Yamaha announces 4-stroke GP bike

I'm not behind this whole fiasco of pouring 4 & 2 strokes into the same pot. Because there is no model recognition to the 500 GP bikes, the manufacturers (through the race sanctioning body) are hell bent on pulling the plug on the most elite corps of riders competing in the motorcycle racing world. Their plan, beat the 500's with their 4 strokes, rule the industry & become the new sales leader. We judge what to buy based upon what wins in their respective class. Its quite evident. Honda wins the 600 supersport classes. Honda sells the most 600's. I always figured the 2 strokes lived this long so the manufacturers could demonstrate technologically, what they're really capable of. Nothing accelerates like a 500 2 stroke. It's the pinnacle of the sport. If profits are so important to you, why not start marketing/racing baby strollers. Not all parents allow their kids to get motorcycles, but guaranteed, a great deal of them rode in a stroller. Now convince them you've got the highest tech, easiest to push, best maneuvering stroller out there, sanction some races, the fitness nuts will go crazy, you'll sell millions. NOW that I've saved the day, will you Please leave the fargin' 500 class alone?

Because its wierd, and Honda likes to do it that way, until people catch up. They did it with a 2 stroke triple in 83 until the world caught up and then they went to 4's...widely thought that their R&D pointed that way long before. So they'll start with a big money 5, wait for the world, change to the optimum config R&D point at, wash rinse repeat.



It sux to see the 2S bikes go like this tho. 2S bike were always around, finally came on the scene in an evolutionary way, competing against 4S bikes of the same displacement, until they ultimately ruled. To kill them off with a capacity subsidy to their 4 stroke 20 year-gone loser cousins is a widdly ass way to do it, worthy of Harley and their endless rule fiddling conquest of the dirt track scene. I say they ought to let them do anything with 500 cc's, and build that turbo 4S, rotary (yikes!) or insane turbine idea on the shelf somewhere, wait for the world to catch up, etc.



The H.Y.S.K. (think: Borg) are buying a change, and that's just how it ends for 2S machines. But it sucked to see a lot of stuff other stuff go, like GT Prototypes or turbo F1 cars, and even after all this awfulness, gee whaddayknow, life does go on. Killing off the 2's takes with it a innocent/inconvenient bystander, that being the whole idea of the 500 cc benchmark as a premier class. Turning it into a support class is not a noble death, but a gladiator style mismatch, a spectacle.



And do you know what? It will catch on big time, even tho you know its not fair, because everyone still likes to see a good ass kicking now and again. Its like punching your little brother. You shouldn't do it, its not fair, but its still fun.

But what 2stroke are you comparing your '01 VFR to? a Aprilia RS250? 2 strokes historically have been smaller than their 4 stroke counterparts because of their high power output. Small engines wear quicker than large ones. You don't know the reliability of a big-bore V-Twin 2 stroke, because there's never been one! And like clockwork, well-meaning people like yourself invariably bring up the smoky 2strokes of 30-40 years ago, like the Saab 3 cylinder or the kawasaki triples. Watch a Grand Prix race this season - tell me if you see ANY smoke coming from the engines(all of them are 2strokes). and tell me if any fail to last the entire race. Modern 2strokes are highly reliable. as a matter of fact, Honda told a very skeptical public when announcing their 4stroke grand prix bike that they could make their crankshaft last as long as their NSR's. I totally hear you about not wanting to plop down big $$ for a bike that is garbage before you finish paying for it. I think the EPA regulations haven't let the modern 2stroke show what it can do