Id like to start this thread so that we can share opinions in terms of personal preferences, pros and cons of 4/2 stroke engines...

Well im a 4 stroke person (used to be - more later on this) i like them for not having to mix fuel, more torque, smoother power band, less maintenace, better exhaust note (on my 4 stroke perference - more later) however, rebuilds cost alot more and hte power isnt as great than that of a 2 stroke.

BUT, the new generation of 4 strokes are sh!t if you ask me because they rev like a 2 strokes and are the same if not harder to maintain that a 2 banger. secondly the engine (most are) short stroke - now to the part i said id explain later...my type of 4 stroke is a long stroke style engine, not those crf 250 buzz box engines (short stroke), but a torquey 4 stroke. i like torque over revs, and a long stroke has the best exhaust note - but good luck on achiving torque now with the new generation of 4 strokes which can rev up to 12K+ !!!!!

so now with this in my face i thought if im going to be using revs like that why not go 2 stroke - it will be easier to maintain...so now im into 2 strokes. Here you can get good power and revs (not my favourtie but the amount of power makes it worth it). And a 2 stroke race bike (ie nsr) flying down the high way near my house sounds awsome!!!!

so in the end i like 2 strokes in general over a four stroke BUT if i can get a long stroke, 4 stroke (ie stroke lengh in mm is more than then bore width in mm) id have that - its also why i had a crf 230 (60mm stroke 55mm bore - i think) not a bad bike, more cc would be nice but the torque was nice u could take of in 2nd if not 3rd, it could idle up a rutted hill (40% gradient) in 2nd...but i sold it no thats enough of that...

now i need an nsr!!!

so what do you guys think of 2 vs. 4 strokes?

Well a 2 stroke makes more torque cc - cc so you should be doubly happy

What would really make you happy is a 400cc, long throw crank conversion

For me the difference isn't something I can quantify, 4 stroke ust seem soul-less. There are a few exceptions, I have enjoyed riding Ducati's 916 for example.

My wife's Hornet is a laugh but would not buy one.

I think if I was to cross the two I'd end with Aprilia's Tuono!!!!

The RGV has too many links to my past to ignore, watching Schwantz at donington, having an brand new rgv that used up all my wages, being as fast as my dad's 750 the smell, the noise, being the under-dog and suprising people.

Now it's about people staring at the bike, telling me all their tales of when they had one and how it was the best bike they ever had etc etc.

It's pretty hard to keep up with a modern 4T but they mostly WANT to ride behind for the smell anyway

I feel sorry for the genration of riders who went straight onto 600 and ask "what bike is that?" They don' know what they missed-enjoy it!
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http://www.rgv250.co.uk
http://www.thetuningworks.com

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more torque, smoother power band.

If I wanted torque, I'd buy a tractor. Who wants to go plowing with a motorcycle ?

torque is like automatic gear, if you don't want to shift gears, buy an automatic tinbox

I don't want a smooth powerband, a 2-T powerband kick is what driving a bike is all about.

Exhaust note ?? I prefer a wailing 2-T going cleanly up to 13000rpm over a pottering HD anytime.

,....torque was nice u could take of in 2nd if not 3rd, it could idle up a rutted hill (40% gradient) in 2nd

WHY in the name of ... would you want to do that You need a Landrover not a bike.

Are you an old man ? maybe not on paper, but in your heart Or just a troll
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Poul
"If Life Gets Boring, Risk It!"
MC21SE, KISS box
MC21SP, HRC box, racing loom

no im just a person who takes things and tests them (how much can this cope with, how much more will it take till it gives way? etc) nah its just sumthing i like to do - ie find out limits of a paticular thing.

Yes the powerband kick is actually quite good - thats why ive always wanted a 1985/1986 CR 500; the most powerfull 2 T motorcross bike - that model had the most power until honda resticted it (also the nasiest power band too )

Torque is not an automatic gear (would be if you put a torquey motor in a high reving bikes gear box) generally if you have torque you have a difffernet gearbox - one which would require shifts in order to get speed out of it...

one more point is that i noticed in your post you had alot of "I's"; I like this... I hate that... I dont like that - im not suggesting or recomending anything to you, im just says my 2c and not trying to decide what bike you like...

For me its got to be a two stroke. No four stroke will ever sound as good as a stroker on the pipe
Having gone down the 4t route i know i wont be happy without one.
i thought long and hard about what to replace my MC16 with, and its a two stroke
Like sean i grew up with strokers RD,s in my case, but i like them all.

2 stokes are great untill you ride a commonwealth RC45.

2 stoke or 4?, If I could only have one.. it'd be a 4t any day.
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If I have to take the carbs off once more...

StephenRC45 wrote:2 stokes are great untill you ride a commonwealth RC45.

2 stoke or 4?, If I could only have one.. it'd be a 4t any day.

I used to own Randy Renfrow's Commonwealth RC30, but I sold it to a friend. Stephen is right. If you're going to ride a 4 stroke, the RC30 (RC45 as well) is an amazing ride. DuHamel said that the RC30 felt like a 250 gp bike in size when he first got on it.

Joel
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1994 MC28 Rothman
TSR250 AC28M

2, 4, it all depends on what your applying it to.

track? 2-stroke
trails? 4-stroke
cruising Daytona? big V-Twin 4-stroke
Blowing grass clippings off the driveway? 2-stroke

I have a wide collection of pretty much all of them (heck I have a diesel tractor and truck). I like them all for what I use them for.

Andy hates it every time I send him a message of my new purchase as it's mostly a 4-stroke but for racing, nothing kicks you in the pants like a 2-stroke.

For single track trail riding I had a 2-stroke that needed to clean the plugs more then I wanted. That and doing single track rocky climbs the 4-stroke YZF250 is nice (yes, the tractor mode means I can climb pretty much anything).

Of course the KX100 big wheel I had was fun on the flat track. But when the power band kicked in, you didn't want to rear to catch, just prayed it kept spinning till the next corner. That an out in the fire roads and motocross tracks it was fun.

My custom that I built has a 100ci V-Twin in it. Fun for just relaxing on country roads, or showing off at places like Daytona Beach for bike week.

The DRZ400SM is a kick in the pants on the twisty mountain roads, and it's actually nice to commute on.

The 06 Yamaha R6 LE I just picked up was for a purpose. The handling/size feels a lot like my RS. Makes absolutely no power until about 10K, then it kicks in (not as hard as the RS, but it does kick). Not sure what I will do with it. Probably spirited street riding, and track use so I am not putting un-needed miles on my RS just to learn new tracks. Or I'll just sell it and make some money on it now that spring is here.

I think it comes down to I'll pretty much ride anything with two wheels and enjoy it for what it is.

All my yard power tools are 2-stroke (with exception of the mowers, those are either diesel, or 4-stroke). Nothing like strapping a 2-stroke motor to your back to clean your drive way or walk ways That and I need something to run my old race mix through when I get home. The lawn mower doesn't like it as much as the blower and trimmer.
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Charles Gallant

StephenRC45 wrote:2 stokes are great untill you ride a commonwealth RC45.

2 stoke or 4?, If I could only have one.. it'd be a 4t any day.

Why would you only want one? I'm confused I don't like that idea at all!
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Charles Gallant

I don't lol, Ive got 22
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If I have to take the carbs off once more...

Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jki4OQA5D4

Pretty much says it all

Joel
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1994 MC28 Rothman
TSR250 AC28M

1joel1 wrote:Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jki4OQA5D4

Pretty much says it all

Joel

I think it says more then it all... people who have to much time on their hands shouldn't have access to computers
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Charles Gallant

For me there's no argument - I grew up about 7 miles from Donnington - went to a few GPs, the speed, sound and smell of the 500 two strokes was superb, even when Doohan wiped out half the field one year

I also am of the age when the NSR, RGV, TZR YPVS etc were the bike to have, if you were young and spotty. Also when me and all my mates had 125s the 2 stroke ones were about teice as fast as the four stroke ones.

Four strokes have their place though, I commute into london everyday, an NSR250 probably wouldn't be the bike to do it on, I have a GT750 kawasaki and a Honda NTV650. Both completely hideous - but they work...

But for fun factor, the two stroke is tons better for me.... Even if the latest blade, R1, GSXR etc is faster.

Cheers, Mat.

Ah, the old arguement eh?

I've got both, a mid 60's horse mc28 and nc35 (as well as a Transalp) so here goes;

Running cost wise there is no contest, the '28 is probably around 4 times more expensive to run and that's before you factor in the all to frequent rebuilds...

Speed wise there is nothing in it, to be fair any of the late 80's/90's grey import sports bikes are all much of a muchness, there isn't enough to make a difference, on the road it's the crazy man who wins, on the track the guy with the most skill. The stroker is also harder work and a lot less forgiving, whether that's good or not is personal preference.

But for me (on the track a least) it's got to go ring-a-ding, on the road it depends, when it all comes togeather the '28 is the best bike in the world, the other 90% of the time it' a pain, the '35 is always very very very good whether it's a rainy trip to work in the dark or round Donington track.

If I'd got to choose one bike, it's a 4 stroke, 15000 miles a year to work and back decides that for me, if I can have one just for fun it's a stroker.
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