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Message started by DesertCat on 01/22/20 at 18:27:58

Title: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/22/20 at 18:27:58

For many years I've wanted to get another two-stroke street bike. My second motorcycle was a brand new 1970 Kawasaki Mach III (H1), the 500cc two-stroke triple street bike. All my bikes since then have been four-strokes and the two-stroke street bikes faded from the scene by the late 1970s.

I see used RD-250s, RD-350s, Kaw 500s, Kaw 750s, Suzuki Titans, GT750s, for sale occasionally but I've been thinking more modern . . .

The local dealer has a good price on a new 2019 KTM 250SX, a full-fledged dirt bike. They say that it can be made street-legal with a kit that costs a few hundred dollars.

Am I crazy? Well, of course I am, but that's beside the point. But should I just wait for that good used two-stroke street bike to pop up on Craigslist instead of making a KTM dirt bike into a silly street bike?

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by Juliana on 01/22/20 at 22:31:45

Yes you are crazy but as you say why not? haha.

Might be better and easier ( and cheaper ) than the route i took restoring a stroker.

Ahh the vibration, the smoke , the consumption, the no brakes!! Still, on a crisp autumn morning it hits the spot just right .My titan 74

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/23/20 at 05:20:01

Very nice Titan 500 twin. A buddy of mine had one back in 1971 -- if I remember correctly it was a blue one.

That would be one way to have a two-stroke street bike: find a basket case and restore it. I just don't have the time or room to do an extended bike restoration. I barely have the room to store the bikes that I have. So, it's either (1) buy a low-mileage un-restored bike in good shape or (2) buy one that someone else has restored. Option (1) is what I would do.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/23/20 at 05:58:54

Buying a fully restored bike just doesn't fit with me. For one thing, I never understand how someone who has poured their time, money, and expertise into the restoration of a bike could ever part with it. And I couldn't see myself riding a bike that someone else restored -- it just wouldn't feel right.

So, that leaves finding an old bike still in rideable condition, more or less. Also not cheap. Decent unmolested old bikes are starting to get expensive.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by Dave on 01/23/20 at 06:02:32

I have always had a fondness for the T500 - when I worked at a dealer in Alliance, Ohio one of our customers had 40,000 miles on his, and it was spotless.

The 2 stroke bikes of this vintage are often in need of new crankshaft seals. I have a local friend with a T500 that needs them, and I have a 1962 Suzuki Hillbilly that is currently on my bike lift getting new seals....thankfully on this little bike the seals can be replaced without having to split the crankcase. It is much harder to do the work on 2 strokes with multiple cylinders.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/23/20 at 06:09:11

What I would really love is to find a late 60s Kawasaki 350 A7 Avenger, the two-stroke twin with rotary valves. But these are almost never for sale. I see Suzuki Titans occasionally -- not often.

A pic of the Avenger:

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by srinath on 01/23/20 at 06:27:01

Someone I know rephased a H2 to a 17 degree crank and stuffed it into a early GSXR 750 chassis.
I was too stupid to realize what a cool bike that was, I could never get comfortable with the camel like hump of the first gen GSXR's frame/tank set up.

Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by Juliana on 01/23/20 at 12:07:05

Just because we are bike nerds heres the innards of my Titan 5 years ago.

Good thing I discovered is that Japanese two strokes are so easy to work on and as you can see once the cases are split its all laid out like a box of chocolates.

Had to get the crank done by a shop tho to replace the oil seals.

Most parts are easy enough to get and you soon develop a list of sources but some simple things can be eye wateringly expensive.

The main problem is probably simply the age and deterioration of components irrespective of mileage..plastic gets brittle, think oil lines, electrical wiring. Still like all restorations its a labour of love :)

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/23/20 at 17:58:14

@Juliana

Way to go! <thumbs up>

The last time I split the cases on a bike engine was back in 1971, my H1. I replaced a shifter fork -- 1st to 2nd if I recall correctly. Haven't done anything near as extensive in all the intervening years . . .

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by jcstokes on 01/23/20 at 18:36:22

Look for a Jawa 350

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/23/20 at 18:39:18

6C657572696D6375060 wrote:

Look for a Jawa 350

======================================

I've never seen one of those. And I don't think I've ever seen one for sale either.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by MMRanch on 01/23/20 at 20:25:22

https://www.jawamotorcycles.com/

..............................

Hay , They LOOK GOOD !!! :)

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by jcstokes on 01/23/20 at 20:50:11

The 2 strokes sold in the USA were probably 1960's '70's models I had a 1974-6 depends on manufacture and first registration Model 634

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/24/20 at 16:07:32

7C756562797D7365160 wrote:

The 2 strokes sold in the USA were probably 1960's '70's models I had a 1974-6 depends on manufacture and first registration Model 634

================================

Thanks. I've looked at pics on the net. I'll keep an eye out . . .

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/24/20 at 16:08:23

1B091B09041718151E560 wrote:

https://www.jawamotorcycles.com/

..............................

Hay , They LOOK GOOD !!! :)

================================

They do look nice.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by ohiomoto on 01/24/20 at 16:23:56

4D726B6E666966070 wrote:

--------------------

My first street bike was a 73 Titan I "stole" from my old man. Didn't appreciate it as much as I would now. I let my buddy take it to collage and he abandoned it when he couldn't get it running. >:(

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by Juliana on 01/24/20 at 22:10:54

Haha i feel for you. If its any consolation you would probably be horrified at some of the down sides and would think..I actually rode this thing every day???? !!!

If i use the Titan in anger ( rarely ) i can get about 25mpg haha and vibration so bad just keeping my feet on the pegs is a challenge.

But at 60 to 70 mph its still sweet. :)

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by ohiomoto on 01/26/20 at 07:53:31

Kick starter on the left was never a picnic either. I see them come up for sale every so often, but the more practical side of me points out that having two bikes isn't what I really want. That said, I still love old 2-strokes. Such simple machines.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by Tocsik on 01/28/20 at 10:10:26

Oh, I hear ya. My very first street bike was a '75 Yamaha RD200. The power band on that little bike was insane. And yeah, it didn't have near the brakes it needed.
Mine looked exactly like this one.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by zevenenergie on 01/28/20 at 11:33:58

I had the 350cc version. a very good motorcycle especially if you compared it with the mess that also came on the market at that time.
In the first and 2nd gear, guaranteed a weely.

It accelerated faster than the kawasaki mach 500 3 cylinder.
Which I also had, and also his bigger brother the 750cc 2 stroke.

Beautiful machine, s

Believe it or not but my first motorcycle was the kawazaki 500 :) I was totally in love. The sound was incredible.

It was fast. But it also vibrated terribly.
At 90 miles the steering bars felt twice as thick.
The frame was not solid at all, I eventually put it away because of the speed wobbles.

I now regret it terribly :'(

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/28/20 at 14:42:21

This was my first real bike (a Honda 90 was my first bike), a 1970 Kawasaki H1. This isn't my bike -- I haven't taken the time to scan the old photos -- but it looked just like this. I loved that bike, as bad handling as it was. I remember the asking price: $999. That was 50 years ago.

Title: Re: Two-stroke street bike
Post by DesertCat on 01/31/20 at 12:18:11

I don't think Honda ever made a large displacement two-stroke street bike. I think they made one or two for racing purposes last century and I think they have a new patent on a fuel-injected two-stroke engine, but I think Honda skipped that mid 60's to late 70s two-stroke street bike phase.

But they weren't sitting doing nothing -- they came out with the 1969 CB750, a revolution in motorcycle engines. A design that is still used today by the big four and BMW (K1200S and S1000R). The engine we call a UJM today.