Two stroke vs four - which do you prefer

[Bearhunter]

I was always a 2 stroke man. All my dirt bikes were 2 stroke and I loved the power bands. Climbing hills in a power band was an adrenaline rush. As long as the hill wasn’t longer and steeper than the band. I own 2 stroke chain saws, leaf blowers, lawn mowers and on and on. I always loved the smell of burning oil mixed with gas. Especially Klotz oil. Last year I decided to buy a new motorcycle that I could run on trails or in the dirt, but would also be street legal, so I could drive it to the trails and not have to trailer it. I went to the KTM dealer planning to buy a KTM 300 SX 2 stroke, but the salesman changed my mind. Instead I bought a KTM 350 XCF-w 4 stroke after he let me ride his in the field across the street. I put a sicass racing kit on it for horn, brake lights, turn signals, etc. and was street legal. I took it to some trails to see how much I would like it. Lo and behold, it performed phenomenally against my expectations. Hill climbing was a blast. I could shift gears going up hills that didn’t have much running room to get in a higher gear. And it just kept going faster and faster. I could also down shift going up a hill if the terrain got too rocky and it just kept lugging right up the hill. This was a serious 4 stroke bike. I’m leaning more towards 4 stroke at this point in my life. What’s your preference? And why?

 

[RemCharger]

2 stroke!
Have you ever ridden a decent sled? Most fun you can have with your pants on

But the new 4 stroke bikes are quite the engineering marvel

 

[hoover]

2t

 

[Dakar Timm]

Depends on the application . I've also ridden the new 4 stroke enduros. It doesn't seem as though you are going as fast.
A much wider torque curve with a much duller exhaust note is a pretty fair trade off .
Do I want a 4 stroke chainsaw ? Not on your life ... Don't want an electric one either ..
I'm on the fence when it comes to outboards .. I like my much simpler and lighter 2 strokes ..

 

[eldubb440]

ain't been on a dirt bike in years. I'm old school, but I don't doubt the 4 stroke technology has caught up.......

My Maico I rode as a kid

 

[beanhead]

I stopped riding 2-wheelers many years ago, but always preferred a 2-stroke...last fun one I had was an '04 Banshee (Quad) that was an absolute beast. Pismo dunes, the desert, anywhere...that thing hauled ***! Tons of fun.
So I guess I vote 2-stroke as well!
Plus they just sound so much cooler IMO.

 

[Budnicks]

A few fishing Boats with Outboard
but mostly IOs

Most my dirt bikes & quads, were 2 stroke
rode a few big bore 4 strokes that were torque monsters

not mine, just for reference sake
I had a 4-1 expansion FMC stainless pipe
4-1 big carb & big 5.8 ga. desert tank, big 10x12x20" chevron tires on back
taller fronts 10x8x22" & long travel a-arms, changed the front sprocket to a 1 tooth less
that thing would do 90+, or I'd do the 2+ teeth front sprocket, for mostly trail riding
that thing sounded like a F1 car when you're on the pipe/throttle
Banshee 350cc (same as the Daytona RD350 motor)

started out on one of these POSs, Enduro 80 (like 10)
when I got a motorcyle
I had a few Taco 22 3.5hp & Taco 44 5hp minibikes/4 strokes
& go-carts prior, dual Mac101s on a shifter cart, a couple others 4 & 2 stroke

IT 400 or 450 Yamaha

KDX 450 1 lunger

KX250

KTM 495 was a beast

KTM 420 GS

a few more too

street bikes mostly 4 strokes
did have a Daytona RD350 4 cylinder 2 stroke, fast lil' f-er

had several Vmax's

Nighthawk S, I got for my 25th B-day
wrecked about 2 weeks later
some douchebag pulled out in front of me
while I was getting upto speed, then stopped doing a left turn
right infront of me, launched me over the car & across the street

KR1000

a bunch more

 

[Slap Stick]

In Diesels, ya can't beat the sound of a "Screaming Jimmy" going through the gears.
Four strokers just sound like flatulence.

 

[4vnut]

All my bikes have been two strokes until I bought a Harley. Did not like that bike at all. Ok for cruising but stop and go traffic just did me in with that top heavy, out of balance, hard to hold up, expensive repair jobs, pos I ever owned. My DR 650 Suzuki would run rings around it. I'm biased toward 2 strokes as that is what I have had the most experience with but I hear the 4 strokes are making the bill too. Too old for any of that now though. Time sure does stop one from doing the things that were so enjoyable at one time.

 

[Bearhunter]

2t

View attachment 1479300

Badass! Looks to have a Kawasaki motor on it?

 

[RemCharger]

Badass! Looks to have a Kawasaki motor on it?

Kawasaki triple?? Old AC race machine??
I'll have to ask my buddy, he's got 32 old racing cats

 

[3sloppydogs]

My favorite bike was a yamaha rd350
I miss it

 

[RiverRaider]

A few fishing Boats with Outboard
but mostly IOs

Most my dirt bikes & quads, were 2 stroke
rode a few big bore 4 strokes that were torque monsters

not mine, just for reference sake
I had a 4-1 expansion FMC stainless pipe
4-1 big carb & big 5.8 ga. desert tank, big 10x12x20" chevron tires on back
taller fronts 10x8x22" & long travel a-arms, changed the front sprocket to a 1 tooth less
that thing would do 90+, or I'd do the 2+ teeth front sprocket, for mostly trail riding
that thing sounded like a F1 car when you're on the pipe/throttle
Banshee 350cc (same as the Daytona RD350 motor)
View attachment 1479511
started out on one of these POSs, Enduro 80 (like 10)
when I got a motorcyle
I had a few Taco 22 3.5hp & Taco 44 5hp minibikes/4 strokes
& go-carts prior, dual Mac101s on a shifter cart, a couple others 4 & 2 stroke
View attachment 1479461
IT 400 or 450 Yamaha


View attachment 1479464
KDX 450 1 lunger
View attachment 1479465
KX250
View attachment 1479466

KTM 495 was a beast
View attachment 1479467

KTM 420 GS
View attachment 1479468



a few more too

street bikes mostly 4 strokes
did have a Daytona RD350 4 cylinder 2 stroke, fast lil' f-er

had several Vmax's
View attachment 1479451

Nighthawk S, I got for my 25th B-day
wrecked about 2 weeks later
some douchebag pulled out in front of me
while I was getting upto speed, then stopped doing a left turn
right infront of me, launched me over the car & across the street
View attachment 1479448
KR1000
View attachment 1479446 a bunch more

KTM495 was a true beast I raced against a guy that had one. I was running YZ 465 and 490 at the time. He also had a 504 which was fun to ride.

 

[RemCharger]

Badass! Looks to have a Kawasaki motor on it?

@hoover

 

[Don Frelier]

My son has one of these (Good for at least 1 broken arm):

 

[Budnicks]

My son has one of these (Good for at least 1 broken arm):
View attachment 1479985

I had buddies that all had early Honda 70's & 80's Elsinore's
& later the CRs

broken bones or chances of broken &/or wrench limbs

I never broke a bone, but figured why keep pushing my luck

That's why I started riding quads
spent a whole lot less time on the ground,
'actually', I never did go on the ground after I started riding the quads
they have their negatives, some trail access, mostly width issues
I followed my buds on their bikes everywhere,
even places 'they bet I couldn't'
when doing the Rubicon Trail, I went up or down places they couldn't
or were too afraid to (? maybe)
but not getting hurt & me not healing fast like I did, 25 - 50 years ago
or high-siding
or front tire washed outs
or getting thrown down going into ruts

it was an adjustment, after 30 years on bikes,
but I like the quads better now
you stay upright a tone more

Don't get me wrong I still love bikes,
but I'm looking out for my own good now

 

[70ChargerRT]

I use to Moto-x ATV,s, drag raced them, rode dirt bikes and even hill climbed some but not professionally. The 250R was the greatest Moto-x quad that was ever built but my favorite was always the Tecate-4. Banshees always sounded the best with a set of Toomies and the Quadzilla was the fastest stock Quad I’ve ever been on. With a pipe, reeds and jetting I ran in like in the 5-teens in 300’ but I weighed 175 at the time. My sponsor gave me some huge discounts when I made the switch to 4-stroke, the 400-ex. In stock form at the time it was probably the best race woods quad I’ve ever been on and it would run side by side with my 86 250R in stock form but my 97 400 Polaris drag racer with a pipe and clutch spring would outrun them both. After / months of owning the 400ex we sent the motor off to CT racing, put fully 2-1 roll design a -arms on it. +2 dura blue axle….. well we set it up just like my R. Out of the hole in practice when the gate dropped it would absolutely destroy the Rs but it was heavier and it just didn’t handle like the 250R and you were soon overtaken by the 2-stroke in practice. In 2002 I fully retired from moto-xing. My wife just had our little girl and she was begging me to quit after I had a bad crash on about a 70’ table top. Luckily I was ok. After a few more races I quit, I quit everything. I would drag race on the weekends with my Polarises when they weren’t a Moto-x race. My dirt bike was a 250 CR but I also had a 400 XR. I always find myself riding the 400 instead of the 2-stroke. Don’t get me wrong the CR was awesome but in the woods the 400 was king. I like them all but the brat brap will always win my heart over. My 2 favorite quads ever.

 

[Duckmanreno]

Depends on the application. Ona fishing boat a four stroke. Had two strokes my whole life. Last year I bought a new four stroke F70 Yamaha for my old Whaler. Should have bought one ten years ago. No smoke, starts instantly, quieter, trolls without dying and it’s a fuel miser.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

2t

View attachment 1479300

There's a distinct ring ning ning ning in my ears... Awesomeness!!!!

 

[70ChargerRT]

There's a distinct ring ning ning ning in my ears... Awesomeness!!!!

And that smell… especially when running Klotz back in the day