CHOOSING THE RIGHT BIKE ! 2-STROKE or 4-STROKE? 

Ive had many 4 strokes but the first time I rode a 2 stroke 250sx Ktm I was hooked. The way the power is delivered, how light the bike is and lack of engine breaking…it’s perfection.

I had one of each, like them bouth, but i am a 2stroke by hart, good video💪💪👍👍

2 strokes hands down.

90% Rider skill, 10% Bike performance, learn how to ride people's, remmember to have fun, another great review Adam

I think you may be cutting the modern 2-stroke a bit short on the riding ease, especially for trail riding/enduro. Modern 300's are torquey, highly luggable, smooth, light weight. Very easy to ride. My Beta 300 is a pussy cat, but can attack if desired.

I hate a 2 stroke sound, and got a 4 stroke for that reason. But I can't deny that the way the 2 stroke power band functions, and how light a 2 stroke is keeps me thinking about switching for my next bike, but I wouldn't. Simply because I love a 4 stroke sound, and the reliability is wonderful, especially a 4 stroke from a Japanese manufacturer. And besides that where I live we ride every weekend and even during the week if there's time, we don't have to load the bikes on a trailer to go somewhere, we just jump on and ride 10 minutes and we're in the bush and on the mountains.

Love your perspective! I got a YZ250 as my first dirtbike and spent a whole year second guessing, even buying a YZ125 along the way. After a year and a half, I'm now feeling comfortable on the YZ250 and enjoying it much more!

2022 FX350 is a great mixture of fast,nimble and traction especially for Enduro single track. I came close to buying the 300 2 stroke but for me the 4 stroke is more planted and easier to ride in hard single track.

good insight... need some marriage counseling........ looking for my first dirt bike.... recommendations? though about a 350 xcfw, but they dont make one for 23.... 300xc/w? coming from tracking street bikes, not looking to race... but feeling the dirt..long rides, and open woods or desert.. dont know enough to prefer pds or not... thoughts? never road dirt... a few quads maybe...

Road a TM 300 (counter balance) this weekend. So tractable on bottom and linear to the top end hit. Best two stroke power band I ever felt.

haha "It's like marriage counseling." Brilliant video, thank you SO much for covering the topic. Watched every second of it and will forward it on. Well said!! 💪

This is a great vid; Ride whatever makes YOU smile most. The bikes I ride most are an old 950S and a postie. Why? No other reason than they both plaster a shit-eating grin on my face from ear to ear.

This is why I own them all... 2T, 4T & Electric! They’re all sick! Massively prefer the 4T in the hard slick stuff, but if there is traction or sand... 2T love! 🥰 Electric removes the hassle of all of it. Ride anywhere, no biotchy people, no oil and air filter changes. So fun to hear the tire spinning/grabbing without the engine noise. Wild experience and such a smoooth ride!

Love it! I started riding at 40, grabbed a Husky FE 250 and best decision I ever made for riding 5 years ago. A few friends started on KTM 4stroke 350's, long story short I ride a GasGas EC300i now and all of them quit riding when the got hurt and struggled to develop their skills on the more powerful bikes. Honestly, I could still be riding that FE 250 now if getting a new bike wasn't an option. The FE 250 forces you to develop your clutch skills and ride a little more aggressive as you don't have the bottom end torque but the bikes are awesome with all the power you need without them wanting to kill you if you make mistakes.

Riemann, that rock garden "plan B" landing from 2:34 was brilliant. I keep watching it over and over.

4 stroke for ease of use. 2 stroke for the 'enthusiast' who loves tinkering.

This is hands down the most accurate description of the difference between 2T and 4T. Compared to all the super technical videos out there with specs, lap times, etc, this shits all over them. Because it's not technical! It is like marriage counselling lol! Not science. Ride some bikes and buy the one that puts the biggest fricken smile on your face! My story... Got into dirt bikes as an adult on an XR250. Motor shat itself so I got a WR250R. This was when I was still trying to figure out what was important to me in a bike. Got over the WR and decided to spend some bucks on a 2020 enduro bike. Narrowed it down to a Husky. Went to a ride day (pre plandemic) and rode all but the 250f and 450f (they weren't on my radar). Coming into the day, I had my HEAD set on a TE250i but when I rode the FE501 I fell in love with it. It just felt like it fit me like a glove. I was yahooing under my helmet like I'd rediscovered motorbikes. Guess what.... I ended up buying the fricking TE250i still! I let my head decide and not my heart. I thought the 250 would be better to learn on, better for the type of riding I was doing, a bit different to all the 4 strokes out there blah blah blah. All was irrelevant because after 18 months of not gelling with the 250 I'm trading it in for a 501 and I can't fricken wait. Choose with your heart and don't listen to what anyone says but Adam! 😜

Buy one of each. Problem solved 😂

This is just my take: 2t - Vibrates, top end rebuilds, loves being throttled, has a lot of punch, less prone to stalling, really good at lugging, no engine braking (more momentum kept when off throttle), worse gas mileage, less gyro intertia, not great for longer days depending on how much endurance you have. 4t - I break down into DOCH (350) and SOCH (500) 350 - likes higher rpms, valve checks more of a pain for maintenance, less inertia (good for tight trails, more flickable), more clutch feathering required, doesn't lug as well as a 500 or 2t, best mpg. 500 - likes low end, lugs better than a 350, more linear power band, valve checks easier than 350, more inertia and engine braking (less maneuverable), "The lazy bike", can be in a higher or lower gear and it still works well, less clutch feathering, better mpg than 2t, worse than 350, obviously faster than the 500. Much of this can be changed (to a point) with mods (gear ratio, rekluse, fuel maps, etc.) In 2023, at least with the euro bikes, the 2t and 4t weight differences are not extreme. (all are 200-238ish lbs) Which one is best? I'ld say the smaller 4t are probably the best do all on dirt. 2t for enduro/hard enduro and larger 4t for hill climbs/more flowy single track.

I tried a 4t and the engine braking was wild to me. I could get used to the linear power though, 2t is not too fun on the road for more than about 15 minutes for me.

Hoping to see a review on here for the updated 2022 yz125 🤞

I never did that. I never reached out to anyone and said, "What kind of bike should I get." I knew I would ride the road to get to the dirt so I searched for that on the internet. I think he is right when he said @0:40 that these guy asking what kind of bike should they get "it's like marriage counseling." For christ sakes man do you think a guy on youtube has the time to answer 100 pathetic emails a day with questions like this? You are going to buy at least 3 bikes before you start getting a clue as to what is right for you. Do what he said, "just go get the bike you THINK you want to ride." You'll not like something and you love other things. No bike will be the perfect bike.

I was torn between 2t and 4t as well. I'm 60%desert and 40% woods of my woods riding 15% is technical. So I ended up with a yz450fx and a GG ex300. YZ does everything well and accels in the desert and the 300 2t is awesome in the woods no flame out in the knar.

2 strokes have a higher potential to be much better Then the 4 strokes are now but they quit development on them which was the dumbest thing they've ever did.

Greatest words ever said about it! Thank you! Rode it like you stole it...

That's why I love two stroke bikes, Beast mode is where my heart rate shoots sky high. I love the hard pull of two stroke bikes. Twist the throttle and hang on.

The simple answer is: buy both!

Just picked up on this video Adam in 2024, very good info. I used to have a CR500R road legal , it went everywhere back in the early 90s in the Uk , but then I was a lot younger. I found with the proper gearing it was brilliant on the road and then you could go off road also. But again it was a dirt bike and you felt it after a day of riding. Best bike I've ever owned was a KDX 200 , it did 90 mph and was as light as a mountain bike, it was such a blast through trails and off road, shame they dont make it anymore. Just sold my T7, lovely bike but too much now I'm older and now looking to go back to a 2 stroke.

The answer is always an XR250 🤷‍♂️💪

Sorry mate, but you really need to cut that punch in and out thing, I'm about to go into seizure 🙈

Best bike buying advice video I've come across and I was looking for my 1st dirt bike for the last 5 years...Picked up a 2006 KTM 200xcw and its way too much bike for me, but I love it because it keeps me humble and hungry to learn how to tame it. Coming from street bikes and 25 years on a mountain bike, there's a lot that translates and I love the idea that I'll never outgrow the 200xcw. Keep the inspiring videos coming! Cheers from Northern California 👊

Great video on picking bikes. I've coached a few friends through this decision and I always go back to what a good friend told me once. He told me to always get the bike I would have the most fun on. I was tired of mixing gas and cleaning up spooge at the time and I wanted to get a four stroke. My first 2 bikes we're an 85 CR125 and next was a CR250. Absolutely fell in love with the 250 2T at the time. Years later with no bike in my garage, I went and test rode a dual sport Suzuki that I had envisioned as being my next bike. When I arrived at the owners house that Suzuki was parked next to a YZ250, McGrath era yammie. I rode both bikes and I couldn't decide what to do. I was tired of 2 strokes but man the Yamaha made me smile. Bought the Yamaha and not the Suzuki and kept it a long time till I ended up buying a modern day fuel injected 4 stroke Yamaha. It looks pretty sweet sitting next to the new to me 03 CR250 which I ride most of the time cause its just more fun to ride! My friend was wise I must say.

Solution: 1 of each 😉

Thanks AR, modern marketing campaigns are the winner creating indecision and empty bank accounts. Pick a colour and a noise and go ride

I found that I am only thinking about what the next bike could be only when I am not riding my current bike. All of this goes away as soon as I hop on it.

First 90sec of the video was of more value than 2 months of watching 2t vs 4t BS. Great stuff and thanks for putting in the time to put it out there for everyone!

Great topic Adam, all i know After owning 15-20 dirt bikes moto and enduro I’ve ended favouring 125cc/150cc for motocross and 250/300cc for the bush all 2 stroke mate brrrraaaaapppppp ✊

yeah, what bike ? this is always a discussion - the less money we have the more we're into: no matter what bike. .... the more money we have: the discusion starts what bike for what use, and parts, parts, parts ........ with even more money you'd have some bikes for different conditions. ...... and than we start it over, hehe .... this will never end. I'm guilty as well. But well said. FUN FUN FUN

I came here looking for this exact answer to by my first motorcross bike, you answered it perfectl....Watching the CR lap made me think I was driving the millennium falcon! 😂😂😂😂

Goes to show theory is lot closer to reality than my old tafe book stated: "Theoretically the two stroke engine should develop twice as much power as a four stroke cycle engine of the same displacement, but in reality this is not achieved due to reduced cylinder breathing efficiently" - Sean Bennet Heavy Duty Truck Engine 4th edition

A rider needs exposure to both in order make the decision for them self. Get good enough at riding so that people can trust you on their machine, then ride as many of other people’s machines as ya can before committing to buying something for yourself. Due to emissions laws, it’s hard to find the “best” beginner bikes which were the 175cc-200cc air cooled 2 stroke enduros (IT, early model DT, CT, RT, TS, PE, KE). Then graduating into a 200cc-350cc something with adequate suspension and brakes like the late 80’s to early 90’s XT, DT, TW, XR, XL, CRM, KLX, KDX, and DR. Also depends greatly on starting age as a late teen to grown up will simply overwhelm the chassis of a classic youth beginner bike like the PW50, GT80, KX100 big wheel etc.

Ive loved Yamaha bikes since 91...but I HATE the ugly blue.. uugh New plastics...again

Ive ridden both and i love 2 strokes, started off on them and am not a great rider but overall i think the 4 stroke power delivery suits my riding ability better. On my Husaberg FS570 I was riding so much better than ive ever ridden on any 2 stroke ive had and ive had some very fast 250's over the years.

I have a 23 klx 300 dual sport and ride strictly off road with it and it’s heavy lol I was thinking Ktm 250-300 four stroke or a 250 2 stroke I just don’t knowwwwwww what to do!!!!!!!! Lol

I'm mostly sorted with both, a 450fx and 125x so both ends of the spectrum. Now just hanker after a 250x which will tip the balance to 2 strokes 😝

Wrong title tbh 😕.... Fucx$ng great upload cheers dude. What's all your real names with your comments? Joe dirt? Ffs

I have ridden 2 strokes most of my life, bought a KTM 300 EXC about 3 years ago, only being 9 stone wet through, its certainly a handful, but it's the bike you will never want to part with once ridden, you can spot a 2 stroke rider a mile away, due to the massive grin they have on their faces 😁😁😁😁👍

I will say this, electric allows you to be ridiculously lazy. Twist the throttle and go. Use the brakes as needed. 4 stroke is slightly more involved. You gotta shift, you gotta use the clutch and brake. But generally, you can put the 4 stroke in gear and just go. Occasionally slipping the clutch. But on a 2 stroke, you NEED to work that clutch. You also need to know brakes well because they just freecoast. Also, do you need something street legal? Do you have a garage stocked with tools? Do you have trails you can ride? Do you have a truck/trailer? Electric, go anywhere any time. 4 stroke, go on the road, go on the trail. Make it street legal if needed. 2 stroke, good luck. Unless you’re in Europe, these won’t be street legal. The noise will piss off people and cops will be onto you pretty easily. I love a 4 stroke because it’s linear power. It feels safer. But they are easy to stall in technical sections and they like to overheat. They’re expensive to fix. They sound awful. There isn’t a single 4 stroke thumper that sounds good and you’ll never change my mind. I love a 2 stroke because the power is almost scary. You gotta be a good rider. You gotta work the clutch. They don’t like to stall. They chug through technical sections while working the clutch. The smell. The sound. At the cost of mixing gas and not being great on the street. But when it’s time to rebuild, they’re cheaper and easier to work on. If the range and cost weren’t such limiting factors, electric would be my go to any day of the week. Zero maintenance. Effortless riding. Ridiculously lightweight. No noise. Ride anywhere any time. Transport it in a car. Store it in your room. You get the idea. Before you buy, see if you can demo some bikes. If you’re already into bikes, I can guarantee you can find someone that will swap bikes with you and you can get a good feel.

Wonderful to hear a no bs explanation. I blew up an xr in 1988 ish. Swore I'd never own a 4st dirt bike again, until a 15 year break off dirt and a good mate offered his 350 excf for a great price. Great bike does everything I need. In fact it is capable of much more than a 53yr old hack can squeeze out of it.

I find a lot depends on what you ride if you ride slow technical hard enduro type stuff a two stroke doesn't overheat like the four stroke. the four strokes are good in the faster stuff because they tend to track straighter than a two stroke over the chop.

I hope people watch too the end...cr250 lap....soooo cool

This video lays to rest this constant ridiculous fighting between 2 t and 4 t riders online. Choose what fits you, ride and enjoy your machine. They all ride together and have fun anyways. Pick one...or pick both.

Brings an old meme to my head. Paid 10k for a brand new 4 stroke only get passed by a 10 year old smoker and even fluttered on it's way while over taking. 😄 I love two strokes and everything about them! :D

in general, so not even just dirtbikes. like all the bikes i say: everything below 500cc should be a 2 stroke. period. if you reason is, i need to learn riding bikes, 4 strokes are more forgiveable for mistakes.

I disagree with torque with the 4stroke. You have to be mid throttle turn to get all the torque so for speed the 4stroke is the way to go for tractable power but for shear torque right off the idle that’s a 2stroke. Check out hard enduro you’ll see 500 2strokes and 1 or 2 4strokes. The ability for a 2-stroke to lug down low in the rpm and unleash hell.

If you ride hard enduro you can’t pass up a 300 two banger, preferably tpi, well that’s my opinion at least

Great video Adam Ive always been a far of Honda, I bought Grants old KLX 250 and then I rode his CR500 and I fell in love with it, went out and sold the KLX a few weeks later

who thumbs this down honestly what the fudge!! great video as always thumbs up from me !!

If you a beggener and you want to do enduro a four stroke is a lovely easy bike to ride but if you get better and start real technical riding a four stroke flames out at low revs like on the rocks and you fall hard a 2 stroke can run at mutch lower revs without flaming out but are harder to climb hills because they very aggresive they both lovely bikes but each rider has to make a choice what he or she is more comfortable on

great video Adam, for the average rider, people should just buy what ever is the most fun. Doesn't matter if its a 300 2 stroke a 200 4 stroke! if your having fun on the trails your winning. Because that's what its all about

Well said I think fro. My experience as a 47 year old rider for trail riding technical and rugged steep terrain cannot beat the 300 two-stroke so tractable power just chugs up anything if u stay on the bike and cheaper maintenance and does big hours on a set of piston and rings

2 strokes is more powerfull in short amount of time and faster starting accelerate. 4 strokes is more balance and more powerfull at high gear.

I think I will always lean towards 2strokes. I have owned both In various shapes and forms. I Just cannot gel with the 4strokes. They always feel heavier even if they lighter on paper, they flame out randomly and they run alot hotter.

After years of riding from 85cc to 530cc Enduro bikes, mx bikes, 2 strokes 4 strokes, I have a simple advice to give just be confident with whatever bike you have but at the same time respect it even if it is a 85cc 2 stroke! My first bike was a ktm sx 250 2 stoke, I could barely touch the ground with my feet it was definitely the wrong bike for me but I went slow and respected the bike and after 6-7 months I was totally in tune with it. Also it's a good idea to test drive as many bikes as you can.

I tried a 250xc then a 250xcf and a yz250f. I dont knkw why but i just gel with the 4t more. Im new to riding though. The 2t was way more intimidating and felt like a beast. The 4t felt more manageable and playfull. Not sure what to get still.

Never liked 4 Stroke singles, so for me it's 4 strokes twins or 4 cyl on the road, 2 stroke off road, way more fun !!

Best advice ever, you nailed it when you said what do you want to own? My problem was when I was younger I wanted a CR500R so that’s what I got lol

Number one, dont ask a salesperson !! Ask mates, and riders where ever you go, get a ride on both @

I feel like thats the adventure bike world… so much hype

I started on a kx65 and now on a tc85 and about to sell it I am 5,5 y’all think I can handle a 250

Adam. See if Yamaha will lend you a new YZ125X, and dispel the "125's can't do this, 125's can't do that", myth,

It’s what I prefer 2 stroke all the way for trail or track even enduro just need to learn how to use your clutch and breaks

450 - 4 strokes are exhausting if you aren't fit.

Yamaha updated the 2022 YZ250 2 stroke 👍

emission regulations killed the 2 stroke.

Clutch drag a 2 stroke and it rolls out. That was pulling hard

Chuckie is ridiculous 😂😎 fucking epic.

Beta 390rr-s. A long stroke 4 that is great for mature beginners, good low end power, hard to stall, lower seat height than ktm, road legal, GPS, not a KTM, ...

I race my 01 Cr250 in 30+ and it hauls ass!

Wish I could afford a dirt bike

What about going from a 250f to a yz125?

Good message...I have owned several motorcycles in my life but even if they weren't the best of the best, I loved them and found a way to ride them and get the adrenaline release I was looking for. Now moving to dirt bikes, I just went big and bought a 501. It can be a bit of a handful in tight stuff, but it just makes me a better rider to learn how to adapt to a less than perfect machine and make it work My riding buddy is going to swap machines with me on our next outing so I can try a 300 2 stroke

i need help choosing between 2t or 4t husqvarna te250 will be used for casual road driving and weekend enduro. im a beginner in bikes, experienced with mountain bikes. any tips appreciated

2-stroke. Its allways 2-stroke.

Put video in 1.25x speed

2 strokes forever 💨💨💨💨💨💨💨braaap!

2 Strokes are more fun, pronto.

But... but. You still haven't told me what bike to buy!! :) Good point about the dealer actually. I went to the local Honda dealer, and asked what bike he had. It was a BMW. Anyway, I bought the Honda regardless, because it's what I wanted. Thanks Adam, I love the videos.

2 years ago, i was at enduro school as novice, the have almost all KTMs, for the start i choose KTM 300 EXC, i was very fun and hard, so they suspended me to KTM 250 EXC-F, than i ran much faster a it was much easier that 2 stroke, but it was also less fun. If i want to buy, i will buy 300 EXC., i will be last everywhere, because dont have skill for that bike, but i will be happy :)

It’s only as fast as you want it to go…. Until you hit a rut on a 08 rm250 on a 40ft table top crank the throttle and do a superman unintentionally, clear the jump and when the back wheel touched down let go slide off the seat and face plant the ground…. 🤣 That was 2013… just brought a rmz 450 for light enduro as I ain’t going near no jumps ever again ! Just leisure riding

My collection consist of 97 xt225 (mad max build) 03 cr250r 05 cr125 05 kx125 06 rm125 05 crf450x 07 Crf230 2020 crf450r 2020 crf110 2020 ktm250sx 2022 ktm450sxf and now I’m itching for a ktm125 or even a 85sx 😂 I have a serious problem my wife is trying to force me to sell some Honda’s 😂

The short answer is both.

Can´t be more agree with u. 40 years ago someone told me "best money invested.....gas and wheels", 2 or 4 strokes?¿ what difference does it make....just enjoy.

I bought a 2001 CR250 & barely rode it. I really wanted a 125 but the 250 was such a good deal that i bought it 3 years ago & only rode it once. I crank it every now & then but haven't ridden it.

2023 yz250x here i come 🎉

The best advice I’ve been given and it was from a former Australian MX champion, he said, the only people that can ride an open class bike (I.e., like a 450 for example) to that bikes designed limits gets that bike for free.. Unless your name is Billy Bolt or Todd Waters than a 450 isn’t the bike for you..

In my opinion it comes down to 3 things. 1. Your type of riding: - Fast Riding... 4t -Technical Riding... 2t 2. Skill level A highly skilled 4t rider would beat all reasonably skilled 2t guys in technical riding and Vice versa. The bike is only 10-20% what you can do on a bike. The rest is up to you. 3. Preference: what you feel good on is what you will ride better on. If you enjoy the peaky power and minimal engine breaking of a 2t. You will likely be more comfortable to push yourself to a higher level skill on it. And vice versa. But what you like for your skill and type of riding. At the end of the day neither is outright better for things unless you are a pro Like Graham Jarvis or Steve Holcombe

Personaly I've always enjoyed 3-strokes the most. They are the most balanced, just in between 2 and 4 strokes.

If you like engine braking buy a 4 stroke. If you don't, buy a 2 stroke. Plus I ride 2 stroke modulating power with clutch. Constantly. Clutch is key on 2 stroke. 4 stroke needs uoshifting to relieve that compression that's going to make the suspension feel loaded up and unstable. Figure out what process suits your style and desired riding requirements

"once you conquer the 2 stroke engine the 4 stroke will be perpetually easier" Must be something wrong with me then. I rode my 300rr daily for 12 months then rode a mates yz450f and looped the bastard out in about 3 seconds flat.