Modern V-4 2 smoke
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SuperBike
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From: Atlanta, GA
You do see less and less 2T's in snowmobiles. Karts aren't really relevant to the discussion since there has never been road legal karts and the sport is more obscure than disc-golf.
The displacement point is disingenuous. Based on firing cycles, they are the same since 2T's fire their displacement twice as many times per minute as 4T's do. That said, a 450cc 4T MX bike makes nearly as much HP as a 500cc 2T used to but it's far easier to ride.
The displacement point is disingenuous. Based on firing cycles, they are the same since 2T's fire their displacement twice as many times per minute as 4T's do. That said, a 450cc 4T MX bike makes nearly as much HP as a 500cc 2T used to but it's far easier to ride.
The fact is that 2 strokes aren't inferior and are, in fact, still superior in many ways in spite of relatively less development than 4 strokes over the past 40 years or so, which is why they are still in widespread use in powersports, scooters, chainsaws, blowers, etc. all over the world.
Opinions are opinions and facts are facts.
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Superstock
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500 2 strokes were never allowed to race with 450 4 strokes (in my recollection).
I'm certain if you asked some 450 racers whether they'd be okay going up against a 500 2 stroke they would not be for it... That is why YZ125s raced with YZ250Fs. That is also why YZ250s raced with YZ450Fs. So that math dictates the 4 stroke needs to be 45% bigger in size (CC) to achieve the same performance. And that was with a YZ250 with year 2000 engine technology, and a YZ450F with 2010 technology.
James
I'm certain if you asked some 450 racers whether they'd be okay going up against a 500 2 stroke they would not be for it... That is why YZ125s raced with YZ250Fs. That is also why YZ250s raced with YZ450Fs. So that math dictates the 4 stroke needs to be 45% bigger in size (CC) to achieve the same performance. And that was with a YZ250 with year 2000 engine technology, and a YZ450F with 2010 technology.
James
In Europe, they used to race MX 1 (now "MXGP"), MX 2 and MX 3. The largest (MX 3) is an "open" class, allowing basically anything (500cc 2T or 650 4T). This "open" class was often won on the same 450T that the guy used to race the MX 2 class.
MX3 has been cancelled for 2014, just as 500cc was cancelled back in the mid-90's here.
And again, the math dictates the displacement change because of the 4T making half the number of explosions per minute as a 2T.
Thread Starter
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MotoGP
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,213
From: Gettysburg, Pa
Synthetic HuskyXP. 
It's funny to think I run a chainsaw much bigger than that Aprilia, James. It's a 94cc beast! I warm it up just like the crew revved the bikes in the garage. 
Honda NSR500 [1984] - TRACTIONS MOVIE 22 - YouTube
Part of the lure is the unrideable label. All those years spent dreaming about throwing a leg over such a beast. Now, for the modest sum of $136k
, I can live my dream. 
No doubt with today's TC packages ride-ability should be selectable, especially for 136!
It's funny to think I run a chainsaw much bigger than that Aprilia, James. It's a 94cc beast! I warm it up just like the crew revved the bikes in the garage. Honda NSR500 [1984] - TRACTIONS MOVIE 22 - YouTube
Part of the lure is the unrideable label. All those years spent dreaming about throwing a leg over such a beast. Now, for the modest sum of $136k
, I can live my dream. No doubt with today's TC packages ride-ability should be selectable, especially for 136!
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SuperBike
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,510
Read what some of the manufacturer's experts have to say about why 4 strokes are the "it thing", and what is going on with two strokes:
http://www.kawieriders.com/forum/kaw...oke-folks.html
James
http://www.kawieriders.com/forum/kaw...oke-folks.html
James
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Read what some of the manufacturer's experts have to say about why 4 strokes are the "it thing", and what is going on with two strokes:
Great News for 2-Stroke folks - Kawasaki ATV Forum
James
Great News for 2-Stroke folks - Kawasaki ATV Forum
James
KTM sold 123,859 motorcycles in 2013, making their 2-stroke output a respectable ~20% of units sold (assuming they're still making that many now). They project 200k total units by 2016. I wonder how many will be 2-stroke?
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MotoGP
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Finding what stirs your soul is a good thing, IMO. These 2 smokes do just that for me, along w/ the big sport twins. I am instantly taken back to my old dirt bike days. I didn't own but rode a KX125 and can only imagine what 4 together in V-4 configuration would feel like. I've flogged a few 80's (my own included) but never anything bigger than the KX. If this mechanical music doesn't do it for you, that's fine. I love it!!
RZV500R - YouTube
RZV500R - YouTube
Thread Starter
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From: Gettysburg, Pa
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