Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Twilight on the 2 stroke

Two stroke road bikes have been extinct for quite some time now. These noisy beasts just couldn't fit in a quiet, clean, P.C. world we live in today. It's a shame as they offered a unique experience to the two wheeled world. Here's some of the last remaining models (larger-bore road only models that is).
The 1970s saw the biggest 2 strokes. With 750cc monsters like the Kawasaki Mach IV and the Suzuki GT750. Yamaha had perhaps the most popular ring-dings with their RD series.

Yamaha RD350
Kawasaki Mach III 500
Kawasaki Mach IV 750
Suzuki GT750
By the end of the 1970s there weren't many 2 strokes left. After a lot of work Yamaha managed to pass their sweat RZ350 into the US market, but it was pretty clear that 2 stroke steet bikes were a thing of the past.

Yamaha RZ350

Of couse there's the famous RZ500, or RD500LC if you perfer. A limited not-for-US sports model made to be a road going grand prix bike.

Like Yamaha, Suzuki had a 500cc 2 stroke. The RG 500 Gamma was produced in the late 1980's. Apparently Suzuki continues to produce smaller RG's elsewhere in the world.

The last 2 cycle road bikes (that I know of anyway) has to be the Bimota V Due. In 1997 Bimota made its first and only bike with a Bimota engine. Bimota's first engine was a 2 stroke 500cc V twin. Unfortuanately the V Due had numerous problems and was the last nail in the coffin for Bimota at the time. It's a shame as the bike looks fantastic.


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