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2 Stroke VS 4 Stroke my initial view

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budzrex

budzrex

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New Braunfels Texas
First Name
Buddy
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Slover
Well I have been back in the dirt for a couple of months now and am enjoying it greatly ( the street bike has only seen light once)

Yesterday I got to ride a couple of WR450s back to back with my RM250 on some single track and a MX course.

Single track first, I was faster on my 2smoke probably because of seat time but could really see how for single track the 4 stroke would be fun and liked the extra grunt down low

MX wow the 450s felt heavy by comparison, but went well easy to launch and modulate power but not as fun and explosive out of turns as the 2 stroke

I was really surprised I was expecting the modern 4 strokes to be far superior but really did not feel they were makes me feel much better about my 18 year old bike now
 
The big thumpers take some getting used to. When I went from a 1986 KDX-200 to a 2004 CRF450R my laps got slower... for a while. When a rider gets used to the right now torque at just about any engine speed it becomes easier to both smoother and faster than the smoker. For sheer fun your RM is a kick though.
 
2 strokes are just plain fun. Light and flickable. The 4 strokes have the advantage as far as lap times when the track gets dry and slick. A 2 stroke shines in a loamy prepped track. The 450 was way to much for me when I rode MX, especialy trying to go from a 125. I never really trusted the reliability of the 250f, so i stuck with the 125 and never regreted it. No valves to adjust, couple hundred bucks for a new top end instead of 500 plus and super light. I have been told the thumpers are easier to ride since you do not have to stay on the pipe all the time.
 
I hear ya... I have to have will power (won't power?) to not watch for a deal on a CR125 somewhere.
 
budzrex said:
Well I have been back in the dirt for a couple of months now and am enjoying it greatly ( the street bike has only seen light once)

Yesterday I got to ride a couple of WR450s back to back with my RM250 on some single track and a MX course.

Single track first, I was faster on my 2smoke probably because of seat time but could really see how for single track the 4 stroke would be fun and liked the extra grunt down low

MX wow the 450s felt heavy by comparison, but went well easy to launch and modulate power but not as fun and explosive out of turns as the 2 stroke

I was really surprised I was expecting the modern 4 strokes to be far superior but really did not feel they were makes me feel much better about my 18 year old bike now
Click to expand...

Ride a late model fuel injected 450 motocrosser, and your view of "not as explosive" would be changed, I promise. Nothing wrong with your RM, especially since your just getting back into it, but 18 years is a looong time. A 2011 Honda CRF 450 is about the same weight, maybe 5 pounds more, then your 92 RM.
 
John makes a good point... the WR is a woods bike while your RM was a full race MX bike in its day. The YZF or CRF-R are the current MX thumpers. They have a much more aggressive state of tune than the woods oriented WR or CRF-X
 
Johnf3 said:
Ride a late model fuel injected 450 motocrosser, and your view of "not as explosive" would be changed, I promise. Nothing wrong with your RM, especially since your just getting back into it, but 18 years is a looong time. A 2011 Honda CRF 450 is about the same weight, maybe 5 pounds more, then your 92 RM.
Click to expand...

And, this is why racing and staying at the front costs too much money. :giveup:

:rofl:
 
Each has it pros and cons. You will need to buy one for your purpose really or by what you like or prefer. The 4 strokes have come a long way since introduced but more costly in maintenance.
 
Yup, see if you can get some seat time on a true 4 stroke race bike. My friend just brought home a brand new 2010 YZ450f and that thing absolutely rips. My KX450 has pretty instantaneous throttle response too. They weight the flywheels on the woods bikes to give them a more smooth power curve and it also makes them a bit harder to stall. They are also tuned for more low and midrange.
 
I miss the sounds and smell of a two stroke at supercross or motocross races. The stink got so bad at some of the indoor races that we sometimes had to leave early. I miss the riders from that era also.:rider:
 
It really comes down to what you like to ride and how much you are willing to spend to keep up that ride.

I have been racing the TORN series here in the DFW area (mostly woods) on my CR250r and I do very well agains the tractors. OOPS I mean 4 strokes. Most of the guys that I race against have been getting rid of the 4 strokes and going back to the smokers. Just because they are lighter and easier to handle in the woods. As far as the power goes. I will never need all the power a 250 or a 450 has to offer anyways. So I just gear for track we are racing.
 
I'm just the opposite of the OP. I've always ridden two strokes. Recently, I tried out a buddy's KX250F on a motocross track and it blew me away. I absolutely lived it and was afraid I was going to have to go buy a four stroke...until I road it in the woods. I didn't care for that at all. I later had the same experience on my dad's 400XCF.

If I was riding exclusively motocross, I'd want a four stroke. Since I ride mostly in the woods, I'll stick with my two stroke.
 
Long live two-strokes - I like both but prefer two-stokes for tight mx and the woods.

Dunes - probably the 450.
 
To me, a high-performance two-stroke reminds me of an attack helicopter, narrow and nimble, lethal(in a good way). Of course, the smell of premix and that burning castor oil brings back so many great memories.
 
How often you must re-ring or replace the piston depends on just how hard you run the smoker. If you don't let it get real lose and slap the cylinder badly you can replace the piston several times over the life of the bike. Under full race conditions one might need a ring every other competition weekend and a piston with ring every 4. That is for the smaller smokers that rev to the moon and back. The 250s went longer between service if I recall.

We were not too hard on the CR-125 while my son was riding it. Only replaced the piston one time. Its new owner has it up for sale again (must resist) and it still has the one I put in it.
 
I always enjoyed riding open class two stroke bikes. They have more instant power and torque than you need whenever you want it; which makes for a very fun riding bike. The down side would be that they get poor gas milage (12 - 15 mpg), and in the turns and tight section the power can work against you. As far as reliability goes, my WR500 is 20 years old, riden hard, and is on 3rd overbore. It would be running right now if I could find a replacement gas tank. I have been riding a KTM 530exc for a year now and I am seriously considering buying the Service Honda CR500 as my next bike:rider:.
 
I've a KDX 200cc 2stroke and a XR200cc 4stroke in front of me. 2stroke wins. No contest at all. Lighter weight and alot more powerful. I don't know if I can bring myself to ride the XR again.
 
texasnh said:
I've a KDX 200cc 2stroke and a XR200cc 4stroke in front of me. 2stroke wins. No contest at all. Lighter weight and alot more powerful. I don't know if I can bring myself to ride the XR again.
Click to expand...

Sure you can, just plate the XR, put gearing back to stock and use it as a dual sport. Back road scouting can be fun or for the days when you only have an hour or so to ride and loading, hauling and unloading the bike would eat up all your riding time.

_
 
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