Check out this video of Jeff Stanton blasting around the Red Bud track on his Honda CR250 two stroke.

BUCHANAN, Mich., (June 30 2009) – Fans yearning for the unmistakable crackle of two-stroke dirt bikes ripping around RedBud’s pro track will get their wish this Saturday with the inaugural running of the RedBud FMF Two-Stroke Invitational, featuring the likes of Ricky Carmichael, Jeff Stanton, Jeff Emig and a whole host of recognizable Michigan Mafia names from several eras of pro MX racing!

The three-lap exhibition race, scheduled for intermission at this Saturday’s (July 4th) Monster Energy MX National @ RedBud, will be run on older and more current two-stroke bikes – the kind of which not only put RedBud on the map, but allowed the sport of motocross to prosper with their quick-hitting power and indistinguishable “Brrraaappp” noise emanating from the exhaust.

“This is going to be an absolute blast,” said Stanton, the multi-time MX/SX champ from nearby Sherwood, Mich.. “It’s been a while since the fans at RedBud have heard a bunch of two-strokes racing around the track. I think everyone’s really going to get a kick out of this – I know I will.”

Added Carmichael: “I’m with Stanton, man. This is gonna be a riot.”

Joining RC and Michigan’s greatest motocross racer of all time will be a number of recognizable names from the Michigan motocross ranks, i.e., the Michigan Mafia members, guys from a number of pro racing eras that still get after it, including: Todd DeHoop, Josh Woods, Kelly Smith, Matt Maximoff, Josh Lichtle, Matt Crown, Larry Witmer, Jay Wagner and Ryan Valade.

Things keep on getting better and better… check out this video of Jeff Emig talking about his plans for the Two Stroke race. Should be very interesting!

Red Bud Two-Stroke Challenge: Jeff Emig - More Motocross Videos

Related posts:

1. AMA NATIONAL TWO-STROKE CHALLENGE
2. 250 Two Stroke vs 250 Four Stroke AMA National Update
3. RacerHead #10 a must read for Two Stroke Fans

KTM has announced record 2008 sales of 25,000 two-stroke bikes and says it sees no end to the high-performance two-stroke. Australian firm Orbital is testing a 200bhp, fully emissions-compliant 1000cc twin that’s lighter and more fuel efficient than any rival four-stroke. Aprilia craves an accessible performance middleweight, says it could easily render its seminal RS250 Euro-3 compliant and has twice already come close to releasing such a bike. R&D departments in Europe, Asia and North America are arriving at the same conclusion: everything you know about two-strokes is wrong, and their revenge against the four-stroke is imminent.

“The complexity of a high-performance four-stroke engine is frightening” says Steven Ahern of Australian engineering R&D firm Orbital, owner of key direct injection patents. “To get power out of a four-stroke you’ve got to go for high rpm, very fancy materials, and you’ve got to sacrifice the torque at low and mid rpm. The customer is the one who has to foot the bill and it’s becoming prohibitive – and they’re getting engines the same vices two strokes used to be damned with.”

Orbital believes the two-stroke is the only engine which gives manufacturers the performance headroom customers will demand – and experts agree that none of the traditional two-stroke vices need apply. It’s only a matter of time before the truth shows through the four-stroke greenwash, says Denver Lawson, who as R&D consultant to China’s vast Jialing Motorcycle Company is designing a wave of new direct-injection two-stroke motors: “What the world wants is efficiency. And whether it’s efficiency or performance you want the fact a four-stroke wastes two strokes is a big issue. It’s not going to be a case of riders having to be convinced about two-strokes again, the world’s going to demand those wasted strokes back.”

Emissions laws dealt a mortal blow to the performance two-stroke in the seventies and eighties, but it’s something other than technical realities that have kept the lid on the coffin, according to Dave Blundell of Lotus Engineering: “Any two-stroke can be made clean enough to pass current emissions standards thanks to Orbital’s air-assisted injection. But manufacturers have invested unimagined billions in four-stroke and they’re very happy for people’s prejudices about ‘dirty, peaky’ two-strokes to remain.”

Orbital’s air-assisted direct injection technology (ADI) separates oil and fuel, keeping oil out of the combustion process and surrounding the fuel vapour in a plume of air which allows clean combustion in the short time the two-stroke cycle allows. The injection of the charge happens after the exhaust port is closed, so none is lost, and because the air injection is so effective at atomising the fuel, injector pressure can be lower – meaning the injector themselves can be cheap; far cheaper than the diesel injectors in your car which run at up to ten times the pressure. Orbital’s computer-controlled ADI cuts oil consumption by 80% and fills out the two-stroke’s torque curve to four-stroke-beating levels. It also dramatically reins in fuel consumption, as Mike Ambler - project leader in Aprilia’s engine department when the firm secretly tested ADI on its RS250 - remembers: “The ADI-equipped RS was so efficient that it could run on the tailpipe emissions of the regular RS250 at idle”.

Dyno comparision - 450 two stroke vs. 450 four stroke.

Tomorrow’s two-strokes on the dyno
Future two-strokes will have capacities on a par with four-strokes, allowing a milder state of tune than that which earned them their peaky reputation. The result trounces the four-stroke for power, torque, flexibility and even service intervals says Orbital – whose experimental (and under-developed) 450cc single-cylinder two-stroke produced these curves against a rival 450cc four-stroke. The stroker also proved smaller and lighter, cheaper to build, less thirsty and with identical emissions.

Orbital earns royalties on every ADI-equipped engine produced, and spent the nineties and early 2000s focusing on mass-market small-capacity utility machines and courting automotive firms. But it’s since entered into partnerships with high-performance bike manufacturers it says will bear fruit soon. Big fruit: “We’re testing a 1000cc engine with performance up to 200bhp and 118lb-ft per litre with performance anywhere and completely emissions compliant” says Ahern.

Who those partners are Orbital won’t say, though an ADI-equipped EXC300 from KTM is strongly rumoured. But what it will say is telling: “Everyone, except Honda, is harbouring significant two-stroke thoughts” says Ahern.

That’s no wonder, says Harald Bartol, two-stroke engineering luminary and technical director of KTM’s grand prix activities: “When I look at two strokes I see only advantages – the power, the weight, the cost and complexity. And the riding dynamics of two-stroke 250s are very close to the 800cc MotoGP bikes. If I were making a sportsbike for the road I would choose a 500cc V4 two-stroke. I have absolutely no doubt it would be superior to the current superbikes, and be possible with existing legislation.”

It may even happen, as Bartol becomes more and more disenchanted with racing’s four-stroke pogrom: “The technical reasons for the change is nonsense. They are all excuses for a business plan which is coming from Honda.”

It’s a disenchantment that’s echoed outside of racing. Dave Blundell of Lotus: “There are lots of very pro-two-stroke engineers at Honda, and they’ve done incredible work in the field, but within the firm it’s become regarded as disloyal to support two-strokes. Their influence is so massive it’s distorted the truth about the engineering.” The truth which even Honda knows says Aprilia’s Mike Ambler: “That two-strokes can be at least as clean, and more fuel efficient thank a four-stroke – their own benchmark tests with ADI-equipped two-strokes against their best four-strokes proved it.” Orbital’s Ahern: “10 years ago from an emissions point of view two-stroke and four-stroke engines were chalk and cheese. Honda’s marketing department went into overdrive and stayed there.”

With oil and fuel separated, injection computer-mapped and the mixture air-blast assisted, the new breed of two-strokes won’t recognise their smoking, spluttering, peaky forbears. They may not resemble them in capacity either. Orbital now believes two-strokes of comparable capacities to four-strokes, running at a less frenetic pace, offer the best combination of explosive two-stroke power, and flat ’n’ fat four-stroke torque curve.

The combination certainly proved mouthwatering for Aprilia. Mike Ambler: “In 2005-6 we looked long and hard at a 600cc two-stroke in an RS250 chassis. The prototype was slated to have 110-125bhp at 8-9000rpm, and weigh 145kg. That would have been a hot-rod, but in the end it was decided we’d have more chance of marketing a Mana than an RS600DI.” When asked if a clean middleweight two-stroke would bridge the yawning gap in Aprilia’s sportsbike range, product manager Francesco Polimeni replies: “I completely agree. And things seem to be changing in the past 12 months, customers warming up to this type of bike. We are keeping our eyes open so as to pounce on any opportunity that becomes available.”

In the dyno rooms and laboratories of the world’s most advanced centres of R&D – including Britain’s Lotus and Ricardo – the boundaries of economy, performance and flexibility are being pushed with two-stroke technologies. Riders craving their explosive performance are feeding a burgeoning subculture of limited-run old-school strokers. So how long before they go mainstream again? As soon as riders know to demand them says Steven Ahern: “Today more than ever manufacturers are listening to what customers want, not saying ‘we’ve made this, you’ve got to buy it’. They’ve just got to know it’s okay to demand more torque, less weight and better efficiency at lower cost.”

“I’ve ridden the future”
Jeremy Bowdler is the editor of Australia’s Two Wheels magazine and the only man outside Aprilia to ride the RS250ADI – the Orbital-equipped next-generation RS.

“It was Aprilia’s DiTech-equipped [Aprilia’s brand name for ADI] SR50 scooter that first got me thinking about the potential of an RS250. Jeez it was fast. I started pestering the local Aprilia distributors about giving Orbital an RS250 to play with, and eventually they let slip that there was, indeed, a RS. Eventually – after a long and difficult negotiation – I was not only allowed to see the bike, but I was also allowed to ride it. In the carpark. But at least I was riding something that didn’t exist. Officially.”

A long discussion with the guys from Orbital, from sales and engineering, ensured that I would never, ever, ever mention the bike’s existence. So here goes.

With the DiTech system the RS could run on various fuel maps, well before the variable fuel injection maps offered by today’s sportsbikes, and the engineers could build almost any power characteristics into the engine, short of an S-shaped power curve.

“We could have a really soft delivery, say for riding in the rain, or a broad spread if you wanted that. We could even have an absolute bastard peaky engine, with nothing and then a 500rpm powerband. Almost anything is possible,” one engineer commented (and I saw the dyno charts).

The proof was in the pudding. After a couple of laps of the carpark on the stock bike, I started the RS DiTech. Not a puff of smoke to be seen…

The best description I can give is that it felt just like a four-stroke, pulling off the bottom end without any clutch slipping or two-strokiness. The noise was deeper, sort of halfway between a two and a four-stroke but the breadth of the powerband was what really impressed. Just a steady stream of non-peaky power. I was excited. As an aside, one of the engineers mentioned he could triple the range of a four-stroke dirt bike quite simply, without any need for a large tank.

But there was one great regret: Bimota’s VDue. “We could have made that one work,” they said ruefully.

‘We’ve given up on four-strokes’
Leading outboard motor firm Evinrude sells at the premium performance end of the marine market. The firm abandoned four-stroke development after discovering direct injection offered their 25-300bhp two-strokes more power, better economy and less weight. They’re also emissions compliant to projected Euro 2010 standards. Spokesman Mike Loach says: “There’s a place for four strokes – doing the dull jobs. They’re bloody heavy and don’t give the power or the torque of the two-strokes. We believe two-strokes are simply better and people who try them quickly agree”. But Loach warns that the four-stroke mafia loom large: “The misinformation that’s spread about two-strokes goes right up to government. It’s a serious threat to our business, and we have to confront other manufacturers’ propaganda all the time.”

Two-strokes at the cutting edge
Lotus and Ricardo (architects of BMW’s K1300 engine) both have flagship two-stroke engines on the test bench. Lotus’ 500cc research engine Ominvore has a moveable ‘puck’ at the top end which it uses to alter the compression ratio, allowing it to run optimally on any fuel. It also features Orbital ADI and compression ignition capability – offering leading-edge combustion efficiency that the inherently energy-efficient two-stroke cycle complements perfectly. Early runs have Lotus very excited.

Ricardo’s 2100cc 2/4SIGHT experimental engine is able to switch from 2-stroke to 4-stroke operation. It uses a 2-stroke cycle to meet demands for high torque and 4-stroke for constant-throttle running. In tests the engine has hit 165lb-ft per litre in two-stroke mode…

Suter SRT500
MotoGP/500GP chassis and engine-builder Suter Racing is launching the bike it says fills the gap where a ‘real bike’ should be – for well-heeled trackday addicts. Pitching it as the ‘two-stroke Desmosedici’ - a factory GP machine for public – the bike will feature a new injected 500cc V4 producing over 200bhp, in an evolution frame based on the gorgeous Ilmor X3. Counter-rotating crankshafts will kill vibration and gyroscopic resistance to turning, and customers will be able to spec the bike up from a EUR50,000 base level to EUR90,000 to include carbon wheels, WSB forks and full titanium exhaust. According to boss Eskil Suter the bike will be: “Powerful but easy enough for everyone to ride – until you try to squeeze the last few seconds of laptime out of it”. Traction control will not be necessary: “If you have a nice torque curve and throttle connection you don’t need it. It’s more for bikes with damaged torque curves, like highly-tuned four-strokes.”

Stefan Pierer KTM

KTM
The fully Euro-3 compliant Austrian firm sold 25,000 two-strokes last year (40% of its total), says other firms were wrong to give up the technology and can’t rule out a sportsbike stroker. Stefan Pierer, CEO: “We have never let up on the development - the potential is by far not exhausted.” Spokesman Thomas Kuttruf expands: “We cannot see an end to two-stroke developments, and we intend to develop the 2-stroke advantages further. In terms of efficiency, weight and complexity you have to consider the 2-strokes in general for future sports projects, on and off-road. We have people in R&D who believe they can make them cleaner than four-strokes”. We’re expecting an Orbital air-assisted direct injection, torque-laden EXC soon.

Jialing / Mira
China’s state-owned giant Jialing Motorcycles has contracted New Zealand engine R&D firm Savice to develop a suite of new direct-injection sub-250cc two-strokes designed to leave Europe and Japan’s rivals feeling heavy and flat. And the deal is a two-way street, with Jialing manufacturing Savice’s line of Mira-branded two-stroke bikes (www.miramotorcycles.co.nz) with further projects already sketched out, taking advantage of Jialing’s huge economies of scale. Managing Director Denver Lawson says: “We’ve got a 1000c two-stroke V-twin modelled (dyno chart shown) that’s good for 22obhp while still running Euro-3 compliant, a 62bhp 125, a completely new technology diesel two-stroke scooter engine, new piston designs allowing us to run up to 11,000rpm, split intakes… There’s a lot going on,” Of the v-twin 1000 Lawson promises “A turn-key V-Due”.

Aprilia SR250

Aprilia
The Italian holder of 33 two-stroke world-titles has twice since 2000 come close to reviving production of its iconic RS250. First as an air-assisted direct injection 250, and again in 05/06 as a 110-124bhp two-stroke 600. Ultimately it plumped for the safer option of diversifying it four-stroke middleweights, but says the door remains open: “As long as there are customers looking for the fun and the thrill of a 2-stroke engine, Aprilia will continue to meet their demand by developing models, and is keeping close tabs on what it sees as a recent revival of interest in the 250 class. If this trend should be confirmed we will take action. Of course in Aprilia style, that means passion and performance” says product director Francesco Polimeni.

Two Stroke Shop TSS500

TSS RS500GP
Australian firm TSS’s RS500GP is a grand prix-engineered RS250 with a rip-snorting all-new 500cc two-stroke parallel twin between its beams. It costs £10,600 and deliveries begin in three months. Co-founders Steve Rothwell and Wayne Wright (GP engineer to Yamaha, BSL and others) say their 112bhp/60lb-ft motor offers “a fat bottom end, massive midrange and lung-collapsing top end rush” and durability undreamt-of in the stroker’s heyday. Worldwide interest in the bike has astonished the firm. 100 bikes are in build in Oz initially (www.twostrokeshop.com), with agents in the UK and US set to expand production. 90% of buyers are opting for road-legal spec say TSS.

This article was written by Guy Procter, Senior Editor at Motorcycle News on June 10, 2009. It is re-printed here by permission.

www.motorcyclenews.com

Related posts:

1. Coming Soon? KTM Fuel Injected Two Stroke
2. Honda EXP-2 The Return of Two Strokes?
3. The EPA vs. Motocross

I am NOT a lone voice or a SINGLE opinion. There are many parents and 25 year old pilots, who no longer want to spend the vast amounts of dollars required to simply race and maintain a modern 4 stroke motor.

There are currently websites and clubs that run their own rules and their own race events. WOW

Why bother writing this letter then? - Simply put. I would really like to know why the body that is meant to be representing riders and upholding the rules is unfortunately off on its own mission with blinders on.

It is ironic to me and others that the one who is meant to enforce the rules has BENT / CHANGED them!

I am a parent, and I am the one buying the bikes and the parts, with a higher than average income. No different to a lot of the parents who have supported MX in the past or have abandoned MX due to the cost.

This is not a single voice, opinion or question from the grass roots of this sport.

I have kids, which I would have liked to have introduced to motocross. This unfortunately will not happen, as I refuse to purchase what has been dictated to me by the AMA. If I don’t purchase what is dictated to me by the AMA, then my options are simple.  Don’t participate.

The logical choice of bike for my son would be severely disadvantage in every way! Disadvantaged in capacity and a lack of technology being transferred in favor of greater profits for Japan.

A choice forced on me based on the fact that I REFUSE to buy an UNRELIABLE, overpriced bike, and that the AMA have modified the rules to favor this expensive option.

There are many parents like me, who won’t be dictated too either, and simply don’t buy the bikes and don’t bother going to MX anymore. Why would they, no interest in watching somebody else’s son? These are the parents of marginalized riders. (A growing crowd)

Judging by the amount of people, websites and web pages in support of 2 strokes, it amazes me that the AMA simply continues from one year to the next, watching the sport erode away and the fans decline.  It is clear as day light that there are fewer supporters and less bikes being sold. This being clear to a layman.

What's the real difference between these two motors?

You have created a Polo event (Exclusive club) out of MX. The only people that now race have a 100% sponsorship from a factory ride. (Even these sponsors are drying up) THERE ARE NO PRIVATEERS as they can’t compete due to the costs, even at a local level, and that’s a globally trend.

The sport is dying. Local clubs and even the local shops are closing and this due to a lack of support. The local MX tracks are closing due to noise levels as well as a lack of riders at the venues.

The MX fan base is aging. The worst is that the aging fan base has not passed it onto the next generation. This same aging fan base is the one who pays for the bikes and the bills for the current riders. The few new riders that have been attracted to the sport are not lifers, but a flash in the pan, one off. or maybe two bike purchases because it’s cool. They don’t and won’t race anyway. Even they recognize the severe costs involved with bent or worn valves.

You surly do know that you are killing the sport by pushing expensive bikes with expensive rebuilds on the grass roots..

Not many, if any fathers would bother to take their sons and daughters to watch a MX event, why would they?…The kids will simply want what the fathers are no longer willing to put up with!

Do you have money to burn?

MX is no longer a sport of skill, but a sport for who has the biggest wallet.  This was not as evident with 2 strokes. A wallet could only take you so far, but in the end skill always triumphed.

The decline in fans from the current aging generation (The ones who pay the bills) will result in the next generation being smaller and so on. The AMA is a bit like any product or company, which has to evolve and move with the times or succumb. Not being a dooms dayer, but eventually at some stage without modification to the rules, it will simply result in the demise of the sport.

It is already a very expensive sport. Why would you make it even more expensive? How many million dollar fathers do you think the AMA is appealing too?

As the governing body, the results of your rules and regulations are completely and totally out of touch with the sport you are meant to uphold.

When are you going to allow the 2 strokes motor back into the races, and return the sport to an affordable level, that people will and want to participate in? A sport that people will want to watch on television. A sport that so many in the past have appreciated, that they are now abandoning.  They are the people you supposedly represent in some way or the other?  “The regulatory body” which is no longer regulating but dictating what bikes the minions must purchase.

Is this what's it's come down to?

When is 1cc = 1cc (125 vs. 125 or 250 vs. 250). If a particular motor can’t cope in a sporting event, then why allow bending the rules and doubling the motor capacity of an inferior and more expensive motor. It’s a bit bizarre, and not to mention a strange tactic. A bit like saying let’s bend the rules a bit and allow Anabolic Steroids into the sport to accommodate the steroid manufacturer for a fee.

In the end you will have managed to eradicate the original successful and well supported format all together?  This was all done to accommodate a more expensive, inferior, and unreliable motor!  What, if anything was the logic? – A group of manufacturers from Japan?

I along with many do NOT believe that this was done in the name of the environment. There would be more merit and value in shutting down the V8’s in Daytona, Drag events or F1 over a handful of small bore motors supported by a handful of people.  One in how many thousands of people in the general public actually race and actively participate or support these small bore events? The environmentalists have far bigger and better fish to fry than a few tiny motors run on “Any Sunday”. I DO NOT believe they had anything to do with the rule changes!

On a side note – Scientifically how would a 14,500 rpm 150cc motor, be better than a 11,000 rpm 85cc motor on the environment?  A modern 4 strokes pollutes as much as a regular 2 stroke on 60:1 mix Yes, the new improved 4 stroke blows burnt smoke from NEW!

A)        There are less MX fans buying tickets than ever before!
B)        Less people buying bikes!
C)        Less people have an interest in watching it on television!

There are fewer fathers who would bother to buy the overpriced bikes currently available. And these new, supposedly improved motors that require multiple $1000 rebuilds, several times per season! And here is another question - What happens if you have more than ONE son?

Is the 85 class going the same way as the 125 class, being slowly killed and eroded by bigger wallets? (Double the displacement to accommodate an inferior and very much more expensive motor from Japan)

Why would anybody bother with the 85 class if the next class he will have to ride in, is going to be an unreliable expensive 4 stroke 250? (Not multiple choice, and not an even playing field, if you happen to opt for half the cc’s that is reliable and financially smarter)

Would you tell a talented kid in the 85 class  “That’s  it son, done with the 85’s, now go play some ball, as I’m not willing to buy and support the new and improved unreliable 250cc device” I would say it’s better to simply not start MX at all! This way I won’t disappoint anybody. I will also change the channel when it’s on the television.

What’s going on with the 85cc class – About to be silently demolished and will soon be known as the 150cc class. Will it go to where the “open” class has gone?

What happened to the 125 class? – This is now the new and improved 250 class.

Where is the old 250 class? – This now a 450cc class.

Where is the open class (Unlimited?) – GONE.

Hey we have bent the rules a bit and allowed double the engine capacity to appease the Japanese manufacturers – Lets also allow the Steroids in as they may pay a fee as well to bend some of the rules, the riders themselves will have just a bit more capacity as well?

A)          So, what have we gained out of all of the above rule and capacity changes? – Nothing but a very expensive and very exclusive sport.

B)          Who stood to gain anything from these rule changes? – Well simply in the short term the bike manufacturers increased profits, and in the long term probably NOBODY AT ALL!

C)          Where will we be in the next ten years time? - It has taken ten years to get where we are now, its anybody guess I suppose, but it does look a bit bleak from here.

The FIM have at least recognized a problem and have made some slight adjustment. Maybe the AMA will one day react as well, with a slightly more bold approach and simply call a 250cc a 250cc, as that is what it is. Why bend the rules for one and not the other?

Just a thought….was the AMA for sale and bought by the Japanese, just to push the 4 stroke, and increase their profit margins?

The rules that you have created flow all the way down the food chain globally across the planet.  What a purchase that would have been for the manufacturers. I don’t think that even the Japanese could have anticipated the initial sales boom globally for the inferior, unreliable 4 stroke motor. The one that needed the rules to be BENT to accommodate its lack of performance.  (Just in case you did not get it – Double the motor capacity – and that was rule #1 to uphold – Capacity being the PRIMARY rule broken for cheating throughout history!)

Did anybody see the long term fall out of a dying sport due to ridiculously expensive running costs?

What on earth was the logic of eradicating and destroying a great sport for all globally, and then not to have the courage to return it to its former successful formula? This is the same formula that put the AMA on the map in the first place. It was fathers with their formula who put you there to uphold it, NOT the manufacturers.

I honestly believe that there will be very little for the AMA to manage in the future of MX in the next decade. Even Honda has publically declared a cut back in rider sponsorship for 2010.

Here is a personal funny – I live in a large city (4.5 million) where one of the largest dealers has just folded. The funny bit is that it was a HONDA dealer – The irony of it all.

1cc = 1cc - No ifs and no buts and no bending the rules even for Japan or the Steroid manufacturers. (The AMA was meant to check the rules were adhered to, NOT REINVENT the rules in favor of a group of manufacturer’s profits.)

This is all we are asking....

I’m sure the local milk company would love to have your formula - “Sir, your 500cc’s of milk is actually the same as 1000cc – Now let me explain………………………” Could the milk corporate bodies actually collude with one another, and get the public to except the 500cc carton? You did, but will you succeeded in the long term?

I will NOT say that I’m a great fan of the AMA or its PR or its ability to recognize that the rule keeper has clearly bent the rules.

Here is a simple analogy for you - Would you buy a computer that could not maintain its performance for more than a month or so, where the performance degraded almost on a per use basis? It totally self destruct if not rebuilt several times per year for a heavy user, at a cost of almost 20% of its total purchase price per rebuild. To top it off, it has the resale value of a brick? – I would not purchase this computer ever!

Your amendment of the rules has in fact forced the above analogy on all the grassroots riders clear across the planet. You have forced the riders to purchase this device. Those that are ignorant and new to the sport and don’t know of the original options, simple walk in and straight back out of the sport. (They don’t tune in via the television either)

I will NOT be forced to purchase an inferior product and I will NOT support MX in its current form.

There is only one logical thought from all of this. You have abandoned the people you are meant to support. The same people who entrusted you with the responsibilities of upholding the sport. It appears as though you have colluded with Japan for a fee. It also appears as though you are trying to create an exclusive F1 style event with all its grandeur, where only the manufacturers participate. This is NOT what we wanted or entrusted to you.

The Japanese manufacturers are there for profit only. When their sales drop, which they are, are you then via their instructions going to amend the rules again. And then attempt to recover a lost generation of riders and supporters?

This is a sport meant to be a governed and managed for all via the AMA. Not just for the manufacturers. Riders put you there, NOT the manufacturers from Japan. The AMA is clearly not representing the people who put it there. The AMA appears to have a clear vision of MX that is in the likes and category of exclusive F1 events. This is totally disjointed from what your mission was. Those were to simply uphold the rules.

Is this the kind of competition you desire?

Rule #1 was displacement.

I don’t want an F1 style of exclusive event, and don’t think anybody else does either.
Maybe the decline of supporters and riders in the generations to come will diminish, to the point that the little television air time you currently have, will also shrink. I won’t tune in. and neither will my children.

To be clear – Riders want a simple format.
65cc
85cc
125cc
250cc
And opens

If any 250cc motor cannot cope in a 250cc event, then leave it to the developers to make it cope at their cost, not mine.

I DO NOT WANT TO BE FORCED TO BUY AN UNRELIABLE EXPENSIVE MOTOR THAT CLEARLY CANNOT COPE WITHOUT THE #1 RULE BEING ADJUSTED TO SUITE ITS LACK OF PERFORMANCE OR RELIABILITY!

It’s now almost 10 years later and we have an inferior, more expensive motor. The question is, have we gone forward to a new and improved place? Can we see a new and improved place we will be in, in the near future? The answer is a CLEAR NO!

Where are we going?

And this concludes what is I believe to be a real representation of many privateer riders and parents opinions. ITS TOO EXPENSIVE – Bring it back to the original format.

Stumped and disappointed grass root MX fan that will NOT be encouraging his son to race anything other than Enduro and Trials! – Fortunately you have not destroyed either of these. (Not in your portfolio thank god)

I will ensure my son remains focused on Enduro, and will not have an interest in MX in its current format. We will not tune our televisions in either!

Looking forward to the showing on television of the next trials and Enduro events.

JustEnduro
An MX fan that has enjoyed the sport all his life, from the age of about 8 and now approaching 50 and still riding. (Trails NOT MX.)

Related posts:

1. Motocross isn’t a sport
2. MXA’S 2009 YAMAHA YZ250 TEST
3. Want to start a Two Stroke Series? Here’s how I created The DEP 125 Championship.

Two Stroke Racing action under the Red Bull banner

In contrast, on the evidence of the result sheets, the one thing that didn’t go perfectly was practice and qualifying for Matt Coles - the Honda mounted Expert missed the 125 A group by less than half a second, consigning himself to an afternoon in the B group. Once racing got underway, however, Coles showed he had pace in hand to lap some five seconds under what he managed in qualifying and, as a consequence, just ran away with all three 125 B motos - Mark Bland fired out of the gate to holeshot moto one ahead of Ben Clark and Adrian Jessop with Coles some distance back, but it was just a handful of laps before Coles was through, efficiently picking his way through the pack. By the time he got there, Clark had a slight gap over Mark Mcdonnell, Tom Preston and Aiden Wharton - Clark was heroic in his efforts to get through the rhythm section, but he just kept coming up short and the silky Coles just gobbled up his lead and ran off into the distance, with Clark ultimately collecting Preston in the midst of the same section, knocking them both out of an increasingly energetic battle for second.

Macdonnell and Wharton went at it for the remainder of their race, with Mac crossing the line to take second behind Coles and ahead of Wharton. Coles made no mistake in race two, leading from the start with Mike Dowson, Anthony Thomson, Wharton and Craig Polden rounding out the top five - Polden went all out early doors and charged through to second, leaving Dowson to fend off the advances of a fast-moving Alex Finnegan. Just as the fight for second warmed up, so battle commenced over fourth place, with Mcdonnell, Tom Lightbrown, Wharton and Steve Whapshott all engaging in a traditionally feisty 125-flavoured battle, with Polden running out a strong second ahead of Finnegan, and the melee behind finishing Lightbrown, Macdonnell, Wharton and Whapshott.

For moto three, Mark Bland again got a killer start, heading the pack as they cleared the Red Bull leap for the first time but Coles wasted no time gliding his way through from sixth to pass Bland for the lead through the rhythm section on lap one. Polden was up into third and looking menacing as the leaders edged a slight gap over Dowson and Lightbrown - Polden managed to find his way into second and set off after Coles, as Dowson fought his way up to and past Bland for third, but Warren Clifton was showing signs of intent further down the field, battling his way into third but by the time he got there, the leading duo were away down the road.

Jamie Smith started off the day on a pristine 1989 KX125 - fastest in his qualifying group, he took seventh in the first 125 A moto, but switched to less antiquated machinery to finish the day out overal 125 Expert winner.

James Dunn was the big news in the 125 A class - the fourteen year old was simply sensational on his 125 debut, stepping up from an 85 and making it all look easy. Dunn led right from the start of moto one with championship leader Jim Davies second, but Davies, in considerable pain after a hefty off at the British Championships a week ago, had Lloyd Morgan right with him from the start. Charging through the rhythm section, Welshman Morgan managed a heroic leap through into second place and immediately set off after Dunn as Davies put up a stern defence against Darren Redman and Jack Plowman - up front Dunn had been edging away but Morgan began to close the slender gap, taking a run out of the rhythm section and attempting to double two of the step-ups on the back straight to jump into the lead. Right alongside leader Dunn, Morgan was absolutely full bore and gave it everything but the gamble failed to pay off - Morgan impacted heavily on the face of the following  jump, sadly suffering injuries that would put him out for the rest of the day. With Morgan out, Redman took up the chase, edging his way through after the lower whoop section, but some last lap retaliation by Dunn was enough to secure victory. Jack Plowman took an excellent third ahead of Davies, Danny Tollet, Charles Statt (who came from a long way down the field) and Jamie Smith, mounted on a pristine 1989 KX125.

Charles Statt came from miles down to carve his way into sixth in the first 125 A moto.

Dunn holeshot race two ahead of Highway Oliver, Davies, Stephens and Redman - Stephens wasted no time in taking second place, but Redman was carrying even more pace and was rapidly into second. Jamie Smith, now on more contemporary machinery, battled his way into second - a rather optimistic pass attempt into the hairpin left them both on the floor, however. Whilst Redman circulated slowly into retirement, Smith would remount to attempt a serious challenge on Davies, making a far more civilized pass in the same place before setting off after the leader as Davies worked at staying out of the hands of Plowman. Smith would close in on Dunn, but an incident somewhere on the circuit caused him to drop back.

There are ways and means of making sure your rider sees their pitboard - this is one of them...

Highway Oliver led them away form the start of moto three but Stevens jumped his way straight through into the lead, Smith following him into second within half a lap. Oliver then headed a freight train of Matthew Thomas, Jake Page, Dunn, Plowman, Lee Holland, Redman, Davies, Tollett and Luke Dean - as the pack squabbled over the final step on podium, Smith closed down Stevens and calmly made his way through before the halfway mark and gradually eked out a gap. The battle behind the lead pair raged  but one by one the contenders dropped out until just Dunn, Redman and Davies were left to slug it out - Redman actually made it through into third but Dunn battled back to retake the spot before both Redman and Davies finally made it through into third and fourth, crossing the line barely a second apart. For the valiant Davies, a day that threatened to be a rearguard action in defence of his series lead turned into an unexpected bonanza as he extended the gap at the head of the field.

Heading up to the Red Bull jump.

The Open B class kicked off with Lance Harland leading Danny Page, Tom Holland and  Sean Doyle as the pack snaked through and over Whitby’s curves and jumps - Doyle began to pick his way towards the front, taking the lead within a couple of laps as he and Harland began to edge a slight gap over Page, Holland, Ben Anstie and Jacob Grossman. But as the race wore on, Doyle started to edge further away and Harland got sucked back into the chasing pack, even as Holland was forced to slow and Jason Kendrick came storming through to join the battle for second - Doyle would take the win ahead of Harland, Page, Kendrick and Anstie. It was Kendrick who led moto two early doors, ahead of Matthew Eccles, Page, Darryl Hall and Holland, but Doyle and Hall came screaming through to relegate Kendrick to third - Harland was lurking in the background, however, and steadily worked his way through the pack to challenge for the lead, making a pass stick on the very last lap. Mark Cardwell was holding down fourth ahead of Holland and Page, but the latter pair disappeared before the chequers flew, promoting Anstie and Kendrick to fifth and sixth. Doyle came out firing for the last race, leading Anstie, Eccles, Hall and Grossman from the off, but Anstie came charging through to lead at the end of the first lap and began to build a lead. Harland was knocking on the door of the top five and making progress as the pack first arrested Anstie’s escape, then began to eat into his lead - Doyle ultimately made a pass for the lead at the end of the back straight and Hall followed him straight through as Anstie showed signs of fading. Harland however was the man on the move, working through the pack to nab second from Hall, but Doyle was not to be denied up front, hanging on for a well deserved victory in what had been one of the most closely contested classes of the day.

James Noble rocked up on an eight year old CR500 and just ran off and hid from everyone. Even starting in dead last wasn't enough of a handicap...

There was only one man in it for the Open A class - James Noble made his debut for his new STR Honda team on an old steel-framed CR500 and just annihilated the field. Even getting stuck in  the gate leaving him dead last in moto one, plus a minor mid-race tumble, couldn’t stop him from just galloping through the field to win at a canter - by lap three he was into fifth as Lewis Rose, Mark Eastwood and Open class debutante Jack Brunell tried to escape up front, but their efforts were in vain as local lad Noble was just unstoppable. Reigning champion Eastwood took second whilst Brunell survived a brief off for third ahead of Rose and Matt Moffatt.

Reigning champion Mark Eastwood was evenly matched with Jack Brunell - the youngster, on a forray from German championship duties, had a slight edge on pace, but Eastwood never put a wheel wrong. Noble has already checked out....

Noble made no mistakes for race two, using the potent motor to fire out of the gate into a lead he wasn’t to lose, as Marc Dean, Christian Taylor and Eastwood headed the chasing pack. Within a couple of laps Eastwood was through into second but he had company in the form of Brunell, until the youngster slid off over the tunnel jump. He was quickly back up and running but had dropped back into the mass brawl over third - Brunell, now racing mostly in Germany, made short work of getting through the pack and was back into third within a lap, Rose leading Moffatt over the line for fourth and fifth after Taylor crashed heavily out of the race.

Adam Reynolds rode a blinder in the final moto to take third behind Noble and Eastwood.

For the final moto of the day Noble was again quickest out of the gate, ahead of Alistair Clarke, an unusually subdued Luke Hill, Adam Reynolds and Zac Blackwell - as Noble ran off and hid from the rest of the pack, Hill made his way swiftly into second, with Reynolds following him through and a Mark Eastwood on the fight back from a comparatively average start. Easto was second by the end of the first lap, but Noble was long gone by then - Rocket Reynolds made his way past Hill and showed signs of going after Eastwood as Rose started to push Hill with Lewis Tombs in close attendance. Rose would drop back after an incident with five minutes left, however, leaving Tombs to take the fight to Hill - the U Tag Yamaha rider would make it past Hill’s Service Honda CR500 as Rose recovered to lead Blackwell and Clark over the line.

Four weeks from now the series reconvenes at the excellent Canada Heights for an intense double header weekend of motocross - two strokes and women’s championship on Saturday, and the Red Bull Pro Nationals on Sunday. If you’re a fan of the sport, there’ll be no finer place to be…

Lewis Rose.

James Noble

Whitby is a scenic place to hold a motocross race.

More Motocross >>

Related posts:

1. 2 Stroke British Championships - Round 4 Landrake
2. 2 Stroke British Championships - Round 3
3. 2 Stroke British Championships - Round 1

The bizarre aspect of this site is the story of how the name came about.

The idea for this site started as a joke. That’s right the site and it’s name began as a joke between a few friends.

It all began because of a paper plate duct taped to an EZ-up. Written in magic marker on the center of the plate were the words “Two Stroke Mafia”

It was both brilliant and completely silly. When I got home that night I decided to design a logo for my buddies. I’m not a designer, but I like to play with Photoshop and felt that I could come up with a fun logo. Something that would bring a smile to my buddies faces.

But when working on the logo the name Mafia just didn’t seem to work. Visions of the “Godfather” and sights of men in suits wielding sawed off shotguns just didn’t fit a couple of guys into two strokes.

So a bunch of different names were tried including “Militia”, which we settled on after a couple of …umm…  discussions….. filled with laughter. We thought it would be fun to taunt our four stroke riding friends with the thought of a militia chasing them on half-displacement machines.

To take the “joke” just one step further I utilized the logo to build a simple web site. We wrote a couple of articles about two strokes and linked to some articles on the web.

Because of the name we chose, we decided to fashion the Two Stroke Militia after a military group. Using the name of “The General” as the leader. Also to keep it open so that any one of us could write something as “The General”.  Although this task ended up being more and more my responsibility.

At first we wrote on some message boards just to talk about two strokes. Unfortunately we were not greeted well. It was as though we were the devil or worse. We had struck a nerve with many of the four stroke lovers and it was not a good one!

Next we began to tease some of the most loyal of the four-stroke supporters. While some of them deserved it, others did not. To be honest we got bored of the message boards pretty quickly. Mostly because of the self-generated hate from the four-stroke contingent. It was a good thing we stopped being dumb on the message boards!

What happened next was unexpected, some racers and fans began to show an interest in two strokes. And they were visiting our little site.

At first it was a small trickle but began to build steam weekly. At this point of history we were lucky if the site was updated once or twice a month.

Next people started to talk about the Two Stroke Militia in our local area, asking how they could become a member. Now what do we do? We decided to have some T-shirts printed and offered them for sale on the site. Anyone that purchased a T-shirt would became a member.

We also had some stickers made up as well. A few stickers were included along with the T-shirts and each member was listed on the web site as a member of the Two Stroke Militia.

Who knew it cost so much to have some T-shirts and stickers printed up? It took more than six months to sell out the first printing and decided not to offer them in the same way again.

Whenever we found new two-stroke news, information or a video we updated the site. This helped to build up a bit of a fan following. To be honest we were surprised and amazed.

Last year I decided to update the site again to make it easier to add new information. Because it was easier to add new information I was inspired to add whatever two-stroke news I found.

We started to build up a very loyal following. We were receiving visitors from all over the world. (visits from over 115 countries as of today!) Not only that by some fans and racers started to share their two stroke stories with us.

Now we have out-grown the joke name. It’s time to change it to reflect that we are now a resource for two strokes racers and fans.

We don’t have every news item nor do we claim to know all there is to know about two-strokes, but we have built up a group of supporters and friends that have been extremely generous in helping the site to grow.

For all of these folks we say a great big thank you. We appreciate your support and the fact that you would even talk to us. In many cases not only did you talk to us, but you shared important information with us freely. Then allowed us to post it on the web site and to forward the two stroke agenda. Thank you!

To all of you, we dedicate our new updated name. From today on this site will be known as Two Stroke Motocross.

Welcome to our site. We hope you enjoy your visit and look forward to hearing from you.

Long live the Two Stroke!

John Nicholas

Related posts:

1. Welcome to the New Two Stroke Militia Web Site
2. Canada Considering Two Strokes in the MX2 class - Vote Now
3. Daniel Corbin switches back to a two stroke.

From all reports of the day it was great fun for fans of all ages.

According to Larry Brooks: “…James was flying on that YZ250 2-stroke. The bike was bone stock with factory suspension (for safety). The guy goes so fast on anything with 2 wheels that we figured he was going to need some good suspension because he will hit a jump like no other rider in the world and man he sure can make a stock bike fly.”

In addition to James, Josh Hill was out doing some laps on a YZ250 along with Larry Brooks.

Interesting how they all were riding YZ250 two strokes for the fan appreciation day! Kudos to James, Larry Brooks and all the fans!

Josh Hill blasting on the YZ250 two stroke.

The amazing James Stewart scrubing the YZ250.

Related posts:

1. Malcolm Stewart Dominates Mini O’s with KX250 Two Stroke
2. Transworld Motocross Thursday Theater - Josh Hill YZ250 Two Stroke
3. Canadian MX Nationals - JSR races a YZ250 two stroke!

From the video below it appears that the motor uses 4 Honda CR500 cylinders to create the V4 configuration. Most people after watching the video of the engine being tested on a dyno have complained that the power of only 200bhp sounds a bit low.

Does the sweet sound of that machine make you smile?

This is probably quite true depending on what the use of the motor is for. As you can see it uses a straight pipe configuration and would certainly make more power using expansion chambers, but again first we need to discover the use before we ask why not more power.

With a little research we find the use of this 2000cc monster two stroke is for a product called the Martin Jetpack. Yes you read that correctly a Jetpack.

The Martin Jetpack in flight.

Depending on your age you might be thinking of Buck Rogers or possibly the articles in Popular Science about the future of travel or maybe a comic book hero. In any case the idea of flight using a Jetpack has captured the imagination of almost every young man at one time or another.

The Martin Jetpack (www.martinjetpack.com) is the brainchild of New Zealand inventor Glenn Martin. It’s defined by the FAA as an “experimental ultralight airplane equipped with a V-4 piston engine and two ducted fans that provide lift.”

The 2000cc V-4 power will provide the enthusiast enough energy to stay aloft for up to 30 minutes and at altitudes of up to 8,000 feet!

This is a complicated craft to pilot and requires 15 hours of flight training as well as undergoing a “safety screening’ before you can take off on your own.

Although the price tag will keep the traffic in the skies down to a reasonable level. The cost for one of these babies? A cool $100.000.

These couple of videos will demonstrate how this machine takes to the skies. With one of these you wouldn’t have to worry about traffic heading into town.

Still I’d love to see this motor decked out with more horsepower and set into a motorcycle frame. Imagine those possiblities!

Related posts:

1. Lotus Omnivore Two Stroke Engine
2. Tanaka’s Low Emission Two Stroke Engine Pass EPA Phase 2 Regulations
3. World’s Biggest Two Stroke Engine

The following is the complete test retyped for your enjoyment. (Thanks Scooter42)

The rules are a mess. Back in the two-stroke days, someone decided that four-strokes needed a displacement advantage to be competitive. Those days are long gone, but the skeleton of that old set of rules remains, and there’s no consistency from one club to another. Some rules have 144cc two-strokes racing against 250cc four-strokes, others have 250s against 250s, and other clubs just don’t care because there are so few two-strokes on the start line.

Here’s what will happen: the distinction between two-stroke and four-stroke will eventually wither away. It’s already happening in the amatuer racing world, and for the first time in years, the two-stroke market is showing signs of life. Both Yamaha and KTM remain committed to the two-stroke and continue with year-to-year model updates. Beyond that, KTM reports that two-strokes are it’s biggest sellers, although primarily off-road bikes.

That’s why we’re here. We took the two most current 250cc two-strokes on the market, the KTM 250SX and the Yamaha YZ250, and compared them to the top bike in the four-stroke world, the Honda CRF 250R. We already know that the CRF will demolish a 125 two-stroke. We already know that the CRF has an edge on a 144cc two stroke as well. But those rules are going, going, gone. In a straight-up battle of 250s, does the most current technology of the 250F trump the power advantage of the 250 two-stroke?

KTM 250SX

KTM has continued to develop the two-stroke all this time, getting lighter and more powerful every year. The 250SX is not a huge seller, but it benefits from the development of the monstrously popular 300 off-road bike. The 2009 SX already had a great motor, and KTM left it alone with it’s case reed motor. The suspension got much more significant changes, starting with a redesigned WP shock. The bike has not shock linkage, instead relying on progressive damping to stiffen things up before bottom. Now that system uses a longer needle to do it’s job well as a revamped bottoming system. The fork has new tubes with different flex characteristics.

One of the most interesting aspects of the bike is the fact that it gives you options. First of all, there’s a milder curve preprogrammed in the ignition that can be accessed by unplugging a wire. There are also a number of power-valve springs that come with the bike, color coded for different stiffness. For the record, we installed the most aggressive spring (the red one) for this test. And if you want to change the fork offset you don’t need new clamps, you can simply press out the elliptically mounted steering head stem and reverse it. All cool things.

Yamaha YZ250

Last year was a tough year for dirt bike sales everywhere, but for Yamaha, almost all of the decrease was on the two-stroke side. Still, the YZ250 was considered the best of the lot and Yamaha was committed to keeping it. It got a few changes for the new season but the bike remains as a snapshot of motocross technology as it stood about four years ago. The last time it saw major revision was the aluminum frame in 2005. Back then two-strokes were still on top of most forms of racing and the YZ250 had just earned the Supercross championship.

Beyond its reputation as the best 250MX two-strokes, the YZ250 earned a legendary spot in off-road racing. Barry Hawk, Jason Raines and a long list of champions insisted that the YZ was the best bike ever made for hard-core racing in tight woods. It was never meant to be an off-road bike, of course, but that might be the biggest demographic for the bike these days.

Honda CRF250R

In the real battle of the 250s, we have to include the current king. The Honda CRF250R won the 2009 Dirt Bike 250F shootout. It also won the 2008 version. It’s the biggest seller, and it’s a perfect example of where technology has taken the 250F. In this contest, it stands to defend al four-stroke honor.

While the other two bikes have inched forward in recent years, the 250 four-stroke has changed radically. The most telling aspect is the weight. At 215 pounds, the Honda is actually lighter than the YZ250 by a smidgeon. How is that possible? It’s all a matter of priority. If Honda (or Yamaha) had sunk this much development into a two-stroke, it would almost certainly be under 200 pounds.

The Honda CRF250R has a conventional carburetor, of course, but the new FCR represents the absolute peak of carburetor technology, whereas the 38mm Keihin carbs on the two-strokes have been around for a long time. Even in chassis technology, the CRF250R is a benefactor of the latest, greatest stuff available, like the Honda Progressive Steering Damper System.

Sorting It Out

In the battle of two-stroke motors, the Yamaha and the KTM were more equally matched than we thought. We have come to expect anything with a KTM motor to expect anything with a KTM motor to be an absolute rocket. But the development of the SX motor has taken it to a happier place; it has actually become milder, smoother and easier to use. The Yamaha has a little more top-end hit now, but we’ll still give the edge to the KTM because the power works good everywhere, even if you try to short shift it and (dare we say it?) ride it like a four-stroke.

CRF250R engine

But for racing, both two-stroke motors are superior to that of the Honda CRF. In sheer power, the four-stroke isn’t even close; it produces about 37 horsepower where the Yamaha and the KTM are both over 45. The four-stroke does carry the peak power numbers much longer and rev higher than the two-strokes. It starts making useable power at about 9000 rpm and keeps going well over 12,000. The two-strokes start at 7000 and have packed up and gone home by 9000. But frankly, that’s plenty. Dragging a 250F from ground level all the way up to where it starts making power is demanding and takes skill. The two-strokes snap to attention so fast that the shorter powerband is irrelevant.

But where the Honda CRF250R shines is in handling. The suspension just seems to work better. We don’t think the Showa fork and shock are that much more advanced the the YZ’s KYB hardware and the KTM’s WP stuff. But there are gyroscopic forces at work that we barely understand. The four-stroke goes straighter and is affected less by track impacts than the two-strokes. We’ve seen this in the past and thought it was a side-effect of greater weight. That’s obviously not the case here, but all that spinning stuff inside the Honda motor must have an effect on stability.

In turns, the bikes have very different personalities. The four-stroke is good at sweeping from inside to outside. The KTM and Yamaha are cut-and-thrust machines. Both techniques work well, but on the four-stroke it’s easier to mess up.

Lap-Time Showdown

How does it all work out on the track? It’s time to break out the stopwatch. We used Michael Leib as a guinea pig for the 250 vs. 250 vs. 250 showdown at Perris Raceway, which was relatively smooth with good traction at the time. He’s a 250F rider and approached the 250 two-strokes with apprehension at first. By the end of the day, we couldn’t get him off the YZ250.

2009 Yamaha YZ250

The bottom line was that Leib was consistently about a tenth of a second faster on the Yamaha YZ250 than on his own CRF250R practice bike. And he was about a second slower on the KTM. His biggest handicap on the KTM was its size. Even though it’s the lightest of the three bikes, it feels the biggest, and Leib is a small rider. The KTM’s relative instability at speed took a toll on him, too. But the fact remains that on the KTM he was fairly close in lap times to the bike he rides everyday. And on the Yamaha he was faster.

There are a lot of mitigating factors. One day on one track is not enough for us to declare that all 250Fs are null and void and that we should return immediately to two-strokes. If the track were rougher, than the four-stroke might well have taken the day. But the fact remains that even with virtually all R&D money being funneled to four-strokes, they have yet to show a practical advantage unless they have an edge in displacement. And no one will argue that 250 two-strokes are far, far easier to maintain and less costly to overhaul.

The day of the two-stroke might not be over yet. Stay tuned.

Related posts:

1. 250s Unlimited - Have four strokes closed the gap?
2. Motorcycle USA 250cc MX Shootout
3. MXA’S 2009 YAMAHA YZ250 TEST

Established around ten years ago the high profile brand is a division of Adrian Flux insurance services (formed in the 1970’s) providing the British public with a comprehensive range of motorcycle insurance products from scooters to quads and motocross bikes.

Commenting on the association, a spokesman for Maico International said: “Bikesure are what can only be described as Market leaders in their field and with the steady growth in off road motorcycle sports, obtaining dependable insurance for your bike provides peace of mind to riders of all disciplines, and naturally we are very pleased to be associated with the company.

For further information on insurance for your bike go to www.bikesure.co.uk

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3. New Zealand, get’s New Maico

As stated in the MXA article “the motorcycle manufacturers have footed the whole bill for their racing efforts over the last 40 years.” This will not be the case in the coming years. In fact starting as early as 2010 we will see at least one if not more major manufacturers dropping their factory backed racing efforts.

This could create a change that could be very good for those of us that love two-strokes. Why?

It costs big bucks to field a four-stroke based race team. But the bikes are not the only cost incurred for a race team. Additionally there are the mechanics, trucks, team managers, truck drivers, racers and more that add into the cost equation.

Tremendous power but at what cost?

Rumor has it that it costs between $25,000. to $50,000. for a four-stroke race engine that is used for only one race day! And from some of the rumors, it is possible to blow a motor in practice, which raises the costs even more.

Of course this does not take into account the other disadvantages of racing four-strokes. The worst being the sound levels that threaten to shut down race tracks and riding areas all over the world.

Manufacturers are selling fewer motocross machines every year. The money for race teams comes from the sale of new machines and with bike sales dipping ever lower, the manufacturers will be forced to cut back the investments in their race teams. This will open the door for outside sponsorship of motocross race teams.

Why is this a good thing for us two-stroke supporters?

First the manufacturers were the ones that pressed the advantage of double displacement four-strokes. Sure it was a rule that was on the books for a while. In a way you can’t blame them. Sales of new motocross bikes had been flagging for years in the 1990’s and they viewed the four-stroke as an opportunity to increase sales. And for it worked for a while. But it was not to last.

Second with outside sponsors looking to get the biggest bang for their advertising dollars, there may be a shift in thinking and some pressure to change the rules.

The fans have said that they prefer two-strokes. They have been ignored.

Many of top racers prefer two-strokes as well. But they are paid by the manufacturers, they wouldn’t talk about what they like in print. Who could blame them? If you were getting paid big bucks would you kill your meal ticket?

Too many bikes sitting on the showroom floor.

We have heard first hand accounts of the manufacturers being unhappy with racers using older two-stokes and beating racers on their latest four-strokes they are attempting to sell to Joe Public. Of course if you did race a two-stroke, some manufacturers wouldn’t pay you contingency money.

Where does the money for the contingency prizes and race teams come from? The answer is….. everyday folks that buy new race bikes.

At one time a regular guy (or gal) could buy a new bike, race it for a year or two, sell it for a decent price and use that as a down payment on another new machine. With the uncertainty of the used four-stroke, this opportunity has all but disappeared.

But back to the idea about outside sponsorship and the possible increase of two-strokes.

We know first-hand of at least one team that had planned on competing in the 250F National class with two-strokes if the rule was approved for 2009. The sponsor realized that even if the team did not win or even finish in the top ten, that they would create a big fan base based on the fact that they were the “underdogs” racing on two strokes. Although from the fear expressed by some of the manufacturers, maybe they were afraid of being beat by the “technologically inferior” two-stroke.

I am still confused by this statement. How can something be technologically advanced if it has to be twice the displacement to compete?

Could the TM125 be an MX challenger?

For too many years the big four manufacturers and the AMA have called all the shots in pro racing. They basically pushed all outside manufacturers from being able to compete in “their” series. A change in rules allowing motocross bikes to compete with equal displacement and we could see some new race teams.

It would be great to see race teams on Maicos, TM’s, Gas Gas, Husqvarna and more competing in the US Nationals.

Over time this could lower costs for racing for all of us.

What are your thoughts?

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3. The EPA vs. Motocross