Another two-stroke on the way out.

[Danger]

From MotorcycleUSA.com:

"In order to concentrate on producing and marketing the best full size four-stroke motocross bikes in the market, Kawasaki has discontinued the distribution of the KX250 in North America. A 2008 model will be available in Europe, Japan, and Australia with the same technical specifications as the 2007 KX250."

I find I'm not even buying many bike mags these days due to them being full of tests on four strokes that I don't have much interest in. When Suzuki announce their last RM250 I will for sure snap one up. Along with a KTM250SX. Four strokes just don't inspire me. The 250's are not much fun and the 450's are too much of a hand full in the woods and don't like the corners in the sand. Good thing that KTM and Yamaha seem still comitted to the two stroke.

[ArcherWC]

tis a sad day indead

[scott411]

the 08 kx250 2 stroke will be in NZ next month,

yanks are stupid,

they stopped the KX125 after 05, but its still avaialbe everywhere else

[Danger]

Scott I thought that the KX125 had now been discontinued after 2007?
I have also heard that Kawasaki have changed their mind about discontinuing the KDX200?

[sAsLEX]

yanks are stupid,



We can narrow that down to Californians are stupid, and the rest of them stupider for following.....

[Paulus]

Sad but I guess the writing has been on the wall for a while (no real updates to the bike). I'd imagine the RM will follow soon. At least Yamaha will have a lot of the market fall into its lap and hopefully that'll keep the YZinger around for a while.

Good to see the 2 stroke enduros doing so well in all the shootouts. Hopefully KTM and Gas Gas will keep them alive for a long while yet.

[scott411]

thier is another shipment of KDX's coming, they were sourced somewhere in else in the world, still not being produced,

KX125 will be avaialbe as an 08 model next month as well

[cheese]

I guess its just the way everythings going.

[Reckless]

Shit it was only last month or so the Kawasaki guy at East Tamaki told me Kawasaki had no intentions of stopping the 2smoke 250.

I rode my mates brand new WR450 (with a yz plastic kit) at the Woodhill day yesterday it felt tight etc but just didn't have the sting of my CR250. It was smoother and more sedate for going through the trees etc. But my over all impression was that Id miss the extra wack I get from the CR even though I've fitted a fly wheel weight etc. I'd like to try it at Ardmore or on the Kimis track to see what it was like there. The seat postion was a bit lower which was better then the CR, as its quite tall and sometimes I hit the dirt when going slow simply because I run out of leg length to jab it upright again. For all you guys with 2001 or similar bikes I thought there wasn't 8 grands worth of difference between the 2 now that Danger has done the forks and I've fitted the flt wheel weight. Another thing to remember is I've just recond both the Cr125 and Cr250 for a total of $350-00 odd dollars, thats 2 bikes.

[Factoryjohn]

Face it guys the two stroke is finished. Don't blame the Californians, the main reason they're winding down production is the simple fact 4 strokes are better.
When was the last time a 2 stroke won a World Enduro or MX championship?

[Paulus]

Face it guys the two stroke is finished. Don't blame the Californians, the main reason they're winding down production is the simple fact 4 strokes are better.
When was the last time a 2 stroke won a World Enduro or MX championship?

Maybe not a world championship but they cleaned house in the 07 Erzberg Enduro.

How can lighter, cheaper, quieter, more powerful and more reliable be worse? Just because they put out a little more pollution - how much really do competition dirt bikes contribute to global pollution? 1/10000th of a percent? Less? Thankfully the Euros are still making them.

[cheese]

Face it guys the two stroke is finished. Don't blame the Californians, the main reason they're winding down production is the simple fact 4 strokes are better.
When was the last time a 2 stroke won a World Enduro or MX championship?

You're not comparing apples with apples.

4 stroke you use a 450 against a 250 2 stroke. I know that they just changed the rules here so that you can race a 250 2 and 4 stroke together, but a 450 4/ v 250 2/ isn't really the same is it. I know some of the bikes review similar, but you still have 200 extra cc's belting about which is going to give you more power.

[Danger]

Face it guys the two stroke is finished. Don't blame the Californians, the main reason they're winding down production is the simple fact 4 strokes are better.
When was the last time a 2 stroke won a World Enduro or MX championship?

Oh boy, don't turn this into yet another 2 vs 4 stroke debate. Just realise that there is a large amount of people that prefer the 2 strokes and don't want to see them dissapear. Same as some people prefer 4 strokes for different reasons, and I'm sure they are pleased that they have improved in the last 10 years. The modern 4 stroke has really revived the dirt bike scene for many people. But we just want the choice.

[scott411]

Face it guys the two stroke is finished. Don't blame the Californians, the main reason they're winding down production is the simple fact 4 strokes are better.
When was the last time a 2 stroke won a World Enduro or MX championship?

when the rules were fair, they cleaned up

[takitimu]

I'm no engineer, but it seems to me if you look at the Evinrude E-Tec 2/ which has lower emissions than any 4/ outboard, then the bike companies could clean up the 2/'s with some form of direct injection, at that point california let's them back in & everyone can again pick the / count that suits them :), which would be great.

[scott411]

problem with direct injection 2 strokes is the amount of amps they need to run the system , but the battery and everything that they need and the 2 stroke loses its main advantage, light weight,

i agree with you tho, the japanese are giving up on 2 strokes way to easily,

[B0000M]

id say part of the the reason the top guys who are winning the championships are riding 4 strokes is because thats what honda / kawa / suzi / yama is telling them they are going to ride, being the new product and all

[Factoryjohn]

You're not comparing apples with apples.

4 stroke you use a 450 against a 250 2 stroke. I know that they just changed the rules here so that you can race a 250 2 and 4 stroke together, but a 450 4/ v 250 2/ isn't really the same is it. I know some of the bikes review similar, but you still have 200 extra cc's belting about which is going to give you more power.

It is apples with apples.

A 250 2T produces the same if not more hp as a 450 4T. The 4T just produces more usable hp as the results show.

[Reckless]

Don't forget its about selling parts, keeping/making their distributors happy etc as well. Even with my simple knowledge of 2 strokes with their existing power to weight ratio and a little bit of Pipe, timing, fly wheel weights etc effort put in. They could make 2smokers much better than they are.
The proof will be over the next couple of years, even if the compitition bikes go 4 stroke if there are enough of us that keep buying 2 smokers hopefully someone will keep making them. Like KTM and especially if they win on them(if the rules aren't changed against them). If this happens at least the 250 may survive as you gotta admit the 250 4stroke is easier to ride than a 125 2smoker.

[B0000M]

so if something is "easier to ride" or has "more useful power" , doesnt this mean that it has an advantage over the bike you are comparing to?

i had a CR125, and rode a mate's KXF250, i thought the KXF was without a doubt faster, and i knew how to make a 125 scream., this giving the guys riding a 125 a disadvantage, therefore forcing them to buy 4smokes, probably some not because they want to

[Reckless]

so if something is "easier to ride" or has "more useful power" , doesnt this mean that it has an advantage over the bike you are comparing to?

i had a CR125, and rode a mate's KXF250, i thought the KXF was without a doubt faster, and i knew how to make a 125 scream., this giving the guys riding a 125 a disadvantage, therefore forcing them to buy 4smokes, probably some not because they want to

BOOM Yep I agree to a point and I know you can ride. Specifically when applied to the 125x2/250x4 scenerio as the 125 is the most revy of the 2 smokers in its present form. This doesn't apply so well to the 250 as I believe you can make a 250 do what you want, where you want it to do it. Actually probably with the 125 as well. But 2smokers are just noisier, smokier and they can't sell as many expensive parts or make as much money outa servicing them. So what would you do if you where the GM of Honda/Kawasaki. Develop 4 strokes, create classes that eliminate 2 strokes, keep your franchises happy etc etc make more money

[Teava]

im on the fence on this one, i own a 04 125sx and its a great bike straight out of the box, now my mate has a 06 sxf250, i had a go on his bike and found the low down power really useful but found it lacked top end which is where i was catching him most of the time!

But at the end of the day its all comes down to how fast you can ride it,
and have got my old man to prove it, at the 2nd round of the club mans
all in at ken fells farm he got 2nd and a 1st on his 87 cr250 up against top off the line year 2000+ model bikes, so in most cases its not what you ride but how you ride it.

But hey thats my opinion:whocares:

just hope they keep producing a healthy dose of both 2 strokes and four

[B0000M]

BOOM Yep I agree to a point and I know you can ride. Specifically when applied to the 125x2/250x4 scenerio as the 125 is the most revy of the 2 smokers in its present form. This doesn't apply so well to the 250 as I believe you can make a 250 do what you want, where you want it to do it. Actually probably with the 125 as well. But 2smokers are just noisier, smokier and they can't sell as many expensive parts or make as much money outa servicing them. So what would you do if you where the GM of Honda/Kawasaki. Develop 4 strokes, create classes that eliminate 2 strokes, keep your franchises happy etc etc make more money

btw, im completely on the 2smoke side of the fence! hence why i just bought a CR250!! im becoming less and less of a 4smoke fan as time goes on too

[telliman]

btw, im completely on the 2smoke side of the fence! hence why i just bought a CR250!! im becoming less and less of a 4smoke fan as time goes on too

prbably because you dont ride competetivly,if you rode to win you;d buy the machine to do the job, if your having a shit load of fun pushing your own limits then its not so important.i ride a 2 stroke mainly on the mx tracks and thought about going a 4stoke at one stage thinking it would make me go faster,but then realised i dont want to be a world beater, i just want to have fun without the bigger expence,all i ever wanted when i was growing up was one of those green 2strokes and its all iv ever riden. i think the point im trying to make is that the 2strokes are sick fun,good in the sand, good in the woods mx, freestyle,etc,etc.
a bit like the tracks in auckland, soon they to will be a thing of the past!

[Danger]

i ride a 2 stroke mainly on the mx tracks and thought about going a 4stoke at one stage thinking it would make me go faster,but then realised i dont want to be a world beater, i just want to have fun without the bigger expence, i think the point im trying to make is that the 2strokes are sick fun,good in the sand, good in the woods mx, freestyle,etc,etc.


Pretty much sums up my thoughts.

[dammad1]

KTM will always produce two strokes and as far as championships go 2T's may not be winning alot of motorcross championships but they are still the preferred choice in alot of enduro/cross country events around the world. What do you think Juha Salimen was riding in last years US GNCC series? A mighty 2T!!

[T-Thunder13]

KTM will always produce two strokes and as far as championships go 2T's may not be winning alot of motorcross championships but they are still the preferred choice in alot of enduro/cross country events around the world. What do you think Juha Salimen was riding in last years US GNCC series? A mighty 2T!!

give it up bro. just get a four stroke hahahahaha. im back!

[dammad1]

Hey Tom, how did it go? you must me hanging out for a ride!

[RMXMAD]

remember if it dont blow smoke it aint got poke..

[T-Thunder13]

Hey Tom, how did it go? you must me hanging out for a ride!

yeah bro im busten to get out there. all those tracks down south and i had to tramp. it was like tourture somtimes!

[dammad1]

yeah bro im busten to get out there. all those tracks down south and i had to tramp. it was like tourture somtimes!

Good stuff mate, we are racing this weekend but we'll have to get out for a ride soon.

[T-Thunder13]

oh nice. where you racing? im all tied upthis weekend too. let us know when your up for a sand smash

[dammad1]

oh nice. where you racing? im all tied upthis weekend too. let us know when your up for a sand smash

Its the final two man this weekend, and for sure will let you know.

[PRYDEE]

I think i can see why Kawasaki are discontinuing the KX250-Its a shame to see the 2 strokes going out of fashion but the KX compared to the 07 CR250 is far from compareable.I ride the last model CR250 and must say its the best CR Honda have ever made.It has an even but quick power.I found the latsest KX to be very knocky and vibratey.

[Ivan]

THe 2 Stroke is not dead, KTM are Developing new Engines constantly working
They be back

[bumsex]

yes, ktm are big on two strokes for both tarmac and dirt. (which is good)