The (TWO)-STROKE of Genius: HONDA NSR500, BIG BANG, SCREAMER, the ultimate Grand Prix Bike. 

22:35 : “we could have done a WEEK LONG podcast on this engine alone ! “ I believe the audience would be fine with that! 🎉

My '86 NS400R was a great little mad dog of a bike - So much fun to ride! I replaced it with an RG500, that didn't handle as well but was way faster on the straights. I also tried out the Yamaha 500, but didn't like it at all. Having started racing 2 strokes in the 60's, to this day, I'm in love with 2 strokes. When I'm out for a ride, and smell the 2 stroke smoke, I get real nostalgic for those younger, carefree days. Carefree until the engine seizes, that is. Luckily, I never seized a bike on the street. Every once in a while, I put 2 oz. of a Castor based oil in my gas tank, just to smell history!

These talks by Kevin are an international treasure.

Man I miss the printed magazines where there was this wealth of information and you could go back to it anytime you needed. Thank you for this podcasts.

I saw Freddy at Road America when he came back at the end of his career for the AMA. Just a natural talent. It’s like any athletic sport. Some people are just born with a natural talent, and Freddy was one of them.

For those unable to make the trip to Japan and visit Honda's 'Collection Hall' in Motegi, a virtual on-line tour can also be done on Honda's website. However visiting the museum in person will leave a lasting impression...... In addition to all the race bikes and F1 cars, cutaway engines and incredible visuals, behind the Collection Hall is the restoration shop where former race-team engineers/mechanics restore the race bikes (such as the NSR500 and Hailwood's Six), to running condition. There's also a schedule showing on which day of the year these famous machines will be run on the Motegi circuit.

Another masterclass much appreciated by this 74 yo racer from Australia whose prime racing was in the 1970s in Long Track. We could always tell which team was very serious in the paddock, because they had a guy in a white lab coat, goggles and gloves mixing up the fuel in glass lab beakers in the van. We also experimented in 1973 by putting a Maico 501 in a Long Track frame and seeing this thing overtake the best that a speedway engine could manage in the day. But power slides were a life threatening experiment.

NSR-week is deserved ! The machine is INCREDIBLE !!

I would actually LOVE to hear Kevin talk about what he wrote in those 17 pages. KEVIN UNCENSORED please?

Count me as one vote for 'NSR-Week'

Strange question, but it's really bugging me. A long time ago, back when I waited impatiently each month for the latest Cycle or Cycle World issue, I remember reading a column by Kevin in which he used the line, “I abandoned my heresy just as it became dogma.” I think he was wrenching the 750 Kawasaki for number 9, Gary Nikon at the time. I cannot remember what the heresy was. When I google the line, I get stuff about Catholicism and Protestantism, and I know it was about something more important than that-perhaps piston ring end gap or torque specs on a wach-a-ma-call-it. This line has haunted me over the years as I ponder the wisdom of my own heresies, so I would love to know its original usage. Perhaps the answer is a whole podcast!

That black line photo of spencer might have saved my life. I had a 1998 Superhawk with the original Dunlops. A salesman in a store told me when I told him I had that bike, he said, "do you have the original tires on it?" I said, "yes." He said, if you see blue on those tires, change them. I lost it with those." I didn't pay attention because I thought he might have been telling me that just to sell me something. One day I was at the Rock Store in Malibu and I looked at my tires and they had a blue tinge. I thought back to the salesman and dismissed it. I went up riding with some friends and we were cornering pretty hard. I came around this one corner and the front end started washing out, right towards this really craggy rock wall. I was heading straight into it. My mind remembered a picture from a magazine, and was Freddy Spencer with a black streak coming off his front tire. Was it Cycle World? And the question was something like "did he save it, turn the page to find out." I turned the page and it said how he would gas it to take a load off the front time. This came into my mind in a split second and without delay I whacked the throttle, then it was like WHAM! I could feel the front and the bike stick... it was like I just went ZING(!) through the corner. I realized that 1) I'm not a racer, and 2) my riding had a little bit of a going too fast problem on the street. I backed out of being a long term motorcyclist because of the pushy throttle hand and... looking at crash stats (you might avoid looking at those if you want to keep riding....).

Another wonderful episode. Thanks guys.

Thank you for yet another great episode.

Great insight. Love the content.

The historical perspective that you’re giving is spot on!

Another great podcast !! Thanks

You should digitally enhance that mustache until it's in all the way. With great mustache comes great responsibility.

I'd love an NSR500.... on good days I'd like to think I'd even survive to the end of the first corner on it, too...

As someone who has 3 of the 90's vtwin smoker 250's. I could listen to this type of 2 stroke history all day. Bikes like the nsr history tz etc. The kawasaki x-09 250 was interesting with it's upside down v-twin engine placement.

Can't wait to watch this

Always wanted to ride a 500 2-stroke GP bike

Did I miss the part where you mentioned that in 1997 Mick Doohan went back to the screamer NSR500 engine? Awesome video! Thank you very much.

I read a comment from someone that raced against Freddie, he said "I was following Freddie into a corner, there was smoke coming off his front tyre, his rear tyre, and his knee slider"

This will be awesome to take a deep-dive into such a cool and technically-complicated topic. Could you guys take a deep dive into key players in the development of two-strokes and racing, esp. given their geographical and political situations e.g. MZ, CZ, Maico and Suzuki? That would be really cool to get that story and keep it documented forever through your great work. Thanks!

I know guys like this here in district 23. There’s still alive. I got photographs of them from back in the 70s at the armory in Minneapolis. We’re still riding together.

Absolutely fantastic to hear your analysis Keven. I’ve been trying to understand your writings for decades. You’re a better talker than you are a writer. Keep this stuff up.

KRJ was actually ridding Swanz's bike.

Please consider a podcast on inline 4, like the Ace, Indian, Militaire. They look beautiful. Decent performance. Also podcast on speedway, which is huuuuge in Europe, and still run here. Mike Bast, Gresham

Great podcast! One correction, though; when discussing the 'big bang' era, KC used the term 'firing order', when the actual description is 'firing interval'. We'll let him slide this time. 🤫😄

I hope Yamaha's MotoGP V4 works out.

This is the first time I've heard anyone talk about tractability on-road. I read a technical article on off-road tractive force and it was more like putting a blender on chop instead of purée. A magazine shootout on off-road racers versus on-road tried to determine which could ride faster on the others track. It's probably old now as I think a lot of people x-ride. I think off-road more easily adapted to on-road, but out-and-out speed may not be there.

Kevin is amazing how can make complex seem understandable

Lead in fuel was by a chemist called Midgeley, he also worked on refrigiration and discovered CFCs so single handedly he got the lower and upper atmosphere.

Doohan too asked for and used the 'old' non big bang engine later on. Not sure if this was mentioned.

Basically....the baddest motorcycle on the planet. If we had to race the alians in a motorcycle race, we would choose this bike

😂"Hurled forward in a satisfying manner"😂 Another Classic Kevin quote adding to the soon to be released book.... Hint Hint.....

Only one thing wrong with two strokes, whenever you get where you’re going you have to get off.If their is an afterlife we well all have triples.

It was said that you could tell an RD 350 rider by the scratches on the chin bar of his helmet from being hit by the steering stem nut. I had one with pipes and whatnot, so I can confirm it's true.

Your best yet!

How bout a story focusing on MV Agusta and the creation of the F4 750...?

More Brain Blisters. Thanks for the heat.

Would love to see the lap times of a 500 t2 with technology in the new tires!

Bring back the 2 strokes!

Love the show, not so much the stash 🤣. But seriously keep up the great work.

Bennet's whole frame was sheet metal held together with pop rivets( TZ250)

What does it look like.. Kevin is awesome

Excellent.

Awesome machine

It's was best for max HP to grind a hole in the piston skirt that aligns with the port give a double shout of fuel air mix

You two,every day's a school day. Brits with our low centre of gravity , true.

love this

Freddie was WIZARD.

I loved Honda, but wasn’t crazy about Doohan beating my American heroes..

Hockenheim I have the cycle news with Itoh

ah, the approach of Movember...

Dittos!

Don't forget Eddie Lawson before Wayne. Plus Mick Doohan wasn't so good in 93 because of his horrendous Assen crash 91. Which he leading championship in until nearly the end. Mick was dominant in 91 until crash. And Wayne probably wouldn't of won 91,92 championships. Plus Wayne Gardner always said honda engineers di8seem to listen just did what they want.

VP still sells leaded fuel

In 1935 army air they were running 100 plus Octane BENZENE

Piston aircraft legacy engines, AKA, Continental and Lycoming still have to use 100 low lead fuel. There are companies trying to make alternatives. A couple approved but there showing valve wear in flying school planes. They have until 2035 by the Federal government to find something else. 2030 in Governor Newson's state.

I can't concentrate on the topic. Mark's moustache is too distracting.

Marvel Mystery Oil has lead