Topic: The lure of the 2 stroke

[Hannibal Smith]

Next project?

A 1970's street legal 2 stroke perhaps. I know of 2 water cooled (Suzuki?) 750cc bikes without titles (here in California, there is no way I could get them legally registered), but it would be fun.

Kawasaki had one, Suzuki had one, as did Yamaha, the only thing that doesn't add up is the HP figures and bike weights. The Kawasaki was legendary back in the day for outrageous performance (swingarm bushings getting roasted from torque etc.)

Anybody have some experience with these bikes?

[hoodellyhoo]

Anybody have some experience with these bikes?

No, but I swear that some day I will.

[kirkn]

Kawasaki had one, Suzuki had one, as did Yamaha,

Kawasaki had FIVE - 250cc, 350cc, 400cc, 500cc, 750cc triples, not to mention a number of twins a few years earlier (late 60s)

Suzuki had THREE - 380cc, 550cc, 750cc triples, not to mention a number of twins - 185cc, 250cc, 305cc, 350cc, 500cc

Yamaha had TWO - 350cc, 400cc twins, along with a host of smaller twins - 305cc, 250cc, 200cc.  And the liquid-cooled RZ350 twin of '85~'86.

The only one of all those I ever rode was the RZ350.  What a great bike.  About 6500rpm in first and the front end would just come right up off the ground!  And that was stock, with restrictive airbox and catalytic-converter-equipped exhaust.

[bill440cars]

  Kirk pretty much covered it, with his post.    

      And Gordon (Ilbikes) has built a Suzuki GT750, if I remember correctly (and I mean BUILT, from the ground up!)

      There have been some mention of the Suzuki GT500 by some.

      Among others, the Yamaha RD350 (not to mention the 400) are pretty good screamers and they aren't too complicated like the RZ350 and don't have the water cooling like the GT750s either.

[bucky katt]

i have a 1972 Suzuki Titan for my next project. it's cool because it's so incomplete and tore up that i wont feel bad about heavily modifying it.

[bill440cars]

   "Hannibal Smith" of the "A" Team, is one of my favorite characters!

                                 "I LOVE IT, when a plan comes together!"  

[bill440cars]

i have a 1972 Suzuki Titan for my next project. it's cool because it's so incomplete and tore up that i wont feel bad about heavily modifying it.

 

                There ya go Jeff!

[Nikkisixx]

I love the smell of two stroke in the morning!  Had two:
-Kawasaki H1 - faster than the word of God and squirrely as a nut farm in turns and stops.  Just a rowdy bike.
-RD350 More polite in the power band and handling but the damn self oil system was touchy and often removed (like a CB airbox).  Who wants to carry oil around for fill-ups?When that was resolved, it was a bike my girlfriend would ride.

Either are fun to own but have gotten pricey lately IMHO.  I still keep a weather eye on the horizon for an RD400. An H1 would just get me in trouble 

[Laminar]

No experience yet, but I'm planning on it.

[Nikkisixx]

Ringadingdingding that is sweet laminar!  You will be very popular with your neighbors soon 

[Laminar]

But they'll be grateful for me getting rid of all of the mosquitoes in the neighborhood.

[HavocTurbo]

Restored both an H1 and an H2...

Sweet jesus even in stock form they are nuts.

The 750 was bored to almost 900 with a custom jug and ground cases and domed head. Drag bike for sure.

I'll see if I can find pics.


You want total crazy go with the Kawi.... you want anything else.... go with anything else.

[Laminar]

Restored both an H1 and an H2...

Sweet jesus even in stock form they are nuts.

The 750 was bored to almost 900 with a custom jug and ground cases and domed head. Drag bike for sure.

I'll see if I can find pics.


You want total crazy go with the Kawi.... you want anything else.... go with anything else.

Hell yes. This guy runs nines with an exhaust, carbs, and mild porting.

[Carbine]

Laminar, I was going to ask if your H1 was a '74...then I read your sigline 

I had both a H1 and H2, both were 1975's. Rode them both quite a bit, the H1 was fun, the H2 was a much more serious motorcycle. It had Denko's, K&N's and some head work, and ran hard.  The H1 I rode more of the two, it was a great run around town fun bike, and made all the right sounds!

Since Kawasaki Triples are so popular, parts can be really expensive, so your better off in spending more and getting the nicest, most complete example your budget will allow. (I guess this is true of most 70's machines!)

Water Buffloes are a good choice, they are neat bikes. More relaxed persona than the Kawaski's. Parts are more resonable to obtain.  Some folks however couldn't get their head around the whole radiator deal, then, and now.   

     

[Laminar]

Since Kawasaki Triples are so popular, parts can be really expensive, so your better off in spending more and getting the nicest, most complete example your budget will allow. (I guess this is true of most 70's machines!)

I don't think the popularity of the bikes makes parts expensive, I think it's the rarity of the parts themselves. The bike is 100% complete with seat, side covers, etc. It needs new rubber parts (intake manifold, petcock seals, etc.), an air filter, and a nice paint job. I'm also planning on tearing down and rebuilding the engine, as it likes to leave a couple spots of oil on the garage floor.

[HavocTurbo]

Water Buffloes are a good choice, they are neat bikes. More relaxed persona than the Kawaski's. Parts are more resonable to obtain.  Some folks however couldn't get their head around the whole radiator deal, then, and now.

Which is funny considering how many snowmobiles are now watercooled as well as jetski's....

But then again they are all going to 4stroke anyway.

[754]

 They are not my bag,
 But there is a Suzuki triple down under that has run 232mph... ... so I guess they have potential...

[bucky katt]

Restored both an H1 and an H2...

Sweet jesus even in stock form they are nuts.

The 750 was bored to almost 900 with a custom jug and ground cases and domed head. Drag bike for sure.

I'll see if I can find pics.


You want total crazy go with the Kawi.... you want anything else.... go with anything else.

Hell yes. This guy runs nines with an exhaust, carbs, and mild porting.

damnit man, that is one mean sounding Kawi!

[bmarshall]

I have a Yamaha RD400 Daytona. 2 strokes are easy to make a lot of additional power with. They respond very well to porting, intake and exhaust mods. Lightly modified 400cc = 40-50 hp, and mine is around 300 lbs. Can you say moped on steroids?

[Slug56]

Bought a rough Suzuki PE 250 years ago. Generally tidied it up but it wouldn't start. Eventually gave up. About 6 months later I was cleaning out the shed with my son looking on. He asked: "Why doesn't that motorbike go Dad?" I looked at the yellow terror and said I'd tried everything, and that it should go. With that I gave it a couple of kicks. After about three lazy kicks the thing started. I don't know what PE50's rev to, but that thing hit full revs in 2 seconds flat and stayed there. I turned it off at the ignition. Still it screamed at full noise. I grabbed a screwdriver and hit the plug lead away from the plug. Still it screamed flat out with blue smoke now filling most of my yard. I turned the fuel off and told my young bloke to run - this thing is gunna blow! By now the rest of the family and neighbors had come out to see what all the noise was about. The smoke was thick and the 2 stroke scream ear splitting. I walked away knowing that it had no fuel, no spark and was still screaming at what sounded like 18,000 revs. It stopped after a few minutes. A 2 stroke expert told me later that this can happen when a bike like that sits for a while and the fuel gradually builds up in the crankcase. Once the engine starts the bike doesn't need spark or fresh fuel supply. It has a ready made cycle of spark and fuel till the crank case fuel runs out. It cured me of two strokes and I'll be sticking with my K2! Slug in Oz.

[Hannibal Smith]

Bought a rough Suzuki PE 250 years ago. Generally tidied it up but it wouldn't start. Eventually gave up. About 6 months later I was cleaning out the shed with my son looking on. He asked: "Why doesn't that motorbike go Dad?" I looked at the yellow terror and said I'd tried everything, and that it should go. With that I gave it a couple of kicks. After about three lazy kicks the thing started. I don't know what PE50's rev to, but that thing hit full revs in 2 seconds flat and stayed there. I turned it off at the ignition. Still it screamed at full noise. I grabbed a screwdriver and hit the plug lead away from the plug. Still it screamed flat out with blue smoke now filling most of my yard. I turned the fuel off and told my young bloke to run - this thing is gunna blow! By now the rest of the family and neighbors had come out to see what all the noise was about. The smoke was thick and the 2 stroke scream ear splitting. I walked away knowing that it had no fuel, no spark and was still screaming at what sounded like 18,000 revs. It stopped after a few minutes. A 2 stroke expert told me later that this can happen when a bike like that sits for a while and the fuel gradually builds up in the crankcase. Once the engine starts the bike doesn't need spark or fresh fuel supply. It has a ready made cycle of spark and fuel till the crank case fuel runs out. It cured me of two strokes and I'll be sticking with my K2! Slug in Oz.

Hilarious! I want one more than ever.

[Hush]

Hey patent that idea, like a diesel motor but requiring no spark, this could be a great discovery for mankind.

[Laminar]

Hey patent that idea, like a diesel motor but requiring no spark

A diesel motor requires no spark.

[bill440cars]

  bad thing about a 2 stroke is if the crankseals go bad, it can cause severe problems. Properly maintained, 2 strokes are pretty good runners and as has been said, have potential for HP and speed. Got a '73 RD350 myself, that I have yet to be able to get to and fix up.

[bjb87gta]

I restored a 76 Yamaha RD400 a couple of years back, and that bike had an unbelievable power curve, and was very fast. At around 4000 RPM, it felt like you were hitting the nitrous, and being shot out of a cannon. The thing that was most impressive though was the sound and smell of the two stroke engine. Like two chainsaws on steroids running at the same time.

[kirkn]

.... and for me, that was fun for about the first 1/2 hour, then I got tired of the noise and the smell.  Eventually, I sold 'er off.  It was fun to have, but no regrets about it being gone.  I guess I'm just a 4-stroke guy at heart. 

Kirk

[Nikkisixx]

Got a '73 RD350 myself, that I have yet to be able to get to and fix up.

Bill440 - you do not want to fix up that RD350. 




You want to crate it up and ship it to Charlotte 

[david 750f]

If you really love two strokes and have lots of cash there is a company here in Canada that sells new (rebuilt) two-stroke street legal GP replica's for about $20,000. They are registered as early 90's bikes. Around 120-130 hp and just over 300 lbs.

Click on GP replica's at the top of the link.

http://www.adjustmenttech.net/

[Nikkisixx]

If anyone is interested: Just got back from a vintage bike cruise in tonight, and there was a group of two strokers that showed up.  According to them, there is a ride and rally for two strokes at the Dragon weekend after this. 

[tomkimberly]

Next project?

A 1970's street legal 2 stroke perhaps. I know of 2 water cooled (Suzuki?) 750cc bikes without titles (here in California, there is no way I could get them legally registered), but it would be fun.

Kawasaki had one, Suzuki had one, as did Yamaha, the only thing that doesn't add up is the HP figures and bike weights. The Kawasaki was legendary back in the day for outrageous performance (swingarm bushings getting roasted from torque etc.)

Anybody have some experience with these bikes?

Here in California, registering old 2 stroke bikes is the same as registering any old bike. I have 5, a 1973 Yamaha AT3, two 1970 CT1's, a 1972 DT2, and a 1976 DT400.

Tom