I love two-strokes! I get a huge amount of pleasure from zinging about on my gorgeous Suzuki Hustler. She'll be 40 years old in 2012, and still rips up the road in fine style, leaving a sweet smelling blue haze in her wake! Every ride transports me back to 1972. It's like a time machine!
Cant say I share your enthusiasm Lee, two strokes to me have always been a noisy polluting source of annoyance.
I for one am not sorry to see the end of them.
I strongly disagree with the outlawing of 2-strokes. Had 2-strokes remained on the road and the track I think that they could've become more environmentally friendly than fours. The Thais and the Scandinavians of all people were investing a lot of effort in to direct injection which drastically minimised the amount of oil required to be burnt.
I have also read a convincing article (remember I am strongly biased) suggesting, due to the simplicity of manufacture, that once you take the environmental costs of manufacturing into account, the two stroke of yesteryear was less environmentally damaging than a modern four stroke. That is, from aluminium billet to wrecking yard, the 2-stroke out performed the 4-stroke over and over.
Their demise upsets me greatly. I still own an RGV gamma. It's my trackie. Here is another magnificent project, built in America, using the awesome H2/750 (mentioned in the article). Note the inversion of petrol tank and chambers.
I've owned quite allot of two-strokes over the years from; Yamaha RD350, 400, RD500, Suzuki, GT350, 550 and 750, RG500 Gamma, Kawaski KH350, 500 and 750. There's nothing like their sound, especially the triples with good expansion chambers.
I truely wish there was some way to bring them back. The Bimota V-Due was a start in the right direction but was doomed. 110 Horsepower with a top speed of 165, ho hum.
got an old (mid 70s?) TS185 field bike, it gets very little (zero) maintenance, but even after standing for months it will start and run after a few kicks, complete with clouds of blue smoke.
If Governments were honest they would also ban those b@stard annoying leaf blowers while they're at it! I hate them with a vengeance. They cause both noise and air pollution, what's wrong with a rake and broom? Pure antisocial laziness and disregard for other people. I'd like to stick the damn things up their owner's backsides and turn them all into michelin men
For the record, nobody is more passionate about two strokes than the mighty P2. (leaf blowers and weed wackers included). If governments were really honest they would bring back two strokes and ban those b@stard annoying ball sports fans who yell and screem like banshees for hours on end every week end. They cause noise and air pollution (all those behemoth SUV's they drive idling waiting to get in the stadium) and are antisocial with total disregard for people trying to work on their H2's on Saturday mornings. If it were to up to me, I would load them and their symbal bashing marching bands up and dump them in the Grand Canyon to do their ear shattering nonsense there and let me ride my sweet sounding RD250 without audio interference from some high school marching band!!
Ban leaf blowers? Fantastic idea. How about we go one step further and ban all lawn and garden gas powered equipment? Think of the thousands of unemployed we could put back to work.
An interesting article; however, what the author fails to mention is that the Kawasaki triples had horrible handling and only did well in a straight line. That's why so many of these engines are put in another (better handling) frame these days; the better to fully utilize the power. Back in the late 70's, I did a little welding job on a friend's H1 that he used as a track bike. We installed an aftermarket handling kit that consisted of forward slant (popular in those days) upper shock brackets and some braces. I asked him later about how much improvement he got out of it. He replied that while it handled a bit better, and the places that we braced didn't flex any more; it started flexing in different places.
There are a lot of things to like about two-stroke engines; the SMELL (with Castor oil), the SOUND (with chambers) the explosive power, and the low parts count. On the other side of the coin, the crank seals are the Achilles Heel; they cause tuning problems or an outright engine seizure due to air leaks leaning the mixture out. The cranks need rebuilding from time to time, and the pistons and rings wear out faster (depending on how hard you run it). I disagree with the pollution angle that caused them not to be legally imported to the US for road use; the amount of miles ridden on a bike is not as great as those driven in cars, and there are less of them by comparison. Like it or not, we have to move with the times.
This is my Yamaha RD-400 that I restored last year. I've got approx $3000.00 tied up in the engine alone (including the Jemco chambers), money that I'll never recover when I eventually sell it. The project served it's purpose nevertheless; at least for the education value. It's been posted before; this is for the benefit of those who haven't seen it yet. ...........James.
Small side note, apparently in WW1, some aero engines actually did use Castor Oil for lubrication, and the constant breathing of said fumes made the pilots ummm... "regular". The skiddies were not in their Reg Grundies due to fear.
I have also read a convincing article (remember I am strongly biased) suggesting, due to the simplicity of manufacture, that once you take the environmental costs of manufacturing into account, the two stroke of yesteryear was less environmentally damaging than a modern four stroke. That is, from aluminium billet to wrecking yard, the 2-stroke out performed the 4-stroke over and over.
Good point boldor, in a recent cradle to grave comparison, a Jeep Wrangler proved to be (by that measure) the greenest car currently on the market, due to ease of manufacture, recyclability, and overall impact over the entire life of the car, not just how green they are between fuel refills.
This same measure also placed a Prius at 127th on the green credentials list...
100% two stroke guy until the mid 70s. A Suzuki fan. Put 40,000 on my second bike, a T10. Older bro got an X6 same time I got mine. Lost his license on that beastie. Had fun watching Frank E. put tons of money in his honda 305 scrambler and never ever beating an X6, but I still love the sound of that 305 with Snuff-or-Nots open and the styling of it.
There's a certain guy (Read brother) who has two T500s safely ensconced in his Manspace.
Love 2-stroke motorcycles, they're crazy, screaming machines and very fun to ride! Too bad no one has come up with a way to scavenge the oil and/or clean up the exhaust.
Castor oil is also referred to a bean oil. It is refined from the castor plant. It has a nice smelling and distinctive odor. I always used it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil_plant
It is highly toxic if kids eat the beans on the plant. We had lots of it around where i grew up. The stalks produced a white milky fluid if broken. Not toxic unless swallowed.
I've had quite a few smokers over the years and i loved them all.
The one below is of my two kids and me ex missus with my 1979 Kawasaki KH400 in 1984.
Went like split sh!t and the front tire took ages to wear out, any idea why?
This is me and my daughter on my Russian 350 Planeta Sport.
The sport version had mag wheels and 12 volt Yamaha electrics.
Wasn't bad for a 350 single stroker, quite a bit of bottom end.
This is me and my son in 1978 on my`75 Suzuki T500.
I always fancied a Hustler, so i saw this as a larger version.
Had it for about five years and it never gave me any trouble.
I also had a couple of GT750 Kettles, both had expansion boxes and sounded brilliant but handled like the wheel bearing were shot.
The government LOVES to pretend to want to preserve the environment. Up here in New England they add something to the gasoline in the winter months that is supposed to suppress pollution in the colder weather. BULL !!
What does it really do?? It kills mileage... so you have to burn more gas to go the same distance.
If two-strokes were still being developed today, they would get better gas mileage and pollute a LOT less. Case in point... VW diesels in Europe topping 50mpg and running clean.
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