15 Years of Racing - 2 Strokes Are The Way

by Don
(Riverside, Ca)

I raced for 15 yrs when I was younger. Motocross, enduro's, desert, even 3 yrs of speedway. Rode a lot of bikes over the yrs and I remember several 2 strokes that if tuned correctly put out a gob load of low end. Maybe not quite as much as a 450 or 600 thumper on a dyno, but enough to quickly pull you along no problem.

My Maico 400 pulled as hard down low as anything. Maico motors were as smooth as they come but don't get lazy cause they flat haul butt.

My Suzuki RM250B wasn't half bad for a small bore motor. And so much easier to maintain.

I also had an XR500. Always cleaning and tuning and changing fluids. And I guarantee that over the course of a 4 hr Gran Prix race the 10 or 15 pounds extra on a 4 stroke will take it's toll and is very noticeable toward the end.

They can engineer 2 strokes with torque, I just don't know why some manufactures have thrown in the towel on the 2 stroke. I will take a 2 stroke all day long over a thumper. Heck yes!