Here's an example. When I was 12 back in 1986, I bought a new honda 200x"4 stroke". I've ridden it every year since it was new and the only things i've changed on it was tires, oil, filters,spark plug and brakes. It still starts on the first or second kick and runs like the day I bought it. Now you can get way better performance out of a 2 stroke but it comes at a price. Depending on your mods on a 2 stroke, you might have to rebuild every year. Show me an 18 year old 2 stroke that's never been rebuilt and still runs good. YOU WON'T FIND ONE

 

2-strokes are hyper....they love to be on the pipe all the time which is great if that's the way you like to ride but not so good for putting up your favorite trail. 4-strokes can offer considerable torque and have a very manageable power band. Two entirely different animals in my opinion. Most important is that where I live the tree huggers are bound to get their way eventually and outlaw 2-strokes all together.

 

Concerning 2 wheel bikes.... 50 rwhp 4 stroke Vs. 2 stroke. No comparison in the fun factor IMHO. I had a KTM 525 E/XC with a pipe and jetted making 50 rwhp. Fun but lackluster. Sold it and bought the 250SX 2 stroke, same rwhp, way more fun. Depends on where you ride and your style. I'm 40, when I rode the 525 I still felt like I was 40. When I ride the 2 stroke I feel like I'm 18, until I'm done riding, then I feel like I'm 50 [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] .

Maint... 2 strokes need top ends. The smaller the displacement the more often you need them, the larger the less, to a certain extent. 4 strokes need valve adjustments, somewhat of a trade off. I chose the V since I needed the traction/TQ for where I ride with the atv. If they made a 500cc 2 stroke 4X4 quad, that's what would be listed in my sig. line.

 

Kinda off-topic but anyone remember what the biggest Polaris 4x4 was back when they where all 2-strokes? Did they get up to like a 425 or 450 2-Stroke utility? i know they had the Scrambler 400 that was 2-stroke. But I think they had an even bigger utility.

 

i don't know much about the quads but i will take a yz450 over a two stroke anyday. it has tons of power, can come out of the turns like a bat out of h**, and is very dependable. i went with a four stroke because i like to ride on trails, i ride with my 6 year old son and needed something i could ride slow enough for him to keep up, didn't want to have to mix the fuel and the main thing is the Ds was the only one that felt big enough for my size. i don't know about the yfz450 but i have heard it uses the same cam timing as the wr450 and thats going to take some of the responce and torque away, guess you could switch them for a yz450 cam

 

yea 2strokes can be realiable my blaster is 100 percent reliable apart in the garage.
2 strokes need top end rebuilds. yes often and the harder you ride them the more often they go. but this also applies to all other types.... im not dissing 2strokes believe me so dont get started on that i would much rather have the crazy(sometimes uncontrolable) power of a quadzilla but they dont make them anymore and and i wanted something that was currently on the market. and that i dident have to work on all the time..

justin

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but.................... dont most people buy a 2-stroke because they like the power delivery, hard hit, and the acceleration that cannot be matched? 2-strokes generally get rode harder. Back in 1986 there wasnt a hard running thumper. The best you could use them for was putt putt around the woods or on the farm. At the same time there were guys ripping it up on the dunes on their new TRX Hondas and LT Suzuki's.

 

four strokes have come a long way in the last couple of years though.