What’s the Big Deal About Two-stroke Bikes?

How Rahul Sharma reclaimed his life with a two-stroke Yamaha RX 135.

Ask an average guy about having heard about the term ‘two-stroke’ and after a few confused stares he will say, “Oh! The Yamaha RX-100.”

If he’s ridden one of these, he will instantly flash a smile at you as he recalls the fun he had with this little machine and how he repents selling it.

And if he hasn’t, he’ll probably laugh at you, “Oh, that bike that mechanics used to own? What was so special about it anyway?”

So What is a Two-stroke Engine?

Confession:  I am a two-stroke enthusiast. A fanatic. You can say that the two-stroke is my religion and I swear by it – especially when some four-joke fella tries to mock me and my ilk. It isn’t rocket science to understand why we call them jokes. A two-stroke engine can smoke any four-stroke.

Two-stroke simply means power – the push you feel in your seat when all you’re doing is opening the throttle, while the smile on your face keeps getting bigger as the needle on the speedometer skyrockets. The adrenaline rush is an added bonus.

The mad power that comes when you open the throttle is what hooks you to these machines. One ride and you’re sold forever and then it’s not easy going back to your regular bikes; the Pulsars, Yamaha FZs and  Bullets all fade in comparison.

The two-stroke bikes that were available in India, which are worth mentioning are the Yamaha RX100, RX135 (4&5 speed gears), RXZ, the Yamaha RD-350 and TVS’ – Shogun and Shaolin.

How I Became a Two-stroke Nut

I was happy with my four-stroke machine: The Bajaj Pulsar. I was enjoying every bit of it – going on weekend rides with my friends and trying out stunts.

The bike took me from point A to point B, was easy on the pocket and I had even customised it a bit with free flow exhausts and big fat tyres.

One day Ashok, my bike’s mechanic and friend, said, “Bhaiya aap kaafi time se apni bike chala rahe ho, aaj meri bike par ek ride le kar dekho” (Brother, you’ve been riding your own bike for a while now, give my bike a go today).

I looked at his bike – it was a white RX 135 with a motocross mudguard in the front, the kind which are raised in the front to show the naked front tyre. It was parked in a corner and was uninteresting to look at – after all I was the Pulsar boy in my mind and soul.

I was a bit hesitant at first but then I thought to myself, “Chalo dekhtey hain aisa kya hai iss bike main” (Let’s see what the big deal about this bike is).

I approached the bike and settled in for a ride. It was lighter than mine and when I kick-started it, I could hear an unfamiliar exhaust sound from it. I looked at the exhaust and came face-to-face with a tuned chamber instead of the straight exhaust I’m familiar with.

Ashok called out, “Bhaiya yeh exhaust chamber hai, 2 stroke main lagate hain. Agar aap bike ko bhagana chahtey hain – zyada power milta hai issey (This is an exhaust chamber. It’s fitted on two-strokes. If you want to ride the bike really fast – it gives more power).”

“Let’s see what this thing can do”, I thought to myself as I opened the throttle.

All I remember next was smiling through the ride and feeling like a kid in a candy shop.

I was sold immediately. As I made my way back to his shop, I found Ashok smugly waiting for me. He knew what I had experienced and was ready to handle my new-found love and bucket loads of questions. That day I realised he knew me better than I thought I knew myself.

And he definitely understood my love for bikes.

(Rahul Sharma is based out of New Delhi and has a day job as Service Manager for IT Contracts. Rahul rides a Yamaha RX 135 and is a two-stroke motorcycle enthusiast.)