Today's motorcycles are quicker, more reliable and way more advanced. But few of them pull at our heartstrings the way two-stroke motorcycles did. Victims of stringent emission laws, ever increasing fuel prices and the onslaught of four-stroke motorcycles, two-stroke motorcycles still occupy a very special place in the hearts of enthusiasts. Here are the top 5 of these icons that made us fall in love with motorcycling -
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This list can only begin in one place - the Yamaha RD350. Astonishingly powerful, extremely light and quick enough to humiliate motorcycles twice its size. The RD350 is a rocket even by today's standards.
The RD350 was sold as a Rajdoot in India and made by Escorts. The RD in its name stands for Race Derived, and there were two versions - HT (High Torque) with 31bhp and the LT (Low Torque), developing 27bhp. Unfortunately, between the fuel economy driven mindset of Indians and the disastrous decision to ditch the front disc brake led to the RD350 being a flop in the sales charts.
The only thing that is more ridiculous than the way the RD350 accelerated is the price of used examples in the market, right now. Prices have gone through the roof, and it's impossible to find one in good shape for anything less Rs 3 lakhs. And the reason for that? Well, because everyone who was a kid when the RD350 was launched grew up with its poster on the bedroom wall, and is now desperately looking for one, to fulfil that childhood dream.
In terms of timeline, you can hardly mention the RD without bringing up Jawa. A Czech brand, they came to India in partnership with a couple of Parsi gentlemen from Mumbai. Between 1961 and 1971, Ideal Jawa made the 250 Type 353/04 in India under license. These were sportier than the Bullets and the Rajdoots of that time and earned a reputation for performance based on their racing victories.
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In 1974, the government issued orders for Ideal Jawa to rebrand and Yezdi became the new name. Jawa's innings lasted just 13 years, but the fans remember them fondly even today!
The KB100 was Bajaj's response to the burgeoning commuter motorcycle space in India. In an era when ‘whack open the throttle and hold onto your dear life' was the mantra that two-strokes lived by, the KB100 tried to introduce a bit of sanity.
Despite being loaded with technology like a resonator, concealed carburettor, fuel gauge, tachometer and big brakes, the KB100 was one of the most underrated motorcycles of its time, always living in the shadow of its Japanese rivals. Bajaj tried to make amends by bringing in a more powerful version, called the KB125, but it was too late. The RX100 had established a foothold, and the four-stroke CD100 had started making a mark. Eventually, the KB was discontinued, with the company shifting focus to four-stroke 4S Champion and Boxer.
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Suzuki and Yamaha have been fierce rivals in India for close to three decades. And it all began in the early ‘90s with the Suzuki Shogun. With gut-wrenching acceleration and an exhaust note that stood out in a crowd of other two-stroke bikes, the Shogun split the motorcycling fraternity into two factions.
While 100cc two-strokes had been around for a while, the launch of Shogun, also known as ‘The Boss', in 1993 took the battle to the next level. Built in collaboration with TVS, the Shogun had a 10cc advantage over the RX100, was more powerful and with a design that was ahead of its time, looked like no other bike from that era. And despite all of it, the Suzuki flagship just failed to make an impact the way the Yamaha did.
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Which brings us to the most popular two-stroke motorcycle sold to be ever in the country - the Yamaha RX100! The reason behind RX100's ardent fan following was simple - it was indestructible. The RX100 was cheap to maintain and extremely reliable, feather-light and ridiculously quick, and as far as two-strokes go, fairly fuel efficient as well. And most of all, it reminded you of the RD350.
The movie industry loves the Yamaha RX100, and so do motorcycle enthusiasts, young and old alike. The RX100 was eventually replaced with the RXG to keep up with the advent of four-stroke commuters, which was then followed by the RX135 and finally the RX-Z. And despite being more powerful, quicker and more advanced, none of them have been able to match the desirability of the RX100.
