel-Ray in the morning!!!!!!!!!!!! RIDE SAFE!!!!
This is an incredibly well made video. Thanks a bunch.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is an awesome video that shows how a conglomeration can glom on to one another and congeal under different guises and in the end, no one is better off than they were before the self righteous decided to get involved in something that was not harming anyone in the first place. Well, no physical harm, but harm to several egos and wallets. I always knew there was more to this than the CARB and other political organizations. Thanks for bringing everything together.
Thanks for watching and commenting It is much appreciated
Great video, I just hope we can get some rejuvenation of two strokes in the sport bike market. I would really like my sport bikes to be lighter and pack a ton of power.
I remember back in the day we raced a Yamaha 250 and aprilia 125 2-stroke road racers they were so light
Thanks for the video, very high quality, well done. I appreciate that you took the time to show the corruption involved, and why the seemingly small regulations turn out to be big problems. Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.
Always rode a 2-stroke.
First one was a Hodaka 100 in the late 60s. My favorite was my
1987 KX 500 Very fast and always held a good idle.
I gave it to my nephew in almost perfect running condition. ( new piston and barrel). I just got to old at 64 years old.
Combat Wombat
You left out the ktm fourstroke mx bike of the era.
I agree about most of this story and have been telling people for years.
I'm a 2 stroke guy
i hope they come back, i missed out on the street legal dual sport 2t's of the 90's where i am.
I had a 1988 kmx200 in 1997 paid £1k it was an absolute blast. Felt like be 6' off the ground on a 100mph bicycle. I think I was only 9st at the time aswel. Had a bit of an eating disorder at the time. Can't stop eating now.
@@chrishart8548 yeah those bikes were fast for what meager ccs they had, a lot are still running here but mostly used as trail bikes now, dt 50-170's, tsr125, few crs, kmx125. very rich classic bike scene here too called vinduro, 80's 2t's, i think i learned to ride on an L2 or an rs100.
The costs to race a late model 4 stroke are quite a bit higher. Current 4 strokes (especially the 250F's) have a pretty short lifespan and the rebuilds are $$$$. IMO they're now 80 hour bikes if MX raced at a moderate level, much less at the pro level. 40 hours for the first top end/valve service, then sell it after another 40. By 40 hours on a piston the bike is way down on power, which is why Yamaha's spec on the 250F is 12.5 hours on a top end. By 80 hours with a fast rider the second piston, cylinder, and whole valvetrain are well past due for replacement. Just sell the bike at that point and grab a freshie. I like both 2 and 4 strokes, but there's no denying the 4 stroke revolution made racing less available for the average working man/woman.
I remember my friends getting crf250's in the early 2000s. They were absolutely terrible, constantly breaking down, maintenance regime's that we're akin to top fuel dragsters. Was enough to keep me loving 2t. The hilarious part was they claimed their 4t was more reliable and needed less maintenance. I was running a 96 rmx on the original piston at the time and was always in front of them.
Even the cases get tossed by a pro mechanic on a hard run 250 4 stroke, the crank doesnt last under a pro, nothing does....they just keep building engines and swapping them out. 25K builds a killer engine.... They only run fast WFO....the engines kill them selves.................a kid trying to race one hard ends up with scrap.
If you would change out the cam chain and the valve springs twice per year you would probably never have no more problems
@@bradsanders6954450 4ts turn 14,000 rpm to make max horsepower ...the valve springs are wore out the first year but usually the cam chain breaks and goes through the bottom of the cases not without jamming the valves into the piston driving the valves sideways into the valve seats destroying the entire engine .
On a two stroke
Have you ever seen rod nettle bearings tapered down to a point of both ends of each nettle bearing at the crank pin .that is due to the runout of the crank even if it is within spec can be out as much as 0.05" .make the crank read zero at both ends at the same time while turning it in v blocks ...rod bearings will last twice as long and free up some horse power
This video will be so nostalgic in a few years when the headline is "Who killed the gas dirt bike?"
550,000 on a dirt bike? I did a double take and had to rewind that part.
The bike better be made of solid gold and diamonds, I better be able to lift it with one hand, and it better be dual sport for that price. Hell I want it amphibious too where it’ll just float on water like Jesus for 550,000 doll hairs
Funny thing is, not just 2 stroke dirt bikes sound like this... I raced go-karts, and once you said "If you've ever heard this sound" *plays a mp3 audio of 2 stroke engines rumbling* I instantly thought "GO KARTS!!!!"
yea those too since most have 2 stroke dirtbike engines in them
A Genius of a Video!!!Long Live the TWO STROKE!!
Thank you
Great video!! I’m getting ready to turn the big 6-O soon and don’t ride much anymore, because of the loss of my favorite open trail riding grounds here in SE Virginia. Oh, what fond memories! But, what I still have in my possession is my 2017 YZ-125…’til death do us part, LMFAO!☝️🤣🤘🇺🇸
Thanks for watching
I remember back in 1975 you could buy the exact same World Grand Prix MX Championship CZ 250cc mx bike for $1000. This is sad because today's youth end up on drug's instead of faster lighter cooler dirt bikes.
I'll never have as much fun as I did when I was a kid riding on the 1986 YZ80 for the first time! "the yellow and black one" I'll never ever forget that smell! that fear at first after that power band kicked in! and the fun sharing it back and forth with my best friends! I feel sorry for kids that didn't get to experience it. I'm 40 years old now and about to get a KLX300 or the CRf300L because it's like a dirtbike you can legally ride on the road! but it's still not like a 2 stroke.
Ooh, I learned how ride on a bike with gears on a 87 yz, loved it, then I bought a kx 80 87. Weapon, but my mates yz 87 was bulletproof. I’m talking 10 of us taking turns on it, compression braking, because half of us couldn’t ride, dinking for hours at a time, no problem. This was in 1990, & thus, my motocross journey began. I think the yz 80’s got back disc in 1992 or 1993 if I’m not mistaken. Fastest 80 I rode when I was a kid was 85 yz on its last bore, ridiculous.
After a 15 year break from riding, I traded a few rifles(1 of them very high end) for a 2013 KTM 250sx. Haven’t had much chance to ride it yet cause it was November but looking forward to spring. This bike won’t see much air time but it will get my 53 year old ass outside more. Been working out more too cause I want to be ready to ride it this spring. Not too sure about the hydraulic clutch thingy though.
Hydraulic clutch will be the least of your concerns once out riding... 😂😂.. they are smooth and reliable.. the ground gets harder as we get older I've found out i don't bounce like i used too..😂😂
@@rebekahfrench5747 Truth!
I am a 70 year old street rider who grew up with the Kaw 500 and 750 2-stroke triples, and the Yamaha RD series. I SO, so wish somebody could come up with a modern updated 2-stroke road bike. I am fortunate enough financially to buy pretty much any bike I want. If Kawasaki or Suzi or Yammy would build a 2-stroke street bike....especially a triple....I'd buy it in a heartbeat !!
BRC is working on a conversion for the newer Yamaha R6, its called the BRCR600.
If your in the U.S. they will NEVER make it happen due to "Emissions" Requirements!!! Very Sad since they are so much more inexpensive to build!!!
I got a RG500 sitting in my garage that needs some love
Interesting enough the little 2 stroke through its high revving engine can produce a lot of horse power. With internal combustion engines horsepower and rpm are directly related. 40 years ago the 4 stroke scooter wasn't much compared to the little light weight 2 stroke. It was about this time that Suzuki had the RM and PE models. I had an opportunity to ride a PE and was that a joy especially coming from a 4 stroker. Recently, I was looking at the KTM 150 XC-W and wondering what this little 214 pound monster could do with a good competent rider. Good Video, Goon-Man.
Good video, really?...I dunno I suppose if you've been hiding under a rock for the past thirty to forty years. I do get it but the title of the video kinda determines it's audience. Anyways the climate is changing and in terms of mass production/consumption something needed to change and still does. I actually think in regards to motocross racing the future can and will possibly be electric dirtbikes, just give them another decade of development.
@@ouch74 LMAO
Modern 4 strokes rev out much higher than contemporary 4 strokes. A KTM motocross 250 4 T can see 13,0000 rpm.
@@ouch74 manufacturing of batteries is prolly worst than what the 2t's emit.
The KTM 150 is an amazing little bike. I just came off of one and switched to a 350 4-stroke. They're both compelling in their own ways.
A 2 stroke woods bike for a 6ft 200lb dude would be simply amazing! Like the IT200 or KDX200
The n check out the beta 200rr great woods bike
I’m 65 and when I was a kid all I wanted to do was move to California from Ontario Canada with my dirt bikes and ride. Nowadays you couldn’t drag me there.
EPA and CARB was about 50% of it, the other 50% was the 200cc advantage 4 strokes got. A 450 and a 250 2t make pretty much the same power but the 4 strokes are easier to ride, make more traction, and are smoother giving them the edge over a 250. This little edge is enough to make a difference around a track so every manufacturer and racer went 4 stroke.
Also keep in mind 4 strokes can now spin about 5,000 rpm faster than 2 strokes. (Comared to the mid 70's when 4 strokes used to spin slower).
@@onlyhereforthefish9924 yep my yz250 revs to about 7k and a 450 is like 12k
Very informative! And the very same politics are being used against string trimmers & weed wackers!
California tries to dictate for all of the other states since they are a port of entry. I live in the southeast and there are no motor restrictions.
Great video! I would love to see BRPs E-Tec 2 stroke technology on a modern bike. Can-Am maybe? Lol! I doubt it but that would be cool!
That would be cool!
I've been saying this is the reason there's no excuse to innovate the 2 strokes. Snowmobiles and jet skis do it already.
@@2smokejoke what’s old will be new again and I honestly think it’s coming 👍🏻 I see a 2 stroke future. They are cheaper to produce and believe it or not, when done correctly they actually run cleaner than a 4 stroke
I had an almost new (but worked) Suzuki PE250, loved hitting the power band! Very quick, used to leave my friends behind who had Yamaha TT500s. The big 4 strokes never had a chance. I would love another one or even better a Yamaha IT465 or YZ490.
Great video and honest commentary that is 100 % spot on and truthful, thank you for the honesty , a vote for you and your analytical honesty would put American back on top of the world 👍🇦🇺👍
I love the smell of castor beans in the morning.
me too
I am going to have that smell this morning on my restored 1995 CR250.
Not to change the subject, but The comment about CA not going after Diesel engines is a bit far fetched.
Was born on a 2 stroke & I’ll die on one.
California goes after everything I guess
@@BornAGoon yes it does! That’s why they’ll never stop over regulating and over stepping. Notice how when the 4 strokes were being mass produced, CARB suddenly implemented noise emissions for the newer bikes? Total joke! As if the noise produces some sort of effect on the air quality they had already claimed while they drive around in their government issued v8 SUV’s and motorcades
The last 2-stroke I had and raced local motocross was a 1979 Husky 250 CR... sold it in the late 80's (I'm an old dirt rider). Ever since then I've ridden 4-stroke enduro bikes off road for fun. About 5 years ago I found someone selling a 1979 Husky 250 CR in running condition... I test rode it and almost lost control due to how much more incredible power than my 250 4-stroke Yamaha TTR 250 that I was used too. Being 70+ the 4-strokes are good for an old guy like me, BUT any serious able bodied dirt rider needs a 2-stroke to truly appreciate what 2-stroke riding provides to power and speed demons like I was when younger.
It's a simple difference of torque based on rpm. When I raced dirt bikes, it was the feel of the high revs= peak power that gave the bike its stability & feel and it became the animal I tried to tame. Today's 4 stroke engines have incredible low end torque and don't rev as high as a 2 stroke, but they feel better on trail riding than the race track. There's 2 things to consider. In a 2 stroke, the power stroke is roughly half the travel down the bore because of intake and exhaust ports, but no valves means high rpm. 4 stroke with its intake and exhaust valves make possible a full travel power stroke delivering much more torque and at low rpm. 4 strokes weigh more too. It all comes down to preference.
so, i have an 02 kx125 and a 23 klx300sm. the kx125 is a lot more fun to ride all because of the power band. the benefits of the 4 stroke on the trails i ride are definitely there but still the 2 stroke ends up being a funner experience every time. i guess on days when i just want to cruise and have a chill trail experience the 4 stroke is the clear winner.
I rode my brother's dirt bikes occasionally, both 2 strokes and 4 strokes, and I have found that much of the 4 stroke's supposedly better low end was illusionary. What kind of power band the manufacturer was shooting for, and the displacement, made much more of a difference than whether it was 2 cycle or 4 cycle. His 1979 YZ 400 motocross bike seemed to make nearly as much low end as his DR 400 4 cycle trail bike. Maybe the smaller displacement engines would show more of a difference between 2 cycle and 4 cycle.
This was very well researched and presented. I appreciate that you saw the light at an early stage and were able to hold onto the superior design of the much simpler and powerful two stroke engine. I totally agree with you about how the two stroke fell into disfavor, but I do have a different take on why: Why? For the same reason the Indy turbine car was choked down to where it could never compete and why no Wankel engine designs are utilized: Big Oily wants the world to use four stroke piston engines (because they waste a full stroke, have more friction and consume more fuel).
Thank you for watching and sharing another perspective
On your last statement with big oil, I’d argue they’d appreciate a 2 stroke more. They use more petroleum products to run, (gasoline plus the mixing oil) They are less fuel efficient than 4 strokes. (They don’t “waste a stroke” so they’re consuming petroleum products on every up stroke). And they still have the same transmission service intervals. A 2-stroke straight up uses more oil products. And I absolutely love my YZ250
@@rostifardian Ding, ding, ding, exactly sir, well put.
I love 2-strokes as much as anyone
But to the question of four strokes being to expensive December’22 I purchased my first ever “ modern “4 stroke for $7998 that is a brand new’22 yz450f with 0 hrs
And to the question of Yamaha killing the 2-stroke I do agree they had a part with the yz400 but who is the only Japanese manufacturer still producing them YAMAHA and the yz250x is a amazing machine and wish I kept the’17 model I had. But the tech on the 450f with the Yamaha app is very impressive.
I had a 1979 Yamaha MX175 - best motorcycle I ever owned- street or trail - it used YamaLube (oil) that the bike mixed with the gas as you were riding! I put a 52 tooth sprocket ⚙️ on the back to replace the stock 49 tooth sprocket for more low end torque and to climb hills. Those were the good old days! Four stroke is fine for the street (I had a 1983 Honda Nighthawk 650) but 2 stroke for the dirt - period.
14:25 That is similar to the argument behind the whole internal combustion engine (ice) vs. EV automobiles altogether.
Yeah they sound cool but a 4 stroke sounds way cooler. Both have pros and cons but I think a 4 stroke is the better buy. Plus without the manufacturers going crazy with them we wouldn’t have the tech we have now.
2500 and up rebuild cost on modern 4 stroke dirtbikes, 100 hour engine life, rebuild it wrong and they explode.................for sure the better buy..................a 250 4 stroke ran hard can last 20 hours.....................try to sell a used 4 stroke, they are treated as scrap.
@@bradsanders6954 Exactly! I totally restored my 1995 CR250. All new bolts, powder coated the frame, replated the cylinder, new piston and rings, tires, all new seals on the suspension, and it cost me around $2000. Go get an old four stroke and try to do that for that price.
Liberals
Crazy I never realized ALL of my family and friends stopped riding around the 85/125 class time. About 13-16 years old and our parents all picked school based sports. Never really knew why but makes since. How could my dad work 2 boys and his own business afford 20k in bikes plus new gear, boots, helmet etc of growing kids…. I’m lucky I had such a great dad to be able to ride from pd50 in the yard to super mini at LL.
I never really got into dirt racing with bikes, but I can understand the fury in your voice. It would seem like there'd be enough room for a 2 and 4 stroke series, being separate from each other.
El problema es que hubo y hay muchos pilotos diabólicamente rápidos. A mí me impresionaron Valentino, Lorenzo, Stoner y Márquez. Luego hay 100 más, todos buenísimos.
This has me wondering why Can-Am doesn't develop a bike powered a Rotax 2-stroke. Their direct injected 2-strokes are on the cutting edge of what's possible as far as emissions and power are concerned.
It isn't only for dirt bikes. I had the suzuki 750 water cooled first model. It had torque power and luggability. It had no valve clatter and it took no maintenance. But what is more is that it used marginally more fuel than my Honda CB 250. So a good two stroke can be made. In fact had they gone to direct fuel injection it would have eliminated that final menace, smoke. I had many road two strokes and they had developed a long way over the years.
@smitajky - FYI - direct (or transfer port) fuel injection will NOT solve the 2-stroke smoking issue. All loop-scavenged 2-stroke engines (i.e. motorcycle 2-strokes engines) run the incoming fresh air through the crankcase (where the descending piston forces that air through the transfer ports into the combustion chamber. The main bearings and big-end rod bearings need some form of lubrication; that lubricating oil (regardless if it's pre-mixed with the fuel, or injected directly onto the crank and rod bearings) will inevitably mix with the incoming fresh-air, and therefore be swept into the combustion chamber (causing the infamous blue smoke). It doesn't matter when the fuel is introduced into the incoming charge. However, it is possible to make a 2-stroke engine where the incoming fresh air does not go through the crankcase first (therefore separating the lubricating oil from the incoming fresh air), but these engines require an external supercharger to pressurize the incoming fresh air (to force it through the transfer ports). However, this type of 2-stroke engine has never been made for a mass produced motorcycle. The best known examples of this type of 2-stroke engines are the "Detroit Diesel" (the name of a company, not the city) 2-stroke diesel engines.
Started on 75’ YZ80
Currently riding 05’ Gas Gas 300 2-stroke for singletrack. 99% of buddies ride smokers. The old style four stroke motors aren’t bad (XR200 was a fun bike) but these new high reving short stroke motors are time bombs, my buddies shop is full of them constantly. Make mine pre-mix👌🏻
I know that smell and power well... had a fantastic 1978 Husqvarna 250CR!
Captured the heart of the matter very well! I miss riding. I'm in my 60's, have had injuries making it a bad idea, but I would be sorely tempted.... Loved my 2 stroke, torquier than most at the expense of being quick, great hill climber (ran with 250's there!) and pretty good for enduro style which was my main interest. Have run XR500, CR250, and test road an IT400, all were impressive in one way or another. But two stroke was my favorite for sure.
Loved my 1973 Yamaha 125 enduro .
I later bought a Kawasaki KH400 ( 3 cylinder 2 stroke), what a fun bike .
I lived in socal. At one point 2 strokes went back to green while 4 strokes went to red. It flipped back and forth a couple times. By the time we left, all competition bikes were red regardless of stroke. Only trail bikes were green. I thought it was mainly because of spark risk . Once it was clear that 4 strokes sparked and 2 strokes didn't, they switch sticker color.
When I was in high school I worked part time at the local Yamaha shop as a mechanic and I had a clapped out yz400 that had been traded in. The previous mechanic had taken the top end off but had done nothing else, so I rounded up the parts, put it back together, and discovered why he had taken it apart - severe piston slap.
I was too broke to fix it so I just rode it with the slapping piston and had a blast with it. It would absolutely haul ass if I wanted that, or would calmly navigate trails.
Experiencing a two stroke coming on the pipe truly is an orgasmic experience.
It is a shame that those days have gone by and bikes are now out of reach of many kids that otherwise might be the next generation of motocross riders.