Anyone ever done a trip on a 2-stroke??

[PocketHead]

I know it is not a good idea but I was looking at my RM250 and became curious if anyone has done it

[jkrijt]

Many years ago, I did some touring on a Harley Davidson SS250 cc two stroke. From the Netherlands to Luxembourg and to the South of England. No problem.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jkrijt/bikes/hd250ss.shtml

[JoeSheffer]

I did a trip on a 2-Stroke Minsk, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh over two weeks. It was a complete pain in the arse in all honesty. Although 2-stroke was common, it was messy and noisy, it also made petrol very expensife.

[Nigel Marx]

Hi Mate.
We are planning our trip around two 2004 model TS185 Suzukis. Ask that question again in four years!

Kind regards

Nigel in NZ

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Ah , yess ringgydingg dinnggggg.dingg ding ding
For some years back in the seventies I toured all over the USA and Canada on a Suzuki T500 - 2 cyl. 500cc, automatic oil injection. Never had any mechanical problems on those trips, just kept the CCI oil tank filled and added gas to the gas tank. The T500 was very sensitive to altitude and blubbered along in the high Rocky Mountain roads as if a big load was dragging it down , but never fouled plugs. Descending to lower elevations the power picked up again.
The Suzuki oiling system pumping directly into critical crank bearings was better than the Yamaha system which sprayed a mist into the intake throat at the carb.I found that out the hard way on an RT3 - 350cc single cylinder dual pupose bike - I used on a trip to Loudon. On the return trip with a tail wind on the freeway the throttle was not open enough and holed a piston.I know, it was lean gas mixture that did most of it , but that meant it was also getting inadequate oil.
If you plan on touring on a 2 stroke keep those points in mind, and you should have lots of fun

[Lone Rider]

Why would it not be a good idea?

[Dan Ingle]

Any trip on 2 wheels is a good idea.

[PocketHead]

Hi all, some interesting replies here! honestly I didn't expect many people to have travelled long distances on them because they vibrate so much, burn oil and have a very short range of power delivery but it seems it's quite possible

[backofbeyond]

I spent many years touring Europe on two strokes in the 70's - London to Tangiers, Athens, Rome etc, all on bikes around around 250 / 300cc, mostly two up and all without any real problems (other than too little time / money etc).

Just last month I spent a happy few days exploring the back roads of New Jersey on an early 70's 200cc Yamaha and if the repairs go according to plan I'm planning Oxford - Grenoble on a 1970 Kawasaki H1 500 in the summer (although it would be cheaper on fuel to use my Land Rover!).

I seriously considered a CRM250 Honda for a trip to West Africa a couple of years ago but the problem of two stroke oil storage on what would be an already overloaded bike killed it. Normal car oil would have been available en route but from previous experience using it for long periods instead of 2T made me wary of problems such as piston rings gumming up and subsequent starting problems.

I wouldn't have any real concerns about using a suitable two stroke, its just that there are so few of them available now that are usable for overlanding.

[stuxtttr]

I think its a great idea, simple mechanics. I read a great article a few years back of a couple who Toured in Africa on the Suzuki TS 185 and they couldnt fault them said the economy was good too. They also were far cheaper and already kitted out with sturdy racks than the four stroke options.

Good luck to Nigel Im sure you will have a great time, I used to find a bit of octane booster helped my KE100 no end. When you only have a few horses to play with a couple more make a big difference

[Sun Chaser]

I just finished a 3,000 k tour of Malaysia on my 1988 KMX 200 two-stroker, only needed 2 new rear wheel bearings along the way, which $25.00 USD fixed, including labor. Prior to that I took the same bike to Cambodia, another 3,000 k trip. Injector cable came loose, oil stopped going into the cylinder and bike seized seriously. A new piston, hone job and rings got it back on the road, for somewhere around $100.00 USD. Sure, it uses more gas than a four stroker, and you do have to add oil to the resevoir, but the bike is simple and parts cheap. It's beauty? Purchase price with all legal Thai paperwork, plus some new tires, CDI, seals and body plastic, soft bags, windscreen and tanks bag, about $1,200.00 USD. If I don't sell it I'll have it back on the road for another tour to possibly Laos, maybe back to Cambodia. Over here a four stroke 250 can run $2,000, without legal papers, which can cost an additional $1,000 or more. The number on the two stroke bike worked for me and I used the difference for travel costs.
In Vietnam, twice, I used the two stroke Minsks, which were a hoot. For $5.00 per day there was no way I could have done the country for the price they get to get a big bike in. I did have one problem with the Minsk, the horn wire broke. A flat tire was not the bikes problem but a nail on the trail. I did a long loop around the north of Vietnam, than a longer ride down the Ho Chi Minh Highway along the Laos/Cambodia border to Ho Chi Minh City. A hoot both times, and I may go back and do Vietnam again, possibly on a Minsk. They are simple to work on if need be, and parts were readily available, most repop stuff made in Vietnam. My first rental was kind of a "cheater" bike, had a bored out 125 to 150-cc, used a Yamaha piston and rings. It passed everything else on the roads.
The two strokes can be fun, it's just a matter of attitude for me, plus I'm a bit of a shade tree mechanic (certified BMW one too) so keeping something like these two strokers rolling is part of the adventure. When my engine blew I ended up meeting one of the nicest ladies I've known in a long time, while waiting for spares, but that's a different thread for a different board :-)

[globalkoster]

in 1999 I drove a Minsk around Vietnam and than from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur. Around 11.000 km's. I never had any problems. Only to carry an oil can with you was now and then annoying and messy. The rest....well, you get used to it :-)
I didn't had any battery either. so no worries about broken of empty battery's in the middle of nowhere.

gr,

Roland

[farqhuar]

Nothin wrong with 2 stroke tourers Pockethead.

I did a 2 year "mini-tour" in 77-78 on an aircooled 1974 RD350.

Ship Melbourne - Malaysia then overland to UK, around Europe and Eastern Europe (pretty exciting getting behind the Iron Curtain in those days) then down to Morocco/Algeria, across the Sahara, across the centre and up and down the African East coast before shipping back to Melbourne.

I could tell you all sorts of stories about how the humble RD beat the socks off "famous German tourers" which failed to go where the RD never feared to tread, but that would be boring (and potentially highly controversial).

I still have the RD in my shed - I've now owned it for over over 32 years and will never sell it.

Garry from Oz.

[PocketHead]

nothing wrong with 2 strokes!! arghhh I have seized the piston on my RM250, very frustrating as I am trying to save for my trip! I have removed the top end and the piston is shattered (I too am shattered), bottom end was fine at first and then that seized too! A part broken off the piston must have fallen down there and jamming it, I think I will take it into the shop to have the bottom end looked at because I don't have the tools.

[palace15]

Originally Posted by PocketHead

nothing wrong with 2 strokes!! arghhh I have seized the piston on my RM250, very frustrating as I am trying to save for my trip! I have removed the top end and the piston is shattered (I too am shattered), bottom end was fine at first and then that seized too! A part broken off the piston must have fallen down there and jamming it, I think I will take it into the shop to have the bottom end looked at because I don't have the tools.

I rest my case 'your honour' 2 strokes obviously have a place in motorcycling.........Racing !