MOTOGP » MotoGP reaches 100

It wasn't just the tree-huggers and commercial interests that killed off the strokers. Another major factor was that the 500cc 2-stroke engine had reached somewhere around 98% of its maximum potential and the 4-stroke superbikes would have beaten them.

Not disagreeing Lann, last model TZ I had was a Japanese championship spec U model, what a brilliant weapon it was though yours truly was struggling with age and radial tyres at the time.

They had to kill off the 2 strokes, the technology improvements I'm sure too would see them faster than the 4 strokes and much kinder to tyres at the end off race distance.

MotoGP is not unfortunately not just for racers to watch, it's for the general public and environmental regs put strokers to the sword so joe-blow has to ride a 4 stroke these days.

Anyway, the weekend is here, time to get the CR500 out while I can still kickstart it.

Just Say No to traction control!!! See how the kids do without it!!!

Hi Mick - do F1 cars have any similarity to the cars you and I buy for the road?
Other than in a production class, I don't think relevance really comes into it.
You may consider 2 strokes old technology, but the reality is that if the development of 2 strokes had continued in parallel with the 4 strokes, introducing all the various electronics and rider aids, then a 500cc 2 stroke would completely smoke an 800 or even a 990 for that matter.
I supposed I'm nostalgic though - I raced TZ250 & 350 Yamahas, and owned an RD400, Kawa500 triple, and Suzuki 750 triple, all of which I loved to bits. Somehow, four strokes just seem to lack the same 'soul'. Ah well.

Qatar/2006/Losail Casey Stoner starts from pole in only his second appearance on a MotoGP machine !! With that crap bike!

Fast dude that Stoner as known earlier from 125's & 250's and now in MotoGP. He has long glorious future ahead.

Hope also that Ducati can keep that direction.

And how many people out there have ever bought a 500 2-stroke for the road, I have but I'm old! As much as I miss 'em they are an irrelevant technology. 250's will suffer the same fate, certainly here in Oz they are also dead duck's.

Hear what your saying about the strokers boys but unfortunately technology moves on. Strokers had their day but 4-strokes are the future BUT they have to look at ways to make the racing more exciting now and make sure they get it right when the 250's and 125's eventually go. Look on the bright side, at least the technology that is being developed in the 4's will eventually find its way into the road bikes, this wouldn't have happened if the 500's were still the premier class. And as Lann quite rightly points out electronics would have dumbed them down anyway. ,

Just so Mr Morgue.

There will be no life soon, at this rate we'll all end in the morgue.

Bear in mind if strokers were back in MotoGP, they would probably have all the same electronic gizmos of traction control, anti-spin, launch control etc etc so would probably be far more user friendly than previously the case.
I'd love to see it happen - 2 strokes are true racing bikes, but the treehunggers have put the bone on them, as just about everything else that is enjoyable in life.