15 Two-Strokes That Terrorised the Motorcycle World 

IMPORTANT Dakar have hit me with a copyright strike so ive had to delist some of the videos just in case i guess they got pissed that mine were better because of the MOTOGP one before xmas that means im really vulnerable now and the channel could be removed at any time I have set up this backup channel so please go and follow it NOW, this could all be removed at any moment now so it is critical to stay in touch via the backup channel here ru-vid.com/show-UCCSl6i-tZJNC5DQ38vgCtvw sorry for this if i get another strike it wipes out all my work all my old videos will be removed I wont be posting anything much on the new channel unless this goes down but this is a just in case because it really could go down at any point the videos are still visible if you have a link so if you have problems message me for links so you can still watch them, if you follow the channel and this one gets taken down you will be able to find me there sorry if thats a bit garbled ive just woken to this but i guess i could have had the channel taken down already so i should be thankful ride free everyone

Born a 2 stroke hooligan have remained the same at heart I miss the smell of 2 stroke in the morning lol

Had a 1972 RD 350 Yam back in about 1973. I thought it was cool with a set of Z bars. Loved it. This is the best bike channel there could ever B !

Videos like this make me realise i should take care of my dt175 a little more

Really enjoyed this video (don't I always?) & the Gilera NGR 250 at the end showed just how good their technology was, if not their marketing. The audio was pure 2 stroke porn - wonderful!

Valves are for toilets, 2 strokes forever!

Mister. You put so much work into these videos for us. I certainly don't feel like you need to reply back to any of my comments. Just appreciate the content. I have learned lots on this channel being from Can'tada I have never heard of many of the bikes you talk about.

oh...the memories Oh...the crashes! How the hell did we survive on those tyres!?

You couldn't get my old broken arse out of an electric chair and onto any of those old big bore beast dirt bikes right now. I know my limits but my throttle hand is an absolute idiot so best not to tempt it.😌 Nothing but illegal smiles from thinking back on those halcyon days of yore now. Another superb video.👍🏻

Brilliant to see that Bridgestone on the move, I've only seen pics and read a bit of (very interesting) history.Sounds grouse! Excellent vid yet again, thank you.

Great memories, but sad knowing we once possessed the magic of these Two-Stroke wonders, never realizing we would miss them so much! The audio clips were like haunting voices of friends or family long passed. Thanks!

Nicely done sir. The 85-86 Honda CR 500 are notorious for their ferocity. It’s interesting that you chose to discuss the KX as it’s no less ferocious than the Honda. I owned a 1986 CR 500. You are right in that only expert level riders could wring all the available performance out of an open class bike. The 2-stroke street bikes are glorious

Great video... You'd have loved a "workshop" project of mine from my days as a Honda dealer - a street bike made from a CR500! No, it wasn't anywhere near legal, either to the spirit or the letter of the laws, but after we got the noise level down to where it only made slightly more decibels than a fighter jet on FMP take-off, it was a gas to ride. We dropped and stiffened the suspension and fitted street wheels/tires and the bodywork/headlight from an XL650. Mind you, the headlight never worked and the electrical system was pure motocross except fopr the brake light, which worked on a total-loss system off a scooter battery (and only worked off the rear brake). But I had a delightful time catching and deafening riders of the then-new factory sport bikes, the lightest of which weighed almost TWICE what the CR did. When I finally tired of it (after almost 5 years), I had a long list of former customers (I'd sold the delership by then) who wanted to buy it. Did finally get the noise level down just a bit with a Denco low pipe. Denco was a Houston company, and I lived there. You should have seen those guys' eyes when I brought the bike over for them to fit the pipe! They had assumed it was for an m/x bike and I just wanted a torquier pipe because of my age (a bit over 50, then). Blew them away!! Keep up the good work.

This was fantastic. I want a 2 stroke now.

Great video. Im still riding my 74 RD350 that I rode to high school in 78. I cant get enough of that sound and oooh that smell. 😮 thanks for memories.

Had a few smaller RD's. The 80 and the 125. Both rough lookers from previous abuse, but cheap to own at the time. The 80 was a mad little thing, with not much less puff than the 125. Both bikes I loved. The 125 is still a feature of my dreams (literally) from time to time. Never that fast, but enough to pass cars before motorways were commonplace. It used to be able to bank over surprisingly far through corners. Enough power to do a small wheelie from the lights with a slender girl friend on the back and enough lean in corners to terrify buddies on the pillion who owned bigger bikes. Great fun.

My Neighbor had a Brigstone 100 dirt bike .. I read that Brigstone made a deal with one of the Big-4 like Honda to stop mfg motorcycles in trade for Honda buying tires from Brigstone. I paid $3,000.00 for my first 4 Brigstone radial tires for my truck in about 1985 .,. Super singles as opposed to 10:00x20 or 11x 22.5 dual tires 46" tall instead of 42" tall

Suzuki stole MZ technology about combined disc-valve induction with expansion-chamber exhausts...and then they won in the 50cc class out of nowhere.

Outstanding, thank you 👍

My favorite is suzuki tm 400 , just bad ass ,and just a little crazy

Thanks for making this video. I really enjoy hearing all of the old 2 strokes. I ride Bridgestones and when it got to that part around 17:30, that is me on my GTR when I first started tuning it 👍

Thanks for another great video... So glad to see the Suzuki 250 twins get some well deserved praise in the video as well as the triples... For my next request, please mention or cover the exhilarating Suzuki RG series... I have *8* of them in my collection from the RG50, RG125, RG150, RG200, RG250 (parallel twin), the RGV-250 (VG21 or 1st generation), the RGV250 VG22 (2nd generation) , and the phenomenal RG-500! (the only one I am missing is the RGV250 VJ23 3rd generation)... Bravo mate! I look forward to more great videos!

My 250 BSA 250 singles are much easier to ride and easy to get parts for as well.

Great Page 👍👍👍💨🏅Thank you for your Hard Work 💪

I have a couple thoughts. A somewhat significant street legal U.S. bike of the early 70's is the Kawasaki 'Bighorn" 350 enduro. That bike kind of made a splash when it came out. My cousin had one, he did a few cross-country trips (Floridia to California) on it. I experienced the transition in MX racing from the motley collection of modified Japanese 250's and Euro machines to monolithic starting grids of Elsinors. I was racing a Puch MX175 somewhat successfully in the 250 class up to that transition, after which I'd just watch 30 Elsinors motor away. That coincided with my active duty starting so I didn't join the crowd.

Oh man, that Bridgestone GTR350...

2 stroker here though i ride a zxr 750 h2 these days 2 strokes have a special place in my heart. Especially the yams rd dt tzr etc

My best memories are of 1976 when I bought a brand new Yamaha RD 400, quick and great canyon carver. Put down most big 4 strokers, only had problems chasing the also new Kawasaki 900.

My friend had a Bultaco Alpena 250 .. My Yamaha YZ-100-E was actually faster.. but it was a nice fun trail bike. My friend could ride a 1/4 mile long wheelie on it .

Pleased to see that you finally gave the T250 a mention. My first proper bike, loved it.

Great video! Only thing missing was the beautiful 2 stroke smell!

My first bike was a RD125lc that I derestricted , it had a powerband thinner than a human hair lol . Also had an NS400 , that was not as mad as say a 500 gamma or 500lc . It looked flash though and at 19 that's all that mattered ,

The only two stroke street bike I got to ride was a friends Rd350. At the time I was riding a Honda Xl 125. I was blown away by the acceleration of it. It was a great wheelie machine. Always wanted one of my own.

I changed the two strokes in the early seventies my first two stroke was an Elsinore 250 that was 45 years ago I'm still riding at CR500 at 61!!! Never 🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑!!!

i had 5 gt250 suzukies,if they were 30bhp im a blackman,25bhp tops,rd250b's would leave them tor dust!.

cool videos, man all the crazy bikes from the day, makes a guy wonder how he made it out in one piece? hale when I was like 13 I was loaned and this is no joke, a yamaha TM500, this was a 400 bored and stroked to a 500CC by a yamaha works mechanic, he let me take up to the logging roads for the weekend.. HOOT, I flat tracked the shyt out of it, it was insane, my built CR250 couldn't touch it if I remember correctly, then Ganch, he le me borrow his 750 mach 3 Kawasaki, UNREAL, he crashed it n broke his shoulder on it, I rode wheelies by him in 3 and 4th gears.. I think he was a little leary of it at that point he love me to ride it cuz I'd pack it out by the duplex in top gear.. and there were corners coming up, prolly how i got so jacked up on road racing? it was like coming off T1 at imola, packed out, 145 or so, then have to grab a huge handful and dump it over, it would wobble and shimmy, i'd just kick it in the balls even more.. everyone int he hood had motorcycle, a couple racers and we lived in a small development of like 10 homes way out in the sticks.. so we owned the roads for sure, at just 12 everyone was fully aware of my abilities and had no issues letting me ride their machines, I never dumped a ONE.. not one, my brother wiped out first time, he was done riding then and there.. I had a single cylinder 2 stroke kawasaki was a hoot, 175, the starter was the generator it just ran backwards, no chit mang.. had a compression release or Jake Brake.. lol... man, all the trail bikes, dirt bikes, street bikes I was well versed by 16 and FAF, I raced and beat everyone to death, then walked away, sadly I discovered the "FEMALE" persuasion so all that was back burner, always had a bike but quit racing.. dumb I know, they called me hale on wheels... lofl strictly street today, busas n gixxers.. a guys gotta right to rail right? a motorbike has always been just an extension of myself, I can't vision life without em.. im with the 2 smokers as well, HALE YES!!!

These wonderful bikes and all the bygone muscle cars were enjoyed by your elders. Show respect.

Hi Guys I’m onto my third CR500 ever time I sell one around the 6month mark with out it I have sellers regret, I’m now onto a CR500AF (aluminium frame 2007 crf450x) way more bike than I can handle but I bloody love it. Af get better handling and newer brakes the best mod I done is a chainsaw decompression fit mint into the head on the right hand side or the motor. My main bike is a 2021 Ktm 300tpi Erzburg rodeo I ride around 60 hrs a year

I wish i jad my rd 350 still. Nothing could touch me until the big end after 160km/h. And i rode a kx 500 after the biggest bike I had ridden was a 1987rm 125cc. The guy says go for it man its stuck in 3rd gear and we were in sand (thank god) so i thought i better give it some juice and i dumped that clutch and held on for dear life. I was blown away. I didnt dump it but i pretty much went to the dirt road and took 1 pass and gave it back. Unbelievable power. And now that 1000cc 2023 cr . 2 two fifties married together in perfect harmony. I could even imagine. A 250cc is what i ride now and it has plenty of power for me now. Still scared of it in certain situations.

In terms of out right danger, Suzuki RGV 250 90 - 95, known as kids killers. I was personally tank slapped off one at nearly 100km, a 92sp. The tank design was the main cause to 12 lots of surgery to my left wrist.

An awesome list too bad he didn't mention a desert bike in the list, the Husqvarna and Hodaka's especially, I never seen a Bridgestone in the states, but I did see and ride a Sachs and Bultaco the Bultaco was like wrestling a steer in the sand. There was so many good dirt bikes in the 70's. Maybe a good Enduro , trail and desert bike list should be in the works. There was some amazing riders as well.

the kx500 depicted runs like shit. Jetted too rich, breaking up in the high end. The first cr500 I rode had the same issue. I was extremely impressed by the power i was able to feel in the low end, but it wasn't until a bought my own CR500, a bike that had been meticulously tuned for ice racing, that I learned what the powerband of a 500 2 stroke can be.

The characteristics of a 2-stroke is all in the exhaust flow and counter flow (reverse supercharge effect) Let the negative exhaust pressure wave pull new charge into the cylinder. That is what MZ developed and that is what Suzuki acquired when when rider and engineer Ernst Degner escaped the East German totalitarian state. What could a two-stroke actually produce with a proper design of pipe, look at a 'modern' developed for Moto GP and MX bike also carts, and boat, the exhaust is a art form based on internal fluid dynamics for usable power.

What would the consumption be about on the Suzuki GT550 ? Or any +350cc 2-stroke bike at the time for that matter.

.. Nice vid,.. However, WOT ,.. !!!! No mention of an RG500 or CR500,.. Tut-tut ,.. 🙃😉

I have a friend who I'm describing an engine to. The design of it isn't the absolute best, except it will have the absolute best performance of every four cylinder two cycle engine. My estimate of how much horsepower it will quite incredible. In the event that I build them, at six horsepower per cubic inch, it will be producing 960 horsepower. Were it about produce 10 hp per cube, that will be 1540. I know I'll be able to do this because of the design of it. It will be the first successful turbocharged two cycle engine. How am I able to have that engine produce that much power? No, I won't be divulging that information. I'll only do that with my good friends. They won't tell my secret to any other person. I'm able to trust them because I know they won't lie to me. I'm able to type that it will combine the attributes of both a two and four cycle engines. What else is there to type about it that will be less consequential? Of all piston engines, this one will have the absolute least amount of friction. One more time, this is an incredible secret. It will have a dry sump oiling system for it, which I designed. I hope all of you are having an excellent night. B'bye.

I'm sure you've included it in another video, but the TDR 250 was a nutter, and had, and still has, a cult following.

Yamaha had the R-5 before the RD-350 very similar bike 5 speed trans and it didn't have reed valves just a piston port engine ..

Something not usually appreciated is just how sophisticated the Suzuki GT 750 is. Yes it is watercooled. But its also a dry sump engine with pressure fed lubrication and full roller bearing internals. The red line in the road version was relatively low but the bike was very successfully raced in the TT and other races. I wonder what sort of horsepower rpm was being extracted.

Very nicely done. What about the Can Am 250 Mx in 1974, rotary intake valve and 37hp?

A 1970 Yamaha 350, R 5 was my favorite for years. Then a 1980 Kawasaki KX 420 was awesome.

I bought my GT550 new in 71 and I still have it !! I ride it more than my Harley I got in 2009.

I miss the smell, and mixing 20 to 1, today the ratio is 50to 1, you sir are amazing for braining back old memories.

Just give me a Kawasaki 500 or 750 triple with chambers.... I'll be in heaven!

Why is it that bikes back then had such comfy seats compared to bikes nowadays, no matter what they were, you could ride for miles on them until the seat cover split and you got a wet bum. Two Strokes still sound ace. Talking about ace, the first bike had ace bars, I stuck these on all my road bikes back then for some reason.

Is there any good 125cc two stroke I could buy now for around 6000 euros?

I bought a yamaha i T 425 it was hideous to start and was a hideous ride the bibe was quite short so all it did was wheely the front wheel was never on the ground it was also almost impossible to jet to run right. They made it a 465 quite quickly I never rode one of them i hope it was better then the 425 cc bike

Where's the 1980 maico 490? Greatest production dirtbike ever made.

You really know your stuff. I can't see anything that I disagree with. I very much like your relaxed style of commentary.

Dad got a exploded RD 400 Daytona Special in a trade when he was 20 yo, had some Turner Two Stroke stickers on it, (kinda famous in So-Cal). So he got new parts, TZ 750 lower components, RZ 350 reed blocks, bearings, etc. and a brand new white, red and black fuel tank. He welded and balanced the crank, moved the exhaust ports, opened the intake and transfer ports and cut about an inch or so from the expansion chambers. It pulls like a monster from 9k to 13.5k on break-in jetting. The bike only has 375 miles on the build, Dads 60 now and the bike is under a sheet in the shop.

I had a 1976 GT500 think it was Suzuki's version of rd400

Suzuki RG 500 Suzuki PE 400 Yamaha IT 465 Mad 2 stroke road bikes.

Nicely put together, great to see the GT Suzuki range which the 380 was the only one I never had a chance to ride, the 750 was smooth as silk to ride, would love to see a modern two stroke back in production....

Thats why i built a 71 kawasaki h1 500 , then own a aprilia rs 250 . Both missiles.

"We grew up with these bikes, and at the time they were honestly, too much for most riders to handle, yet now, when we are older and less fit, somehow we are drawn to them,"...I LOVE THIS STATEMENT!!! I laughed like hell. It is so true.

i have a 500 cc v twin two stroke engine i want to put it into a bike i built it back in 1988 and i want to build a yz 750 cc v twin two stroke engine

All the 60's into the early 70's Yammies had rotary valves. Earlier 125s, 160s, 200s and 350s till they went to Reed valve setups later. Bridgestone certainly wasn't the first.

Owned just about every one.. Ain't no hope Without Smoke.

Nice i have a silk 500 at the moment only payd 3k for it i love anything 2 stroke

My dream bike has always been the 500LC and still is to this day. They are horrendously expensive now though just short of 30k

In defense of my fellow Americans, we didn't know the RD 350 was "special", because they were everywhere! They didn't sit in showrooms for long, and spent most of their lives being ridden hard and put away wet. My '79 is out there.. somewhere..I can feel it.

Yamaha >RA31A/V4/2-Ts/Two(2)-Stroke/125©©/👉Yamaha->GTS-1000cc/Four(4)Stroke/Cagiva-Mito->125©©/Two(2)Stroke/2-Ts

For the rare and unusual you may like to cover the Ossa Yankee 500 and the Silk 700S. Both have interesting histories each in their own way.

The Yamaha R5 was he predecessor to the RD series bikes. 1970 - 72 and before that was the YM1. I had one, it was a points Ignition and pain in the ass twin. The RD was the bike to have when I was a kid.

Years ago I had a Bridgestone 175. It was a basket case with missing wiring and a gear shift that had a missing detent so it would go 1,2,3,4,1 which was less than ideal. I did manage to get it running but forty odd years ago there were no dealers or parts available. I wish I had known then what I know now. I would love to resurrect that bike.

No yz465?

I may put that it465 back together! Great video!

Get me some castor bean oil in a two turner, and it don’t get no better than that 🤔🏆

What a wonderful video. You have brought back a lot of memories. I still own a 1971 Yamaha RT1 360 which I brought new. I also own a 1974 Kawasaki H2R that I have made street legal here in New Zealand. My daily ride is a 2023 BMW G1250 adventure Trophy. Thank you again for a wonderful video

Started my bike career on a GT500, some years later I updated to the GT750. That was in mid 1980s... Still own both, later I added a TS250 ER for the fields. My brother bought the RG500, what a blast back then. I am not a big fan of high revving 2 strokes, I did enjoy very much the torque of low revving 2 strokes but emission regulations....

Ahh the smell of klottz you know they sell a scented candle smells good too

Fantastic 👍 l had Bultaco written on my x army surplus school bag in the early 70. After school I'd race home on my push bike and ride my older brother's 350cc Bultaco trials bike around the woods near my home. Our house was a motorcycle meeting place for almost every bike you'd care to mention. It blows my mind thinking back to those glorious days in the 70s, l had scrapbooks full of pictures cut out of MCN and Motorcycle newspapers . Bill Ivy was my favourite rider and it broke my heart when he died riding a Jawa. Northern Ireland in the 70s was the Mecca of Road Racing and short circuit and l remember well the first day l met a teenager with long black hair wearing leathers that were to big on him but it didn't stop him becoming the greatest road racer in the world, JOEY DUNLOP. Great videos 📹 thank you.

Celebrating the Yamaha RDLC 500 (87hp, not 90+) and ignoring Suzuki's RG500 Gamma (95HP) is very partisan...

2 stroke nostalgia it465 , r d400 ,kx500

My second dirt bike was an IT 490

there all slow compared to the rd 350 ypvs

My Kawasaki tripple’s CDI was un-shielded and would scramble the readout of the police radar guns.

Another great video! Although small capacity, I would have loved to have seen a bit about the Suzuki Stinger T125.............

Thanks for the memories. Been riding for 55+ years and have had a bunch of different bikes and worked in a couple different bike dealerships. For a short time I actually owned a Bultaco Metralla. I don’t remember what year it was or how it even got registered for the street. It was basically a road racer with lights and a license plate bracket. It had the low slung unsilenced expansion chamber, fiberglass bodywork, fiberglass fuel tank, rear sets and clip on bars. When you got it up on the pipe it was scary quick! Sold it after a couple of years ( which I now regret) for something more rideable that didn’t beat me to death. 😢😢

Yamaha RX100 was also a fantastic bike, very powerful in its category. It's still very popular in India among the enthusiastic bikers.

Bridgestone, wow im in the USA and raced a Bridgestone 65cc 4 speed clutch on a dirt drag strip back in 94 as a 10 year old kid. My uncle still has it and a 100cc motor he also found. But here there almost unknown about and parts are impossible to find. We need a crank an maybe other odds and ends to makeit run again. It was worn out. But a monster of a mini bike. Wish i could find one or part's.

I love 2 strokes! The last Gilera really does look like a GPZ. I thought it was until I seen the stickers on the tank!

I always loved engines that didn’t have to take a rest every other stroke. The TS3 supercharged truck diesel was a BEAST.

Sold my 85 cr500 a couple years ago, just wasn't riding it. I have been riding a 01 Ducati 996 for my daily for the last few years, bought it with 6k miles it now has 40kmi. Great video!

Thank you for your great video on bikes that have explosive reaction Every top dead center ! I owned a '78 rd400 with set-back pegs, FMF expansion chambers & low rise H-bars in my younger days,,,, but I lived ! Just got me a 1968 Bridgestone 90 mountain, 8 hp at 7000 rpm / 150 lb. sorry don't know in kg. , I'm one of those yanks you know. It really moves 🛵. PS England's own Silkolene scoot sport 2 low smoke engine oil helps a lot with performance as well, thanks Lowell, Spokane WA. USA

Gotta love a 2 smoke. In order kawasaki 90 that kept nipping up the disc valve, drove me old man nuts!, suzuki b120 field bike, air called rm100, air cooled kx125, suzuki a50, gp100, coffin tank rd250, x7, ypvs 350 x 2, rg500 gamma. Wish i had the fuel money back!!. Interesting, fanks Mr. I didn't know of the bultaco or the top gun gilera, Else i might of had a slice of them too 😎

I loved my KX100 as a kid 😂

I would like to have a screen shot of that Bultaco brochure.

Back in the 60's I had a 250cc Zundapp. Wish I still had it.

I absolutely Loved my Yamaha RD400’s.