I don't think it was the government...I recall AMA moving to thumpers and everything else kinda followed...Many sleds still have them...thankfully!!!


They can be very efficient and clean (for a 2-stroke) with semi/direct injection...my '04 Ski Doo SDI 600 gets 18+mpg and has been VERY reliable...

 

Maybe also 4 strokes just got so good that no need to keep building 2 strokes. 4 strokes are just more reliable. It would be interesting to see the Banshee come back as a twin cylinder 4 stroke. I don't think Yamaha will do it as the Raptor 700 and YFZ 450 pretty much have the sport quad segment covered.

 

Ya the rapter in that add is a bit over priced, but still a great machine, I would save up for a newer 700 though. They got some nice suspention and other handling upgrades in the later 700 models..

The LT 500 like anything vintage suzuki or kawi, parts are very hard to run down, In some cases impossible to find. Some times you actully have to machine your own parts.... for example the crank main bearings need a custom bronze bushing, and to machine the engine cases and then pressed in the bronze just to installed the stock crank bearings!

If you want a cool two stroke machine do yourself a favor and get a banshee, the parts are so easy to get and there is 100 different direction's you can go with it. They are faster than a lt500 with the simple bolt on pipes, a 421 stroker will smoke even a built suzuki

Dont get me wrong I have trx250r that is bad *** and very high end too but getting parts is a bitch. Plan for it to cost you a average of three times the price of the base bike to fully restore a LT500 or trx250r like a new machine $$$

 

2 strokes are not dead yet.
Ski-doo's 800 E-Tec is still their top dog in motors. Its 165hp stock. Beats all their 4 strokes.

 

Unfortunately they dead for atv and utvs. Jet skis and some snowmobiles utilize 2 strokes but they're dead for atvs, motorcycles and utvs. It would be so cool to see an engine like this in a side by side but it will never happen. It would blow away the current turbo 1000cc machines.

 

And the E-Tec has good emissions and gas mileage.