Ask the Editors: 2-Stroke vs 4-Stroke Handling
I’ve noticed the 2-stroke race ATV is all but extinct now. I’ve been hearing the major difference between 2 and 4-strokes is that the 2-strokes were rear-wheel handling machines and the 4s front.
What does this mean exactly?
Excellent question and while either your classic 250 2-stroke or modern day 450 4-stroke is real wheel drive, the way the engines make their power is actually what determines the characteristics of the machine’s cornering ability.
Because of the 2-stroke’s tendency to deliver its power in short, snappy bursts, the weight transfer of the entire quad shifts a lot more dramatically. Or another way to look at it is when a 2-stroke hits, the front end rises. Because of these quick revs, you learn to steer the ATV nearly entirely from the rear (with the throttle). Now factor in the fact that the lack of engine decompression braking means even when you let off the throttle, the front of the quad doesn’t get pushed down into the terrain so approaching corners is also a rear-wheel handling effort.
Now a 4-stroke does things a little bit differently. A modern performance 4-stroke makes oodles of power but delivers it in a more metered manner. Because of the fact that getting on the gas doesn’t result in so sudden a shift of weight to the rear, the treads of your front tires are still making contact with the dirt even upon acceleration. Were you to yank the bars at this point, your quad would change direction in a hurry! Also the abundant compression braking present in a 4-stroke means when you let go of the throttle, the weight of your ATV shifts dramatically to the front end. Again, front tires being driven into the ground mean responsiveness at the bars.
Aside from requiring some rider adjustment to master, you will likely notice that racing a 4-stroke results in wearing out a lot more front tires than racing your 2-stroke ever did.
