BRING BACK THE TWO-STOKES!!! By Daryl Ecklund

[twosmoke595]

The author at warp speed.

    After racing the Two-Stroke National this weekend at Glen Helen I feel the motocross community needs to come together to go on strike and demand the comeback of two-strokes. If you have to ask why, you?re either to young to respect the two-stoke era, or haven't rode a two-stroke in a long time. Don?t get me wrong, I like to swing my leg over the technology driven four-strokes?which is what I ride the majority of the time. But for some reason, I feel that I?ve been tricked through the years to just adapt to the four-stroke craze. Let's get real for a moment, four-strokes are much heavier, more expensive, need almost double the CC?s to compete with the two-stokes and after this weekend I realized ?the fun factor? is off the charts. So I ask myself, is this some government conspiracy coverup, because something is quite fishy about this.
    I still remember the day I was forced into changing over to a four-stroke. I was riding for American Honda at the time as an Amateur racer, they gave me the option to choose between a two-stroke or four stroke. The year prior I remember being 5th gear taped and just getting blown by, by these 250 four strokes. At the time I was mad! I thought it was blatant cheating and I knew to be competitive, I had no choice but to choose the four-stroke. The decision left me nothing but headaches and withdrawals. I felt as if I just broke up with my girlfriend and traded her in for a more complicated upgraded version. As if girls aren't  complicated enough!
    Enough with my rant. My long lost love and I were reunited once again after a long separation. This weekends race was a blast and had tons of competition. Bottom line the crisp sound of the two-strokes needs to make a comeback. Two-stokes, if you make a comeback I promise not to turn my back on you again.

[Stusmoke]

Best thing about equal displacement isn't that it instantly makes the smokers superior, its that it gives the privateers a fighting F***ing chance at a top 20 finish. Privateers are what makes the sport its money, not the big arse factory teams. If privateers can't afford the bikes, what does ole davey think will happen?

[2T Institute]

What ever makes you think privateers are supposed to have any chance at all? Privateers are there to make factory teams look good. If a privateers suddenly started beating factory teams someone in management would quickly ask Why do we spend all this money on a factory team to get beaten by a private entry? Private riders entering meetings don't even cover a 10th of the costs of professional motorsports. For that you need sponsors, TV coverage and massive promotion.To get all that you need name riders and thats where factory teams enter the equation they (only they) have the cash for name riders.

[Stusmoke]

What ever makes you think privateers are supposed to have any chance at all? Privateers are there to make factory teams look good. If a privateers suddenly started beating factory teams someone in management would quickly ask Why do we spend all this money on a factory team to get beaten by a private entry? Private riders entering meetings don't even cover a 10th of the costs of professional motorsports. For that you need sponsors, TV coverage and massive promotion.To get all that you need name riders and thats where factory teams enter the equation they (only they) have the cash for name riders.

I meant more of a financial chance rather than a competitive chance.

[SwapperMX]

Awesome article. More and more of these keep popping up all the time. The tide continues its change, slowly its happening.

[factoryX]

Is there a link or did you type this out?

[eprovenzano]

Can you feel the passion for the sport returning after someone finishing racing a 2 stroke...  It seems as though something has been missing in the MX racing world....  oh I know what it is, the fun factor has returned to those riding a smoker.

[twosmoke595]

http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/MOTOCROSS-ACTIONS-MIDWEEK-REPORT-BY-JOHN-BASHER-41-9979.aspx

All of this stuff is pulled from this article

[Micahdogg]

Seek comfort in the fact that guys like me were able to resist the urge.  Two years ago I purchased the only brand new bike I've ever had - a 2011 KTM 250sx.  I almost didn't get one and had to settle for a left-over 2008 YZ450F for $4300 OTD.  Fortunately I found the KTM 250 miles away and happily drove that far for the opportunity to pay $6600 OTD.

Two years later I'm still loving the bike.  One of my friends just purchased a 2012 KX250F, and it feels really good to not have any hint of jealousy.  My bike is lighter, faster (proven), and easier to maintain which made me feel really good when he recently adjusted his valves.  I honestly could not be happier and will continue to only purchase two strokes for my dirt bikes.  And there are others just like me.  I'll go to Husky, Gas Gas, TM, then the used market before settling for a thumper.  I've ridden em and they are different and not in a better way.  Maybe not much worse, but they aren't answering any questions that I'm asking.

[kim wedding]

2 stroke's kill it for motorcycle fun, race machine's in the dirt or on the asphalt. A guy on another site built a 1992 mugen motor on a 6-speed honda cr125 transmission in a  250 f frame and was ripping on that bike, That show's the technology is here right now and CHEAP and still cutting edge with lot's of other 2 stroke bike's being incredible race machine's.  We the rider's need to support 2 stroke's and exclude 4 stroke's for the time being to build up 2 stroke racing. I'M  not saying hate 4 stroke's but until the racing is fair for 2 strokes, my money goes for 2 stroke's. My eye's on 2 stroke's, all 2 stroke's all the time. US rider's both 2 stroke and 4 stroke better stand together to fight for our right to ride even if we don't ride on the same track's at the same time or together at any time.

I don't see why it's so hard to get a company to put all the peices together and build a killer 2 stroke any size mx bike and build to the market they have.  I'VE seen builder's build some cool 2 stroke's on these dirt bike site's. I would love to see a real effort to build a 125 for my taste with the best motor on the best tranmission in the best frame and so on and so on until the bike of my  dreams, you're dream's our dream's is a reality. I MEAN a bike built up of part's from  any of the bike companies or aftermafket built for each rider. I know alot of people would love it one way and other people like it different, but a good company could do it and make a great product for a great price and make a profit  as well. I meam how cool would it be to have every thing done to you're bike the day you buy it instead of then starting to build it . IF a person wanted a steel frame or aluminuin frame , back bone or perimeter frame,  steep angle or slacker handling  in the color  of plastic they want , shaped the way they want. IT seem's all the petent's to make monster 2 stroke m-x bike's are available to anyone, so here's to someone with the MONEY getting the job done.

[VintageBlueSmoke]

Price a 2 stroke rebuild and then a 4 stroke rebuild along the manufactuer's recommendations,  2 stroke is cheaper. Price the same along the reality of when you NEED to rebuild, 2 stroke is 1/2 again cheaper. Price the cost of failure - not catastrophic (no bottom end damage), 2 stroke is 4 times cheaper.

All the bikes are going to cost the same for wheel bearings, suspension parts, plastic etc but look at how many aftermarket 2 stroke exhausts you can buy for the cost of 1 aftermarket 4 stroke kit...

...and then figure in the big smile on your face just how "cool" you are on a 2 stroke, PRICELESS!

[citabjockey]

Is the cold getting to you northern latitude folks?  What is the matter with people up there?

I think I know of one KTM 250 SX that got sold after the dealer cut the price on it a lot to get rid of it last year...