Hello, this is my first attempt to motorize my bike and i need to decide what kind of kit to get for my bike. I have decided to order from Dax, but I don't know whether to get the 4 stroke or the 2 stroke. My situation is that I will need to depend on this daily to get to work as well as running errands because unfortunately I will not be able to drive a car for appx 2 years. I live in Iowa so the winters are fairly harsh and starting in the early hours of a cold winter morning will be important. Whichever kit i decide to go with I will be getting a shift kit. There is a significant price increase from the 2 stroke to the 4 stroke. I have been told that the 4 strokes are more reliable, easier to use, so on and so forth. I understand the basic concepts on how each system works, and I am fairly knowledgeable when it comes to motors, but minimal maintenance will be a plus. I am ordering a kit one way or another tomorrow morning and I really need help deciding which to get. I did have a motorized scooter with a subaru robin 4 stroke motor that I really put through **** and it was a little champion rain shine and snow. So I am sold on the reliability of the 4 stroke, but if i could save the money and get a 2 stroke with similar reliability, obviously I would like to do that. I really appreciate any help that I can get from members of this forum. Thanks in advance.
Really need to decide
- Thread starter ssorden
- Start date
4-strokes are more complex for the manufacturer
2-strokes are lighter & can produce more power versus size and weight
the trade-off is that 2-strokes are very much more of a 'black art' for the uninitiated
lotsa guys here like the challenge of tuning a 2-stroke - you may or may not....
4-strokes are simpler for the owner... just a few thoughts....
2-strokes are lighter & can produce more power versus size and weight
the trade-off is that 2-strokes are very much more of a 'black art' for the uninitiated
lotsa guys here like the challenge of tuning a 2-stroke - you may or may not....
4-strokes are simpler for the owner... just a few thoughts....
Yup resta's got it. I am a 2 stroke kinda guy. I don't like their pollutant levels, but I like as much power VS weight. The 4 stroke your thinking about may actually have as much power as a 2 stroke china girl, only because of the higher engineering level. If your china girl was engineered better the 4 stroke wouldn't have a chance. There is a lot more noise both from the intake and exhaust on the 2 stroke and it may vibrate a bit more (which means you should regularly do maintenance to make sure things haven't loosened up). The 4 stroke will require less maintenance, you won't really have to worry about disturbing the 
with noise, and they do not cause as much pollution. But my two stroke is fun, and requires maintenance, and I love doing it so I'm grand with a china girl.
with noise, and they do not cause as much pollution. But my two stroke is fun, and requires maintenance, and I love doing it so I'm grand with a china girl.thanks restapukin. I will be building a very simple setup, nothing fancy. I might mess with tuning at some point down the line but for now I just need something simple. Any thoughts in terms of long-term reliability between the two as long as I do the necessary maintenance and use quality parts?
i'd score them even on 'long term reliability' - the 4-stroke should win by rights
but the cost of parts for the 2-strokes is rock-bottom, and it is really very easy indeed to shove an entire new top-end on ....barrel, cylinder, head & piston can be changed in half an hour with ease...
and the 2-strokes balance on the bike better; sweeter handling when the road is slippery and yer fingers cold.....
you've got a hard, hard decision
I myself dearly wished to have a 4-stroke... but ended up buying a 2-stroke because of the sweet way they mount to the frame, and the fact of a manual clutch ...
but the cost of parts for the 2-strokes is rock-bottom, and it is really very easy indeed to shove an entire new top-end on ....barrel, cylinder, head & piston can be changed in half an hour with ease...
and the 2-strokes balance on the bike better; sweeter handling when the road is slippery and yer fingers cold.....
you've got a hard, hard decision
I myself dearly wished to have a 4-stroke... but ended up buying a 2-stroke because of the sweet way they mount to the frame, and the fact of a manual clutch ...
It s not a hard decision at all, do you want to get to work or do you want to become your town's resident expert on fixing 2 cycle chinese engines? Ya get to work, I knew that , buy the 4 cycle And its true the cost of two cycle parts are rock bottom , so rock bottom in fact you can afford to buy an replacement engine every month. Well if you can't afford it you could be buying one anyway. Remember your first goal is not to join the ranks of the unemployed.
I agree. Look at how many motorized things are powered by 2 cycles anymore. Heck even weed whackers are starting to be produced with 4 cycle engines. If I were using mine as my sole means of transport instead of just something fun to cruise around on (that and the fact that my wife already looks at me sideways over how much I've spent on a bike
) I'd have gone 4 cycle. Just the fact that if you get a little careless and run out of gas just being able to pull up to the pump is a nice bonus in itself.ok, ok,
I kinda agree with these guys putting 2-strokes down .... but remember, all things are not equal here, and one of the criteria is 'harsh winter' ... that means dark mornings & evenings on wet or icy roads...
now let's imagine it is your one and only lifetime true love that's gonna be riding the thing...
the way you can mount a 2-stroke real low and central in the frame's main triangle means much better primary safety and icy-roadworthyness to my mind.
the ways the 4-strokes mount to the frame means more weight up high where you don't want it.
i'd rather my babe broke down rather than hurt her beautiful legs in a spill
or worse
my oath
I kinda agree with these guys putting 2-strokes down .... but remember, all things are not equal here, and one of the criteria is 'harsh winter' ... that means dark mornings & evenings on wet or icy roads...
now let's imagine it is your one and only lifetime true love that's gonna be riding the thing...
the way you can mount a 2-stroke real low and central in the frame's main triangle means much better primary safety and icy-roadworthyness to my mind.
the ways the 4-strokes mount to the frame means more weight up high where you don't want it.
i'd rather my babe broke down rather than hurt her beautiful legs in a spill
or worse
my oath
Thanks everyone for all your advice I really appreciate it. Can I do the 4 stroke without the shift kit? I'm aware of the benefits of a shift kit, but if I can I'd like to save the extra 175+.
if it was the other way round re mounting geometry, ie the two strokes that required a high mount and the 4-strokes that slotted in nicely just where a motor should go...
...well,... we'd all be falling about laughing as to the very idea of going anywhere near 2-strokes ....
innit
& then there's the manual clutch issue....
...well,... we'd all be falling about laughing as to the very idea of going anywhere near 2-strokes ....
innit
& then there's the manual clutch issue....
Get a second job and get her a car or some other guy will be more than willing to take care of those legs Buddy Worried you babe broke down in the Winter Haha What a guy!
yea put your babe on a Chinese Motor ROFLMAO use Opti 2 as well as an insurance policy PS take my word for it Don't let her read this thread.
yea put your babe on a Chinese Motor ROFLMAO use Opti 2 as well as an insurance policy PS take my word for it Don't let her read this thread.
good one gene, i'm laughing with you mon ami, i can take a good lampoon
the only rule with comedy is - make 'em
((and naff off before they have time to take offence))
the only rule with comedy is - make 'em
((and naff off before they have time to take offence))
If you want reliability,go with the 4 stroke....I personally think the 4 strokes look like crap on a bike and they are top heavy....I use the china girl becouse it looks so cool on a beach cruiser....If you want cool,go with the 2 stroke,if you want reliability,go with the 4 stroke....End of story...
Strange as it may sound most of the 4 stroke kits fail very quickly compared to 2 stroke due to poor gearbox design. The half dozen guys I know who bought chinese 4 stroke kits got couple hundred miles at most while my 2 strokes went thousands.If you want reliability,go with the 4 stroke....I personally think the 4 strokes look like crap on a bike and they are top heavy....I use the china girl becouse it looks so cool on a beach cruiser....If you want cool,go with the 2 stroke,if you want reliability,go with the 4 stroke....End of story...
If you pay nearly a grand for the new upgraded gearbox setups, go with DAX rear mount (pocket/atv gearbox), or DIY, then you can do better but these are special cases.
Hmmmmm,this I did not no(or havent heard any bad things about the 4 strokes)....I have only heard about the good stuff with the 4 stroke engines....Duane at thats dax has a new gearbox for the Titan on his parts page for 22.99....Very reasonable....
John-John
Yes, the 4 stroke engines are ok but as was already said, it's the GEARBOX that will most likely always fail. I'm referring to the frame mount kits that mount in the same place as the china 2 strokes. The rack mounts like made by DAX are highly dependable but yes, I know what you're talking about with the high center of gravity. It's not really that big a deal but I will always prefer frame mount. The gearbox on my frame mount 4 stroke kit failed in less than one mile. If one of these dealers would just come up with a mountable jackshaft kit that mounts to the seat tube that attached to the 4 stroke Honda clone or even the superior Tanakas and Robin Subarus so you could FRAME MOUNT the motor, it would be a different ballgame. It would be so easy to do, I think I'll just make one myself. The only thing that has held me back is that little clutch that comes on the Hua Sheng 4 stroke. It has a gear on it but not a sprocket. And the crankshaft is an odd metric size I think and there's very little shaft to start with.
If you haven't heard anything bad about these 4 stroke kits then remove wax from your ears.
As I mentioned the DAX kit is one of the few that does not suffer from this. And the Titan is the lowest cost solution AFAIK.
That GB is from ATV/pocket setups and is not new. The ones I bought from him seem to be holding up very well.
