better trail riding bike

[redneckbillybob]

why is it that most people are riding 2 strokes as trail bikes now? I dont understand why it seems that 2 strokes are preferred over 4 strokes for trail riding.

 

[mathd]

I dont know for the other but. when i buy my bike i know nothing about that sport.
So i just picked a bike at a great price/decent shape, looking for the best deal close to ym area.

I then spend alot of time and money repairing it and once i got in the sport i really enjoy my 2 stroke in the trail/woods.

If i buy another bike it would proabbly be another 2 stroke motocross, i have good feeling and emmories with them.

Maby when i try a 4 stroke i change my mind.

 

[wake_rider]

Ease of trail mechanics (if you swamp it going through a creek, you can still ride it out), they're flickable through technical sections, they're light and nimble, and they have less parts to go *bang* on you whenever you're out on trail a long way from the parking lot. Whenever things start to go wrong with the engine on a two stroke, you can usually feel it coming and it normally results in loss of power but even with a broken skirt or fractured piston it will often still run, just poorly, but you can limp it back to base. On a thumper when things go wrong with the motor, it's usually game over and you better hope you have a tow strap.

 

[ellandoh]

i thought it was because theyre less prone to overheat

 

[Tony Eeds]

i thought it was because theyre less prone to overheat

Naw

Two less strokes to pick up when you fall

Strokes are heavy anytime but really get heavy the later in the day it is. :)

 

[wake_rider]

i thought it was because theyre less prone to overheat

There's a whole lot of air-cooled thumping trail bikes that never overheat, but the problem is that they're really heavy and underpowered per cc.

 

[redneckbillybob]

well with very tight trails, and low rpms, a 4 stroke with that low end torque seems to make more sense to me. having ridden both bikes i like both it just seems the 4 stroke would make it easier to get out of tight binds etc. but all the dirtbike mags i been reading keep on talking about ktm 2 strokes as trail bikes.

 

[2strokerfun]

Have to say I see a lot more 4-strokes on trails these days than I do 2-strokes.

 

[wake_rider]

Have to say I see a lot more 4-strokes on trails these days than I do 2-strokes.

People bought into the hype and over time, got used to thumpers. It's amazing to me how many people in the sport that I've talked to recently that have never ridden a smoker, ever. I was just at a small local track yesterday and there was a 37 y/o man who races 30+ pro in the local mx circuit on a 450. He had his son with him who was probably around 15 or so who was riding a crf150r. After a bit of conversation the kid kept saying that he loved the sound of our 250 smokers and kept begging his dad to let him get a 85cc smoker. Well, being that his dad was in his 30's and raced through the 2 stroke era I thought he'd be all about that idea and, with a whole lot of pride, jump on the opportunity; nope. He said his son had ridden thumpers ever since he was little and he didn't want him to get hurt riding a bike with a more sudden power delivery! I was shocked...

The odd thing is that I've been talking to more and more people out at the trails and tracks on thumpers who are in the same boat. They've never really ridden a smoker and would never consider one. When I ask them why, most don't really know outside of "well, I've heard they don't have smooth power delivery," or they state in someway that they're a bit spooked of the engine characteristics or even that they don't want the maintenance of a two stroke. Just hearing those reasons leads me to believe that they have no education or awareness of smokers...

That, and they've bought into the propaganda of the thumper pushing industry...

 

[Patman]

People ride whatever the pro's are racing with on TV. It doesn't matter if there may be a better solution you gota' ride that racer bike because that's what's cool. Of course VERY VERY few people can actually use the full potential of the bike they are on but getting more power is always a prime concern for some reason. So to figure out what people will be riding on the trails just see what's being raced on TV. One day I suspect they will be electric and there will be a bunch of people pushing their battery powered bike back because it has enough juice to go 20 laps on a track but it just can't make that long loop, OOPS! At least they look like a racer when they head out. :laugh:

 

[_JOE_]

People ride whatever the pro's are racing with on TV. It doesn't matter if there may be a better solution you gota' ride that racer bike because that's what's cool. Of course VERY VERY few people can actually use the full potential of the bike they are on but getting more power is always a prime concern for some reason. So to figure out what people will be riding on the trails just see what's being raced on TV. One day I suspect they will be electric and there will be a bunch of people pushing their battery powered bike back because it has enough juice to go 20 laps on a track but it just can't make that long loop, OOPS! At least they look like a racer when they head out. :laugh:

LMAO :nod:

The best advice is to choose a race bike for track or a trail bike for trails. Strokes don't matter as much as intended use. Any mx bike will be high strung and high maintenance.

 

[YamaB]

A better question is why is everyone now riding 4t bikes for mx?? Oh yeah... because they skewed the rules to heavily favor 4-strokes... :)

I ride/race a ktm 300xcw which imho, is the best of both worlds. It is light and flickable in the trees like every other 2t... but also has tons of grunt down low for hill climbs/etc... I prefer 2t bikes basically because they are cheaper and easier to maintain... and I love the sound/smell! brrrrraaaapppp!!!!

 

[redneckbillybob]

People ride whatever the pro's are racing with on TV. It doesn't matter if there may be a better solution you gota' ride that racer bike because that's what's cool. Of course VERY VERY few people can actually use the full potential of the bike they are on but getting more power is always a prime concern for some reason. So to figure out what people will be riding on the trails just see what's being raced on TV. One day I suspect they will be electric and there will be a bunch of people pushing their battery powered bike back because it has enough juice to go 20 laps on a track but it just can't make that long loop, OOPS! At least they look like a racer when they head out. :laugh:

as a kid, my first bike was a 2 stroke. I wanted one because thats what the pros had and raced. I had ridden 4 strokes but i wanted a 2 stroke race bike! I would imagine most the kids now dont want 2 strokes they want 4 strokes. as far as electric bikes go, I am not hyped up about electric bikes at all!

 

[wake_rider]

as far as electric bikes go, I am not hyped up about electric bikes at all!

Nor am I. You can adjust those electric bikes to mimic the power characteristics of a fuel powered bike all you want, but the idea of running out of potential energy therefore losing all kinetic energy and having to wait hours to rebuild that potential energy in no way sounds appealing to me. :| I'll just stick to refilling the tank with all of that potential energy again, then be off on my way! :ride:

 

[ellandoh]

Nor am I. You can adjust those electric bikes to mimic the power characteristics of a fuel powered bike all you want, but the idea of running out of potential energy therefore losing all kinetic energy and having to wait hours to rebuild that potential energy in no way sounds appealing to me. :| I'll just stick to refilling the tank with all of that potential energy again, then be off on my way! :ride:

a spare battery in a camelback comes to mind :think:

 

[redneckbillybob]

electric is too dangerous. lets take a few things into consideration. if the kids cant ride bikes now because of the lead. electric dirtbikes would be viewed as offroad electric chairs! and forget about riding on trails as your electric dirtbike might malfunction and shoot lighting bolts out the tail pipe causing forest fires

 

[Patman]

Why would an electric bike need a tail pipe?

 

[VAdeer_slayer26]

well im 13 and i can say that i have only ridden 3 bikes all my life. they have all been 4 strokes, my ttr 125L, my bros crf80f, and a friends old pw 80 when i was like 80. i really liek how they ride but i really want to try a two stroke. so thats my .02

 

[dirt bike dave]

well im 13 and i can say that i have only ridden 3 bikes all my life. they have all been 4 strokes, my ttr 125L, my bros crf80f, and a friends old pw 80 when i was like 80. i really liek how they ride but i really want to try a two stroke. so thats my .02

The PW80 is a two stroke :nod:

Maybe you are thinking of another model.

 

[XRpredator]

don't buy into the luddite "two strokes are for the woods" hype. Go with what's comfortable. I could ride my XR400 better than a YZ250 in the woods, and I'm even better on my 525EXC. Of course, there's a lot of me to haul around, so bigger is better. There is just enough open stuff, and just enough long hills to pull, the 4 stroke works better for me.

For example, I've passed many a 2 stroke on some long gnarly root infested uphills, where they spun out, and all I had to do was putt and chug the ol' XR by all of 'em. Some will claim that the tight stuff back east is better for the 2stroke, but even with as heavy as my 525 is, it gets me through the snot better than any 2 stroke ever would.

if you want, give a 2 stroke a try. There's plenty of luddites out there enjoying them.

 

[redneckbillybob]

Why would an electric bike need a tail pipe?

to shoot lighting bolts :nod: