Sometimes less is more – and two-strokes prove it. With the engineering simplicity of a two-stroke, there is no need for convoluted solutions like turbocharging and super-charging that four-strokes are accustomed to. The fact that these motorcycles are still legal to ride (although production has been ceased) in some parts of Europe and the world till date, speaks volumes about how relevant the technology still is, barring the exception to emissions thanks to burning oil along with fuel.
Two-stroke racing motorcycles are certainly the T-Rex’s of the motorcycling era – with ferocious power, feather-light weight and outright, savage speed, these bikes ripped apart the horizon and the track at every chance they got. Racing in the 60s and 70s was also super-exciting thanks to these engineering marvels. Here are ten examples of the most insanely powerful two-stroke smokers ever made.
Langen Two Stroke – 75 HP
Like the Duecinquanta, the Langen Two Stroke is also a two-stroke 250cc V-twin, albeit with more power being produced from the engine, at 75 HP, as claimed by Langen. It was also created as a separate project by Ferrari engineers. And yes, the folks at Vins are involved with this machine as well. Consider this bike as a naked version of the Duecinquanta, with a bit more power. Weight is similar at 264 pounds dry.
The suspension is the only area where the two don’t share commonalities, with the Langen receiving a conventional USD fork-front and mono shock rear setup.
Langen Two Stroke Specs
Engine
249cc, two-stroke, 90-deg V-twin
Horsepower
75 HP (Claimed)
Torque
33 lb-ft
Dry Weight
264 lbs
Vins Duecinquanta Competizione – 80 HP
Due Cinquanta is the Italian numeral for 250, hinting at the cubic capacity of this two-stroke racing marvel. Created by ex-Ferrari engineers, Vins is a small motorcycling company based out of Maranello that launched this bike in 2019 as a track special named the Competizione, which actually displaces 288cc’s. The road-going version, called the Strada, is an actual 250. It’s loaded to the brim with impressive tech, such as an aerodynamic carbon fiber fairings, carbon fiber frame, double-wishbone front suspension and a wacky rear mono shock that is angled differently. It weighs just 231 pounds, and the Competizione version makes around 80 HP, which results in an excellent power-to-weight ratio. To top it all off, it’s also Euro-5 compliant!
Specs
Engine
288cc, two-stroke, V-twin
Horsepower
80 HP (Claimed)
Torque
33.2 lb-ft
Dry Weight
231 lbs
Yamaha RD500LC – 88 HP
Produced for just two years, Yamaha released the road-going race replica of their highly successful 0W80 GP bike that was piloted by Kenny Roberts at the time. The LC stands for liquid-cooled, which is just the beginning of the technological features that the bike possessed. The engine was a two-stroke, V4 engine, also assisted by a counterbalancer shaft that was mounted between the cylinder banks.
Intake valves were reed type, and the exhaust valve was Yamaha’s YPVS power valve system, that enabled good low-end as well as a screaming top-end. It also used Yamaha’s ‘Autolube’ oil injection system to deliver lubricating oil directly into the cylinders.
The RG500 was launched shortly after Yamaha’s RD500, and it would be an understatement to say that the RG 500 demolished the RG. It was faster because the frame allowed for modifications to the airbox and thereby offering lesser restrictions to the engine, much, much lighter, and generally a more thorough and extreme race-replica that most buyers would come to equate with the race bike. Sadly this bike didn’t last more than two years (1985 – 1987) due to emissions regulations playing a significant role in the demise of this machine.
A tragic ending to a genuine two-stroke legend with immense potential, this bike managed to do more damage than fortify Bimota’s image in the late 90s, leading them to close down temporarily due to the losses incurred. It was equipped with Bimota’s first (and only) 500cc, 90-deg V-twin two-stroke engine to be ever produced in-house, but the initial model faced numerous issues such as engine seizures, inconsistent power delivery and oil leaks, to name a few. It was followed by 26 limited racers that were not road legal, and finally in 2001, the Evoluzione Corsa and the Evoluzione were launched, and 120 units of the Evoluzione were sold – they remain to be highly sought after today.
Specs
Engine
500cc, two-stroke, 90-deg V-twin
Horsepower
105 HP
Torque
66 lb-ft
Dry Weight
388 lbs
Yamaha TZ750 – 120 HP
Built for the Formula 750 class in the 1970s, the Yamaha TZ750 was wildly successful in the Daytona 200 series, with a kill streak of nine consecutive times, marking itself as one of the most influential two-stroke racers of that decade. With a monoshock rear suspension setup that was a first for its time, stiff frame and a significantly powerful 120 HP two-stroke four-cylinder, this amazing motorcycle managed to influence future sport bikes as to how they would be designed, forever.
Specs
Engine
749cc, two-stroke, four-cylinder
Horsepower
120 HP
Torque
55 lb-ft
Dry Weight
335 lbs
Kawasaki KR500 – 120 HP
The KR500 was Kawasaki’s two-stroke racer in the 80s, and it lived for a brief two years before it was killed off, due to its apparent lack of success in racing. It did receive a few goodies to make it faster on track, such as a magnesium crankcase, a lightened and stiffened frame as well as improved suspension – but none of this helped, as the Kawa could make just one podium finish throughout its racing career.
Add to that, it troubled its pilots with a few teething issues due to some inherent design flaws. Still, one of the most powerful and interesting two-stroke racers ever made, with its “square four” engine making 120 horses.
Specs
Engine
497cc, two-stroke, square-four cylinder
Horsepower
120 HP
Torque
N/A
Dry Weight
lbs
Ronax 500 – 160 HP
Revealed to the world in 2014, the Ronax 500 was a German-made, 499cc two-stroke missile that was almost completely developed in-house, including its engine. It’s a 499cc, V-4 two-stroke motor that makes a base level of 160 HP, and which can be further increased to 200 horses as per some sources.
Due to the extensive use of carbon fiber, it’s extremely lightweight, weighing in dry at a reported 319 lbs, which gives it a 0.5 HP/lb power to weight ratio. Like other racing bikes on this list, it also comes with a cassette-type removable gearbox, allowing for custom ratios depending on the track. Limited to just 46 production units and priced above $100,000 at the time of its launch, this is one exclusive two-stroke track monster.
Ronax 500 Specs
Engine
499cc, 2-stroke, 80 degree V-4, two counter-rotating crank shafts
Horsepower
160 HP
Torque
N/A
Dry Weight
319 lbs
Suter MMX 500 – 195 HP
A tribute to the heydays of 2T racing, the Suter MMX 500 stands tall and proud in the rarified and exclusive space of the two-stroke arms race. Described as a GP500 bike that anyone can buy (Provided you had 120,000 Swiss Francs at your disposal), this motorcycle comes with incredible power – at a reported 195 horses. The weight of the bike is another major highlight. Weighing wet at a remarkable 280 lbs, this motorcycle is for the most appreciative and skilled riders out there. 99 of them would be lucky owners of this astonishing machine, which we bet have been sold out a long time ago.
Specs
Engine
576cc, two-stroke V4, port fuel-injection
Horsepower
195 HP
Torque
N/A
Wet Weight
280 lbs
Honda NSR 500 – 195 HP
The NSR 500. A quite familiar name when one thinks of two-stroke legends. An extreme example of a two-stroke racer that Honda shared its success with in its golden years, the NSR is easily by far one of the few, the most powerful, and one of the greatest two-stroke motorcycles ever made. By 1999, the race bike was making over 195 horses, By the time the NSR was last piloted by Valentino Rossi, the bike had wiped the floor with the others in the 500 class, winning over 130 overall victories, including double-digit championships and titles.
Spec
Engine
499cc, 112-degree two-stroke, V-four, single crankshaft
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