NSR 400 - 10 mins to go

[Angusdog]

Why 3 pipes?

Two strokes require, to make good power, separate pipes for each cylinder. Otherwise the pulses from each cylinder interfere and ruin the scavenging effect. It's effectively three engines joined together. The pipes are carefully shaped to allow the gases to expand as they leave the exhaust port, and a reflected negative pressure wave bounces back to the port, sucking gases out at the right time (if they're built right).

You can thank the canny Czechs for inventing it, and Suzuki for literally stealing an MZ bike during a GP by paying the rider to take a different turn on the track, sneaking out a gate and into a waiting van.

[tri boy]

A few got campaigned for a season or so. Even after port clean up, and dropping the squish band in the combustion chamber, they still didn't have quite enough kick out of corners.
Personally, I would steer clear of them. As mentioned, parts, new and second hand would be near non exsistant. MHO.

[nudemetalz]

I rode one when I had my RZ500.
Handled nicely but the V3 drone wasn't that nice to listen to after the musical V4.
Plus, didn't have the kick of the RZ even if it wasn't a handful (like the RZ !!).

Given a choice today, I would pick the RZ over the NS and RG.

[fredie]

ns400r is a very nice bike

[James Deuce]

And to think I was lusting after an NSR250...

A good NSR250 would leave a good NSR400 gulping fumes in its wake. In fact a good LC will embarrass an NSR400.

[F5 Dave]

Not this one:

clicky here

is on a UK RGV site, but is built by a Kiwi.

PS: the Hybrid section of this forum contains a rather nice David Attenborough (cheetah) 500cc 2 stroke special I'm rather partial to.