interested in riding a 2 stroke. Dos and donts!!

Im brand new to the 2 stroke world. I have interests in purchasing and riding one in the future on the track. You guys know best so inputs on these machines would be great. Im not new to the bike schene, i ride a cbr 600 and love the bike but I want to hit the challenges of a smaller ride with (what i;ve heard) better handling and alot more fun. Inputs are greatly appreciated the more you help the more i know!!! thanks

 

If you are talking a GP bike both a 125 and 250 are fun. They take much more maintenance than a modern inline four. Both before you hit the track and at the track. If you enjoy working on bikes, these bikes are a ton of fun to ride (and easy to work on, but need a lot of attention) Remember a 125 is at least half the cost and half the headaches (in my opinion) I have a 250 and would have started with a 125 if I had to do it over again. If you can get hooked up with someone that knows the bikes it will make the learning curve much shorter. Make sure you are jetted on the fat side until you really know what you are doing and understand the motor. 300 miles on the top end and 1200 miles on the bottom end (dont push it I did and almost killed myself). My 2 cents. If you have any other questions feel free to pm me. I am in my fourth year of riding two stroke GP bikes and have made most of the mistakes you can make with one (A TZ250 is not a good choice for your first race bike especially having only 2 summers total motorcycling experience MY BAD) Once again they are ALOT of FUN but require ALOT of WORK. Some people like to work on the bikes some don't

 

Time is relative

I would honestly say that I wished I had learned how to ride the race track on a 4 stroke I could take to the track and gas & go. That is for the first summer of 4-5 trackdays. However, a lightweight bike like a 125GP bike will enable you to learn faster during the time you're at the track. Lets say it takes 10 trackdays to get proficient on a 600 vs. 6 on a 125 bike. Thus, it's a trade off no matter how you look at it. I'd highly recommend you buy yourself a RS125 or TZ125 from a racer who's staying around in the race class. That way you can schedule your test days with him/her to really get a handle on the bike with some good teaching from someone who knows the bike. Either that or pay the previous owner to come to the track with you and show you all the stuff you need to know.

The guy who bought my last bike didn't read the manual, didn't read the 10 articles I linked him too and consiquently ruined over $1000 worth of parts his first trackday. Somewhere along the line, I assumed he would read the manual and knew what it meant to re-jet the carb.

That said, you'll never go back once you ride a two stroke.

PL

 

its still a scary investment though. Maintaning the bike seems to be a headache. Is it worth spending more time working on it than riding?

 

add oil/gas........and go........10's of thousand of these in Europe........well tested....well proven. 2009 Aprilia 125.

 

Not a headache and very simple to work on, these bike are made to be maintained so they come apart and go together easy. The manuals spell out when parts need changed and how to do it. You can make these bikes as difficult to maintain as you want. Where are you located? find someone nearby and discuss there experiences. You will experience a true race bike.

 

Another way to get started is with a Aprilia cup bike. They are based on a street bike so are less maintenance intensive than the real GP bikes.
Most track weekends are gas&go if that is what you want. Major maintenace becomes a once-a-year project. I think of mine as a twostrokes for dummies bike. I have used it to learn a lot and had a ton of fun doing it.

 

Actually, a 125 is an easy bike to work on, and is made to be easy to work on, just like camp said. Pull a few pins and all the bodywork is off. A 300 mile top end change takes about an hour if you're halfway proficient with tools. The 1200 mile yearly rebuild is easy too, and can be done in 8 hours of leisurely work during the off-season. The advantage with these bikes is that you learn to corner real fast, as you can't rely on the engine to power you around everywhere. Instead, you have to keep the engine on the pipe and rail through the corners. Another advantage is that they are very easy on tires, they'll last twice as long as tires on any other bike, plus, they're cheaper! Finally, if you're cheap, you can manage without a ramp, as two guys can lift it in and out of a pickup very easily. when I need to turn mine around in the pits, I just grab the right peg and the left handlebar, lift it off the ground and turn it around!

 

Not GP, but my old OSSA roadracer is gas it and go. Tough as nails, easy to ride (though a bit tiny). And cheaper. I'd suggest trying 2-strokes in vintage before ponying up with real money for a GP bike.

 

You can pick up a good one with spares for $4k to $5k. With some decent maintenance the bikes are bullet-proof!

 

i wouldn't worry that you will be spending a "ton" of time working on a 125. i compared my service time to a guy in our club who is a competitive 600 racers, and we our times were very comparable. the diesel guys change tires, we change top ends. if you prep your pistons and rings ahead of time, you could do a top end trackside just as fast as a tire change. what part of the country are you in? the best way to calm your apprehensions about the service would be to see in person how easy the bikes are to work on.

BTW, last year at our lunch break i easily swapped motors in my bikes, took about a 1/2 hour by myself and with help i could have done it in 15min

 

i live in central ky. A 250 is what I desire. i'm 210, 6'1. the height isnt a problem its the wieght that I feel a 125 is not enough bike for my fat arss.
If you guys feel a 125 would be perfect to A learn about motor skills and B get used to a 2 stroker. I will listen to the experts. I believe I can find these alot easier than I can a 250. This would also be a cheaper option. If a 125 is the way to start what should I look for. Model's, years, whats the best whats the worst.

As always thanks for the input guys.

 

i know "Tdub" is in owensboro, so he would be an excellent resource for tuning.

the weight will slow you down, but i know there are some big boys who can ride the wheels off a 125. IIRC there was a guy on here who had a 125 or 80 who was 6'5" and well into mid 200lbs range. look through some old posts and you can find the pic. impressive to say the least :wow:

hjelm motorsports sells longer rear sets and you can get a "big boy" body work and subframe that will help you fit better on the bike

 

cool beans. Really its a contest to see what i can find first for the right price. A 250 would be awesome to grab but I'm not paying 5-6k (although they are worth it) for something that Im going to ride the pants off of and be super aggressive. (wreck)

Hopefully I wont need the big boy work. The goal is 200 this year but still doesnt compare to you 145 160 guys.

 

You won't find a good 250 for 5-6k!!!! LOL Now, you will find a good 125 for that price! Several for sale over on USGPRU.net.

 

Good one for sale right here in the wera classifieds

 

Yup, and on USGPRU too! Still curious why Nate isn't riding it, unless he got a better one. I was looking forward to seeing him and the other kids in the 125 class this year.

 

92-99 TZ250 (00 up will be costly)

$5-6K is doable, especially in this economy, just don't count on spare wheels and cranks and cylinders

You will really have to shop around to find a 92-94 TZ250 for around $4K.

Freshening up a tired motor could run you $1500.

 

Its the inital purchase that gets me. My RR wasnt a hard decision at all when buying it. I started on the street and then did my first track day last year at Barber. I was nervous as hell but its a blast and a boost inconfidence when you can pass 1k, 1098's all day long (in the turns) Ill never buy anything above a 600 because I believe the power isnt needed. As for the 250 and even a 125 I know its hard to find a good deal on these from what you guys have told me. BUT there is always some one that needs the cash quick and then Ive got a bike. Everything Ive bought for the RR was at a steal of a deal. I picked up some sharkskins prof. painted in perfect shape for 250 bucks. ohlins damper 125, vortex rearsets 200. you guys know the deals out there, its just willing on how long your going to wait for them. Ill be at the bluegrass MP this year (april 11) any one attending?

 

One thing to consider is the resell value. Not too many people looking for old 600cc race bikes. You can recoup a gp's bikes cost. I went for a 250 because I am 5'10 and 200+. When you go out for your first lap you will be so amazed. Honda for 125's and Yamaha for 250's.