McGrath's Ultimate Big-Bore Two-Stroke vs. Four-Stroke Shootout 

I met Jeremy McGrath at Daytona in 2004. I had his book “wide open” and read it 3 times. He was my hero next to Chad Reed. I went up to him to sign my book. I told him “I’m a huge fan of yours and I read your book 3 times.” He replied, “why?” 😂 never forget it.

Imagine getting a call: "hello your kx500 on craigslist still available?" and it's Jeremy McGrath! unless somebody called for him... that would be so cool.

McGrath is a legend, he was my childhood hero. I was racing a CR80 when he was in his prime. I'm 35 know an it's cool to see him still throwin roost! Hats off to you Jeremy, you still got it!👍

I love “ I’m a two stroke guy at heart”. I think those of us who have had both would all say the same thing.

I kept waiting for him to say “Other than that it’s all original.) 🤘🏿

As an 80's kid & Kawasaki guy that loves 2 smokes I gotta say I have so many great memories going to the races with my dad watching McGrath racing! It's just not the same these days without all the legends! FYI I live in Phoenix & that might have been the very KX500 I was going to buy....damn.

I just love the metallic sound of a two stroke exhaust..there is nothing like that..the smell of the fumes as well..brings me back to when I was a kid, watching my dad race mx. I never got to race mx, just riding a few times (I am a bmx racing guy) but what I would pay to own an mx machine ;-)

Imagine selling your kx500 on Craigslist and showtime shows up to buy it.

just wondering if Jeremy remembers when he used to say "I only like 2 strokes, 4 strokes are good for enduro but not serious race bikes" Word for word from a Dirt Rider '90s interview

Good Taste! Have fun with KX500.. thats unique classic two stroke. Its so cool to see you riding big Kawi (I have -90 KX500. Its my fav bike ever)

I have a restomod 96 KX 250 and a 2021 KX250x and I just love the 96. It's a handful but it's definitely emotional too. I had a beaten 82 KX80 back in high school so it just takes me back to when life wasn't such a grind.

Jeremy should race the Vet Nationals this year on his 500

The one minor detail I never liked on the 500, (KX, or CR) was the bulbous rear fender. The 125’s, and 250’s lines always looked cleaner. There’s no denying the power those things had back then though. My buddy had a KX500, (still has it I believe)and after riding a RM125, that thing felt like it had nitrous on it!!! Great memories!!!

That was badass MC! Great to hear you going over the 500 and all the fun you have riding it.

Right on. Good collab! Jeremy McGrath is always a smooth talker.

Take note people, the King has spoken!! This is how you talk and this is how you reveal a bike, share the info! All hail the King! on the bike King and off the bike, also King looks better on the KX500 jmo. U can keep the John Deere 450, If Kawi made this bike with an updated steel frame Id be on it like Pamela Anderson!

Like seeing the K.I.N.G. even riding a bike. Inspired a lot of people to go out and ride. BMX roots brought to a motocross track was amazing to see the transfer over, back in his flying high nack nack days. Still looks fast to me.

I've had both, and there's nothing like a kx500

Ahhhh, the sweet BRAAAP of a 500cc two stroke! No comparison. All the KX500 really needs (after Jeremy's build), is a modern day aluminum chassis. Back in the days, those chassis flexed like steamed spaghettis....such is progress.

It was awesome to see Jeremy cranking on a bike again ! He’s my all time favorite/best rider ! I miss thee ol 2 strokes for sure ! I blasted 4 strokes when they started coming out but now I have one lol And after watching this I may go on the hunt for a 500 2 stroke lol

Pretty cool, shoulda included his ServiceKawi alum framed KX250 too :)

"I wouldnt take this bike and line up against 450's....." Thats all ya need to hear! I love my old RM and YZ but nothing feels like being 2 gears high on a FI 450 and still having it rip your arms off all the way til redline.

Mc will never get old. Guy sill in great shape. Would be great to see the king on his kx500 at next years Straight Rhythm. How great would that be? The king against 199?

McGrath VS Bowers 2020 Redbull Straight Rhythm 🤔

I’ve been out of the game for a long time, but the conversions people were doing by putting the 500 braps in a 450 frame looked super solid. No idea how they ride, but damn they look slick.

They should bring back the 500 races

Man Motocross Died the day you left and the two stroke was out!!! No disrespect too Ricky but your the MAN THEN AND NOW!!! The KX500 bike is just SICK!!! Great job on the build hope you do more of these races and little vids like this. Maybe get back on a Honda old school or something like that and do what you did on this vid. I really thing people would watch I know I would LMAO...

See this guy riding this two beauties give some nostalgia how good motocross was the 90s.

Two strokes and motocross are a marriage made in heaven !

Yee guys clearly have enough funds to get someone like Jeremy McGrath! It would be awesome to see yee do a video on which bike is the king of the 500's 😊 get all the old legends together and compare them that would be really cool to see 👌

Everybody's gangster on their 450's until Jeremy turns up with his KX500.Not many have the stones to lean into a 2 stroke 500. The man is God

The KING of 2 stroke Super Cross! Back when tracks were nasty!

I bought a brand new 1986 Works Replica kx500! Yes, it ripped! Sold my last 2001 5hunny for a crf450 and didn't look back until......I just couldn't leave the 2t behind. I just bought a new 2020 KTM 300xcw tpi Erzburg edition and lemme tell you, it's the baddest 2t I've ever rode! Butta smooth! Oil and fuel injected? What?? It's outstanding!

Go back to Honda Jeremy! SHOWTIME!!!!!!! I was at your arenacross in Fort Worth back in the 90’s! I followed you since you were on 125cc. I still have your poster lol. It sucks to see that you have Jeff Emigs number 2 on your bike lol. Go back bubba, you are a monster, you are the god father of the nacnac. Steel roots isn’t just a VHS. You are the reason I went all the way on Texas tracks. You are SHOWTIME McGRATH. We in the old school MX scene Miss you bubba. Thank you for crusty demons of course, but you are the King of supercross. Thank you Jeremy. Thank you…..

It's sounds great, like it's jetted perfectly.

Imagine the look on the guys face when Showtime showed up to buy his old KX-500 that needed some love. Imagine the bikes feelings knowing he was going to get thrashed by Showtime!!!

Glad to see that green Ktech 🤘

I remember watching The Show and Larocco duking it out in the 90's. It was great racing

Have you thought about doing a horse power at the rear wheel of both the 500 and 450?

Super cool to hear your impressions of the bikes# but I wish we got some lap times.

Both very nice bikes , great job on the build...

I'm sure the modern 450's are fantastic but not sure they would give the same feeling of adrenalin as the 500 2t did. Had an '84' CR500 when I was 15 and 10 stone wet through, can imagine a 450 scaring me quite as much as the old 500 did! 👍

Back in the Day back in the Day back in the Day man

What can a 450 do down the 1/4 mile ?.I got 12.2 sec at 108mph on a 86 YZ490.All I did was remove 1 fork spring and 2 spacers to lower the front end.Put a solid bar in the rear end to lower that .Geared it up as much as I could and added a old used front road bike tire to the rear end.

You rock dude. And that 500 is sick. But we all know you dig that 2 stroke more. You just can't express how much more cause, let's face it, dealerships aren't selling 2020 kx500's, they're selling kx450f's

Incredible how the price of these old KX500s have kept up, should have never sold my '91 lol.

That's very nice! I just found out a guy I work with has a 1983 RM500 Complete and running. He wants $2,000 cdn. What do you think?

500 sounds beautiful

You show up to any track and fire up a 500 and heads turn. I love track riding on my 01 Service Honda 500af, its violent, just the way I like it.

That was really good.

Im starting to look at 150 2strokes more power than a 125. Lighter than a 250. Possible best of both? Perhaps a 185?

I’d love to see what the 500s would be if they had all those lost yrs of R&D put into them. We’ll never know, but they will always be the coolest dirt bikes in my eyes....

(Back in the day) MC be missing the 90's bad!

The guys at KX Guru are the best!

Could a two stroke be made direct fuel injection with separate oil crankcase? Maybe have two injections parallel with plug in head. Optimal fuel air mix at all time with anti knock properties as no exhaust valve to heat and pre ignition woes. Reed valve induction with timed exhaust ports. Might make complex cone pipes less critical. Power every stoke but with the pros of four stroke design. Excellent riding and awesome demo!

The geometry on the aluminum frame is better but the problem with those is they don't flex I say put the motor in a KTM and you have everything you need to compete with the new bikes.

It’s funny to hear that last statement because when they first made the transition they used to run 250 Two strokes in the 450 class

The Man...Jeremy McGrath...... Back in the Day..... my best memories is Jeremy on the Red Machine. It's a bummer what happened with the 4 Strokes, they shortened up the tracks with more turns, makes it hard to keep a 2 Stoke on the pipe to keep up with the low end torque of the 4 Stroke. I wonder if Jeremy would take a CR500 against the 4 Strokes......

Doesn't get much cooler then that!

Loved them kx500,s 💥

I love big block bikes. I've always wanted to see a raptor 700 engine in a bike, with a lectron carb, just to see how fast it could be

Love the kx500, not a fan of the newer style front fender/number plate it just clashes a bit with the test of the bikes styling. Would be sweet to be able to afford a build like that on an older 500. I restored an 86' Honda cr500 this year to OEM spec as best I could with a budget. The cr500 is definetly a bit harder to ride since it doesnt have the power valve like the kx so the power just comes on so much harder especially with the 85/86 motor. Would love to see a pro rip around on my 500.

I’m probably one of the few that is faster and more comfortable on a 500 than I am on a 450. It’s just my preference, I love 2 strokes and the explosive power of them

“The King”

still cooooool as ...... on any bike...one of the most naturally gifted riders

Steel frame, heavy, no counterbalancer, piston port technology, before the video even begins im gonna say the 450 wins just on technology alone. Should put the 500 in a 450 frame with upgraded suspension to make it more fair.

Stuff that 500 motor in a new 450 frame!

I had a KX500. Loved the bike other than the seat.

Just that 2 stroke sound makes it way cooler !!!

Nice add .. i was hoping for a comparison....

McGrath, RJ,Jeff Stanton three of the best!

We got wheels on it. Thats always a good idea.

Jeremy McGrath has always been my favorite MX pro rider ever🙌🏻😎💯 I bet you anything if he was to do one more race with the pros nowadays he would still win💯👍🏻😎🎸

I would really appreciate a video that detailed those amazing lighting systems that team green used on their Baja 1000 KX 500's. They were reluctant to share which stator they rebuilt for the racing team. It came off some Kawasaki street bike.

I much much much prefer 2-strokes, but when we get into engine displacements of 400cc and up, I change my tune. Those 2-stroke 500s are monsters. They shake. They're heavy. They're just a whole lot of bike. Suddenly, i find myself appreciating the smooth/"manageable" power of a 4-stroke. 😄 But give me a 150cc or 250cc 2-stroke any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Just don't force me to race them against 4-strokes with twice the displacement.

Soo cool that Kawasaki not only lets you do this but appears to really enjoy it. Sweet Project MC!! [and swap]

The KING! The Best EVER!

Yeah I kinda figured,and can kinda see u apear to be going faster on your trusty 450four,like u said ur used to it,but my question is being a two stroke racers does it feel any more comfy timing the two stroke or do u think ur timing has really changed to four stroke era...mainly because they hook up so much better,u don't think if u got used the to stroke power band again timing u could ride it as well or better than the new bike,but why the chassis is much better right,I raced a92 KX 500cc and it was not too bad but the chassis really could use a swap to the new frame most guys are doing...when I watch Roczen and others 4 stroke guys u can see how there throttle hand is not in a two stroke groove even as good as they are riding,the new bikes seem to get 30 percent better or more hook up with no extra effort,its a little disheartening even if u had a really dial in race two stroke,but I still think its possible to make it go as well but too much time A...thanks we need to see u do more riding videos and get a good photographer ,camera man ifvu got time....and some cool,places to ride... If u can...thanks still look good

Sick channel Donn! Long time no talk. Hope all is well.

2 stroke hey showtime good riding Jeremy

Stock KX450f Horsepower: 56.05 Torque 36.88 Stock KX500 Horsepower: 65 Torque:48.4 Two stokes still rule the earth!

They don’t call it the widow maker for nothin. When it comes alive it comes alive!

Does it bother anyone else that his number plate is a 2?! Seriously....it’s JM! And it’s really hard to see him on a Kawi! Either way, it’s just cool to see him making videos!!

Would like to see that 500 engine shoehorned into the 450 frame... it probably handles pretty good with the 22 offset clamp and new forks, but it would be way cooler in the new frame.

What tank is it? It's not the KX500 original tank

Make 2 Strokes Great Again!

This a commercial or a review and comparison?

Roost bought two 5's that last year (04} one to ride and one to set in game room. I have lined up w the 450's a bunch o times and here's the deal, several factors here to consider. The 450's are very tame, therefore easy to flog. JM dont weight enough to hold one down, although he can ride one better than anybody i've ever seen, makes sense right. You have to have the right place for the 5 due to its bad attitude, disrespect it and your down, or in the top of a tree. The 5's hit is violent, almost unmanagable, trust me you dont want that back tire to hook like you think. Jeremy is being paid to sell motorcycles, they havnt made the 5 in 20 yrs, you can get the 4 1/2 right now. Btw Abbott said all the same shyt on his video. Its just hard to compare the two, totally different tools imo. So i have a ranch in Texas, we have a dirtbike weekend 2-3 times a year, talk is thick around the camp fire, you guys know this, so the only way to settle this is line em right. This takes out the adevantage of being a great rider like JM. So my pasture is 600yrds across, we line em up, the 5 and 8-9-10 of the newest and greatest, yea yea but how else would you do it other than drag race. We are talking speed here, not suspension, nothing but raw power. So what happens guys ??? its dead even actually at the 100yd mark, its about then that i know i have complete control of the 5 and i can shift my 250lbs to the back and let her eat, and man she digs a daam trench, from there i just walk em, plus throw a truckload of dirt all over em. Then we have to go back to the camp fite and argue bout why that happened lol. If you have the sack to absolutely hammer that 5, and you have some ass on you, over 200 at least, aint many bikes out there gonna go by ya, especially w that 30ft roost coming off the back tire.

I would like to see how Jer would do with the latest RMzilla build. its an Australian balanced 500cc 2 stroke with electric start. its where I wish factories went with 500s all it needs is oil and fuel injection

Looks like Mc is getting back into moto shape after all the truck stuff. Good to see.

JM 🏆 spoke from the heart. ✔️

After all the mods it’s basically a 450. The biggest difference is: “The seat”- j McGrath 🙄

The engine braking alone will set the 4-stroke 450 apart going down Hills and into corners. When you're going so fast and don't have a lot of time to grab the brakes, the four-stroke is supreme. And of course we're not even talking about a mud race where delivering consistent power and torque is key when the track is slick.

i had a bunch of steel framed hondas jeremy era. the best steelies ever! 93-96 cr250

How it normally goes: Average rider fantasizes about a big bore two stroke. Final gets one. Sells it next month and buys a 350 four stroke.

Lap Times?

Could you put a built up 500 two stroke in optimum set up 450 chassis? Seems the best of both worlds. Kawasaki Racing Team 🏁.

Wish I could’ve been there to see the king doing his thing.

Hail the king :) yup nothing but the truth from MC. I think 450s today are some of the most impressive bikes ever produced...enjoy them!

The King 🤘🤘