Bring Back 2 Stroke Dirt Bikes

[Shifty]

1 hour ago, ckf said:

A friend had a 72 Yamaha 200 2 stroke street bike that was a blast! 

My brother just bought a restored 73 rd350. It’s epic

[Shifty]

1 hour ago, ckf said:

The only 2 stroke bike that I have had was a 79 Yamaha IT 175. It would have been when I was around 14. So that would have been back around 1984.

Fun bike. It's amazing what we got away with back then.

I was rolling on a kdx 175 in 84. It got stolen. Everybody had dirt bikes back then. At least the cool kids anyway lol

[Shifty]

6 minutes ago, Shifty said:

My brother just bought a restored 73 rd350. It’s epic

 

[Jimmy Snacks]

6 minutes ago, Shifty said:

I was rolling on a kdx 175 in 84. It got stolen. Everybody had dirt bikes back then. At least the cool kids anyway lol

Somewhere around 1978 or 1979 we moved back out of town and my buddy up the hill had YZ 80 with a monoshock suspension….I was 11 and wanted one so bad.

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Jimmy Snacks

[DriftBusta]

1 hour ago, Doug said:

Not sure what motor but very well could be a Sachs.  Use to see them when we raced motocross locally.  Called them broken Rokon's

I alway had Yamaha's.  Friend had Penton's and he was the best rider between us.  Another guy had a Rickman (in pic).  This would have been in the early to late 70's

There was also the Bultaco.  Left side kick start and the shifter shaft ran through the gearbox so you could also mount the shifter on the RH side for circle track.

My first motocross bike was a Rickman 250 VR with a Montesa motor, got me to amateur level    Some other randoms of early bikes.  250 Elsinore was a game changer for the time.  The Hercules pictured wasn't mine, but i had one of those too.  7 speed 273cc. 

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by DriftBusta

[Shifty]

5 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Somewhere around 1978 or 1979 we moved back out of town and my buddy up the hill had YZ 80 with a monoshock suspension….I was 11 and wanted one so bad.

Me on my kdx. In 84 I was 14  

Edited September 4, 2023 by Shifty

[Jimmy Snacks]

1 minute ago, Shifty said:

Me on my kdx. In 84 I was 14  

Great picture! 👊🏻

[ckf]

2 minutes ago, Shifty said:

 

Nice! I bet it would be a blast on the Kanc. 

Not on Columbus Day Weekend weekend though

2 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Somewhere around 1978 or 1979 we moved back out of town and my buddy up the hill had YZ 80 with a monoshock suspension….I was 11 and wanted one so bad.

When I was 10 one of my friends got a DS 80 for his birthday. I wanted one in the worst way.

[Shifty]

4 minutes ago, DriftBusta said:

My first motocross bike was a Rickman 250 VR with a Montesa motor, got me to amateur level    Some other randoms of early bikes.  250 Elsinore was a game changer for the time.  The Hercules pictured wasn't mine, but i had one of those too.  7 speed 273cc. 

 

I’m surprised that a x racer bro of your current means doesn’t have a vintage moto bike to sit,sip, and look at. 

[Shifty]

3 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Great picture! 👊🏻

Thanks. I thought I was pretty fucking cool lolz. I was so proud of that red Simpson 32 full face helmet. Ordered it from Dennis Kirk!  And the bob hurricane Hannah lightning bolt stickers from the back pages of dirt bike or motocross action magazine. 

[Rod]

I always found the bigger the CC the easier they are to ride. Way easier to put around with a 250 than a ported 125 

you have to respect the power more but the bigger bikes were less fatiguing imo 

[Doug]

6 minutes ago, ACE said:

I always found the bigger the CC the easier they are to ride. Way easier to put around with a 250 than a ported 125 

you have to respect the power more but the bigger bikes were less fatiguing imo 

The 125 and 175 CC were like riding a toggle switch idle or full peak power.  250's weren't bad.

[Rod]

1 minute ago, Doug said:

The 125 and 175 CC were like riding a toggle switch idle or full peak power.  250's weren't bad.

Yeah. I had a YZ125 and it was ported and everything. But a damn light switch. It had power but man you were tense the entire time trying to ride it 

sold it and bought a KX 250. It clearly had way more power but it was a lot easier to control 

[mnstang]

You don't have to bring them back because they never left.

They aren't bought very often because four strokes are just better.

[X2700]

Sure like to see what a new technology let say 400 2 stroke would do!!

 

[spin_dry]

Maicos were bikes way ahead of their time. I rode one in 1975 and it made me feel like a pro rider. The suspension was amazing. I also got to ride a TZ750 during the late “70’s that the owner installed street legal equipment. That thing was dangerous. 

[DriftBusta]

2 hours ago, Shifty said:

I’m surprised that a x racer bro of your current means doesn’t have a vintage moto bike to sit,sip, and look at. 

I still have that KTM 400 enduro to look at when the feeling moves me.  This was my last race bike, never even raced it, but best one ever.  16 450 sxf.

[Shifty]

34 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

Maicos were bikes way ahead of their time. I rode one in 1975 and it made me feel like a pro rider. The suspension was amazing. I also got to ride a TZ750 during the late “70’s that the owner installed street legal equipment. That thing was dangerous. 

Maico’s were only seen in magazines back then in northern NH. More rare than a husqvarna. My dream ride was an 84 husky wr400 back then. Mr brother had a can am qualifier 175 when I had my kdx. It was rare and cool. But the kawi was better at everything. We had one friend that would show up with the oddest bikes. Jawas, CZs. They were always “ barn finds”. 

[steve from amherst]

4 minutes ago, Shifty said:

Maico’s were only seen in magazines back then in northern NH. More rare than a husqvarna. My dream ride was an 84 husky wr400 back then. Mr brother had a can am qualifier 175 when I had my kdx. It was rare and cool. But the kawi was better at everything. We had one friend that would show up with the oddest bikes. Jawas, CZs. They were always “ barn finds”. 

Used to see a few Maicos at the track in Pepperell ma 

 You could hear em coming 

[Doug]

34 minutes ago, DriftBusta said:

I still have that KTM 400 enduro to look at when the feeling moves me.  This was my last race bike, never even raced it, but best one ever.  16 450 sxf.

 

2 hours ago, ckf said:

Nice! I bet it would be a blast on the Kanc. 

Not on Columbus Day Weekend weekend though

When I was 10 one of my friends got a DS 80 for his birthday. I wanted one in the worst way.

As much as I'd like to ride the KTM I'd have a much better chance of not getting hurt on the DS 80

[steve from amherst]

My bil went down to CT to look at a mid 80,s Suzuki katana road bike. When he got there the dude had a 1982 cagiva , brand new, he bought it 

[Doug]

There's a guy in our neighborhood that his brain is more fried than a pan of hard bacon but he loves street bike.  Has bikes in his garage and in his house.  Strange guy but stopped by him and he has a Kawasaki H2 750 and H1 500 among other bikes.  Don't know if they run look a little rough but he told me one kills you faster than the other.  

[Frostynuts]

16 minutes ago, steve from amherst said:

My bil went down to CT to look at a mid 80,s Suzuki katana road bike. When he got there the dude had a 1982 cagiva , brand new, he bought it 

I would really enjoy seeing a picture of that cagiva.

[DriftBusta]

1 hour ago, Frostynuts said:

I would really enjoy seeing a picture of that cagiva.

I had one of those too.   89 WMX250.  Didn't have the power of the Jap bikes but it handled really good.

[ViperGTS/Z1]

The bikes I had were a 74 Honda XL 100....then Suzuki 78 RM 125 and then went straight to a crotch rocket  86 GSXR 1100. Street bike. That was a beast of a bike back in the day....earned my respect real quick. 

Once in awhile during my 6th midlife crisis I get the itch to get another bike, maybe when I retire will get an on/off bike. Will be moving to a fairly quiet and safe area....some nice back roads and trails to jump on to.

I thought I could do some nice wheelies but today's riders have taken it to a whole new level.... unbelievable control of this bike: