Why 4 stroke

[chrispy250f]

Why is it that you guys went with the 450 instead of the 2 stroke 250?

[kevin204]

Torque, more power, funner to ride for me, and I'm a big guy, the 450 is awesome.

[chrispy250f]

I have a 4 stroke now but im not too sure its 4 me, probably cause i try to ride it like a 2 stroke..........but i have been thinking about getting back on the yellow, just not sure how many strokes...

[david33mason]

i read in the Trials and motocross news that Honda will not be building two strokes next year so i would guess that everyone else will follow!!!!!!!!!

[seanmcgrath450]

i read in the Trials and motocross news that Honda will not be building two strokes next year so i would guess that everyone else will follow!!!!!!!!!

i got the here in blake and white that honda will no longer make 2 smokers in 2008.......

[thumper_guy]

yep, but it will take a few years for the other companies to run out their 2stroke lines.

[The Zook]

Why is it that you guys went with the 450 instead of the 2 stroke 250?

The only reason I switched from smoker to stroker is because the major manufactors arent spending money on the development of the 2 stroke any longer.

[lumpedup]

Being behind some guys on 4 strokes during races,i noticed that all they have to do to go fast and get traction was twist the throttle.Meanwhile i was shifting and working the clutch like a madman just to keep up.There was no need for these guys to carry any speed or momentum through turns either,in other words you dont even need to know how to ride to go fast anymore!!

So to stay in the game,i got my rm450.just hope it doesn't grenade on me 'cause it is a really great bike,almost too easy to ride!!!!

[Cyclepop]

Like everyone else said, got tired of being behind 4-strokes. 4-strokes make everyone faster and easier to handle. The only draw back is maitenance and repairs, the cost is doubled. Unfortunatley 2-stroke are going the way of the dinosaurs..... What a shame!

[swifty2k]

If you want a 2 stroke, look towards Yamaha or KTM... Those guys are making their 2 strokes better and better every year.

4 strokes ROCK, no doubt about it...

But some people (Like me - college student) cant afford to replace a grenaded bike... So I'll be the guy in the corner, on the 125sx, that all the 4 stroke guys are shooting for

[cfave]

2 strokes are the best in tight stuff and corners but when you need to dig your self out of a rut and then open it up in a short fast run the 4 strokes are it. Mind you if you are going from a lite 2t to a heavy 4t you will need to work out!

Riding a 450 after coming off a 250 2t you will be sore. there is alot more to it and you do NOT ride a 4t like a 2t. if you do you will be worn out by the second lap! it is a different animal all together.

Thing is once you get used to it and learn when to crank the throttle and when to clutch and brake, You will enjoy it. you will find that you do not have to work as hard on it and you will have moments where you can rest on it. My 2t I could never rest. I was constantly working to get more out of it.

Still I miss my 250 kx. Fun fun Fun!

[ah665]

i had a new YZ125 that i absolutlely loved (still have it but for sale) and i wanted a bigger bike again. i rode my friends CRF450 back to back with a new YZ250. ive never even owned a race 4t before but i felt alot faster on the 450. i put in some time on that CRF last year and i was fully convinced that a 450 is what i wanted. we will see this year how things work out with my RMZ, but im pretty confident that im going to get alot faster and have alot of fun too.

[scleland]

I just got an RM 250 after a few years on a 450, awesome bike but i only kept it for 2 weeks then traded it on an RMZ450 I just felt like I was more likely to get caught out by the 2 stroke snap and bin it. Four strokes just have smoother easy to use power and I find enough to think about without the thing going sideways all the time. I'm not a novice either and have owned over 35 different dirt bikes both two and four strokes.

If all you ride is one or the other you will get used to it but most people will ride faster on a four stroke once they get used to one.

[heykenny]

went from an RM250 to an injected RM-Z... two big reasons... weight and skill.... I bet you can guess what I have more of and what I have less of ..LOL!.. the 450 is easier to ride... doesn't care what gear I'm in.. doesn't care if I'm a dummy with the throttle.. doesn't scare me with a big hit halfway through the corner... it's SMOOOOOOTH... like a V8 vs a little import..... too tired to get the right gear? put it in 3rd and leave it there... arms too tired to pull in the clutch? so what! just twist the grip a little... you get the idea

[Sheriff245]

Only one reason: price!

Those 08 RM-Zs were just too cheap to pass up. I'll keep my 125 though.

[DrZe]

I used to have a rm 250 and got a chance to ride a 450 and i was sold....

I still love the sound and riding 2 strokes, just i feel faster, and i can control a 450 better...

[souphmars]

I just thought it was not fair. The 450 has more usable power and torque, with less wheel spin. The 450 is so easy to ride. I would work my but off on a RM250. I love my RMZ450. Once I got used to the 450, I was faster, and I liked it more than my RM250. The other reason, I just thought it was time to go to the 450. I am glad I made the decision when I did to get the FI RMZ.

[mrgrabow]

I'm genuinely curious in the comments about the 450 being easier to ride than a 250 2t. I know how tough/tiring it can be when riding a hard-hitting 2 stroke. Does the smoother power delivery offset the added weight and higher HP than a 2t?

FWIW, my perspective is that of a 40+ vet, lower end of the B class...

[grover738]

To answer your question on why they're easier to ride - the power is always there. I see you are from IL. I was down there last weekend, rode Byron & Mt. Carroll. At Byron, I never left 3rd. At Mt. Carroll, I dropped to 2nd only for the doubles section at the northern edge of the track. Twist and go, the power is always there, but it never hits. So roll on the power in a flat corner - you don't spin out. Roll on the power in a rut - the front end doesn't pop out. Concentrate on form, line selection, braking, etc - you don't have to think about shifting. I was as fast on a 4T as a 2T the FIRST LAP I ever rode one.

And starts! I hop the gate in 2nd, go about 20 ft, and jam it into 3rd. Then I sit on my rear fender and leave it in third for about the next 250 ft. Just revs and pulls forever.

[mrgrabow]

To answer your question on why they're easier to ride - the power is always there. I see you are from IL. I was down there last weekend, rode Byron & Mt. Carroll. At Byron, I never left 3rd. At Mt. Carroll, I dropped to 2nd only for the doubles section at the northern edge of the track. Twist and go, the power is always there, but it never hits. So roll on the power in a flat corner - you don't spin out. Roll on the power in a rut - the front end doesn't pop out. Concentrate on form, line selection, braking, etc - you don't have to think about shifting. I was as fast on a 4T as a 2T the FIRST LAP I ever rode one.

And starts! I hop the gate in 2nd, go about 20 ft, and jam it into 3rd. Then I sit on my rear fender and leave it in third for about the next 250 ft. Just revs and pulls forever.

Thanks for the input... Yes, I'm from the Chicago area & ride Sunset, Red Bud, Joliet. I owned a KX500 some time ago so my big bike perspective comes from riding that beastie.... lots of fun to play ride but completely unforgiving of mistakes. Seems like the big 4t's are more user-friendly.