privateer: The first bike I actually owned was in 1968, a Kawasaki H-1 Mach III 2-stroke triple. Then in 1972 I got a H-2 Mach IV. 1974 a Z1. On through the decades, almost every street bike 500cc or larger K ever made and sold in the US.

From time to time I ponder the astonishing performance that could be gotten from a 21st century 2-stroke.
Imagine what a 2011 Kawasaki Mach III would be like!
WOW

* Last updated by: DZINURZZ on 7/9/2010 @ 9:08 PM *

Don't laugh at me, I'll tell you the short story. I first started riding... Let me take that back. Half of me walked behind a gear driven 2-wheel lawnmower. To engage the wheels so you no longer had to push the machine, the lever was on the left side. I went out and bought a bike throttle cable, installed that on the right handle bar for the carb. I had the clutch and throttle down, I used rev the engine, pop the clutch, burn the lawn with two stripes as if waiting at the tree at some drag strip.

Didn't you read Hot Rod and Cycle with Big Daddy Ed Roth and Don Garlic, the dragster swamp rat breathing Floridian way. Way? Why...

... From that day on, I was riding, not cutting the half acre down but getting my coordination down at 13-14?. Took a ride on a Honda 250 or 305 scrambler with the up pipes on the one side. It was dad's friend bike. We drove out to some rock quarry. I was offered a ride and when I returned, got off the bike, the guy asked if I ever rode before, because he said it sure looked it. I said it was my very first time and it was!

Riding 40 years and my body looks like a 1000 miles of bad road. My mother used to say I was looking like, '40 miles of bad road.' But after I crashed the 14, she now up'd the mileage, I look like, "a 1000 miles...." [more like, smiles you can't pull the grin off my coldead face. BRING IT!]

DZINURZZ wrote:

privateer: "The first bike I actually owned was in 1968, a Kawasaki H-1 Mach III 2-stroke triple. Then in 1972 I got a H-2 Mach IV. 1974 a Z1. On through the decades, almost every street bike 500cc or larger K ever made and sold in the US."

From time to time I ponder the astonishing performance that could be gotten from a 21st century 2-stroke.
Imagine what a 2011 Kawasaki Mach III would be like!
WOW

Considering what GP two-strokes did during the early 1990s (before it became Moto-BORING-GP) I can only dream of what a 2011 Kawasaki Mach V 1000 Triple 2-cycle would be like.

What we know for sure is, the big hp hole in the bottom end rpm range would be mostly nonexistant, and the rush of 16k rpm would be very real.

My 72 H-2 Mach IV 750 "Widowmaker" lived up to its' common name, shaking like a wet dog in the corners, tank slapping when the horsepower finally turned on at 8,000 rpm. Nothing kills quite as easily as 50 hp from 1k rpm all the way to 8k rpm, and then it more than doubles suddenly above 8k rpm. I survived, and kept that beast for 30 years in the garage, finally selling it for many times more than it cost, new.

But alas, there is no good way to make a high performance two-stroke emission legal without fatally accentuating its weaknessess.

In another world....

Dirt 41 years, Street 36 years. First race bike Hodaka Superat.

add 90 more seconds to my time

privateer:Considering what GP two-strokes did during the early 1990s (before it became Moto-BORING-GP) I can only dream of what a 2011 Kawasaki Mach V 1000 Triple 2-cycle would be like.

What we know for sure is, the big hp hole in the bottom end rpm range would be mostly nonexistant, and the rush of 16k rpm would be very real.

My 72 H-2 Mach IV 750 "Widowmaker" lived up to its' common name, shaking like a wet dog in the corners, tank slapping when the horsepower finally turned on at 8,000 rpm. Nothing kills quite as easily as 50 hp from 1k rpm all the way to 8k rpm, and then it more than doubles suddenly above 8k rpm. I survived, and kept that beast for 30 years in the garage, finally selling it for many times more than it cost, new.

But alas, there is no good way to make a high performance two-stroke emission legal without fatally accentuating its weaknessess.

In another world....

I'm curious: If a 21st century 2-stroke were manufactured, say a 1000cc, how high would it rev and how much HP would it produce. (I understand why it won't happen; I just want to have some idea as to what the performance would be like.)

Hub: Didn't you read Hot Rod and Cycle with Big Daddy Ed Roth

Yeah.

I built one of Roth's models called Leaky Boat Louie!
My parents bought it for me.

I'm curious: If a 21st century 2-stroke were manufactured, say a 1000cc, how high would it rev and how much HP would it produce. (I understand why it won't happen; I just want to have some idea as to what the performance would be like.)

190hp. Look at 2010 snowmobiles. Smooooooken Fast. My old 800 three cylinder two stroke 176hp. Stinks out my whole house. Loved it.

* Last updated by: Romans on 7/10/2010 @ 9:08 PM *

More than 190hp. The early 90s 2-stroke GP bikes made that much, without the kind of electronics we have today.

But 190 would be great, considering how light they would be.

lets see, 30 years of continuous riding, 38 years of continuous riding if you count dirt bikes. My first bike I had was a 80cc 67 Suzuki street bike I road around in ditches and out in the field. I sure envied those kids who actually had dirt bikes. However I have not been a high mileage rider like many. hoping with the kids older that will change.

* Last updated by: Fr8flyer on 7/11/2010 @ 6:48 PM *

In '69 (12 yrs old) I jumped on my cousins dirtbike, and smacked a tree. I've been on the road ever since. Bought a Honda 50 step through that year for $25. Then a Honda 250 till I hit 18. '73 Honda 750, '76 KZ900, '84 Ninja 900, '90 ZX11, '93 ZX11, '94 ZX11, '06 ZX14.

Romans: 190hp. Look at 2010 snowmobiles. Smooooooken Fast. My old 800 three cylinder two stroke 176hp. Stinks out my whole house. Loved it.

privateer: More than 190hp. The early 90s 2-stroke GP bikes made that much, without the kind of electronics we have today. But 190 would be great, considering how light they would be.

Noted.

* Last updated by: DZINURZZ on 7/12/2010 @ 10:47 AM *

15 years now.

Been riding since 1971 - guess that makes me an old fart as well.

22 years for me. All Ninjas except for 1 mistake.
1) 1985 Ninja 900
2) 1990 ZX-10
3) 1991 ZX-11
4) 2005 Yamaha FZ1
5) 2008 ZX-14 (I love this bike!)
BB

Technically(?), I had an electric motorcycle when I was like 3 years old, but that doesn't really count. So, the first gas-powered bike was in 1977 (Born in 1967). It was a Sears-type POJ with no suspension, Briggs or Tecumseh engine, and a squeeze-lever throttle! Not a thumb-throttle like a sled, but a lever in front of the grip like a front brake lever. Only setup I've ever seen like that, lol. I've had 28 bikes total...

* Last updated by: black14 on 7/14/2010 @ 11:44 AM *

G'day everyone, I was 9yrs old when I rode a "mini bike", but my first on the road was a XL125 in 1978,I was 16yrs old, so that makes 32yrs.

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/8/2010 @ 7:41 AM *

The "minibike"had a pull cord and little fat wheels) as for the XL125 ,I had to start somewhere!!!!

* Last updated by: bean07 on 8/8/2010 @ 7:32 AM *

I bought my first bike 27 years ago - a Yamaha XT500. Kick-starting was sometimes a pain in the butt (reluctant to start) or the shin (kick-back from the pedal).

I've been riding for 31 years on an off the street. Crazy when you look back at it way to many bikes to list but I will say the my 2000 ZX-12r and my ZX-14r are the only bikes I've owned more then 4 years. Still love them both til this day!!

First bike was a "Bronco" mini bike in 1968 or so.....then a bunch of dirt bikes, then my brand new 81 Gpz 550 which I probably put 80k miles on it in 20 years. Then the "beast".