If you grew up in the sixties and seventies as I did, and you were at all interested in motorcycles you couldn't help but have been interested in two strokes. Sure the big British twins and Harley's were always around, but for affordability, performance , availability, you couldn't beat the Japanese two strokes. My brother was eight years older than me and when I was just a kid, he had a Suzuki X-6 Hustler 250 twin. This bike was considered a real performance machine in its day.
When I was twelve years old , I learned to ride and love motorcycles on the original Yamaha DT250. Even with lights and fully street legal, it was a true lightweight dirt bike and was a marvel of performance and reliability.
When I became old enough to drive and got my drivers license , the first street machine I lusted after was the Kawasaki H-1 500.
Alas it was out of reach for a high school boy working a minimum wage job, so for me my very first street vehicle of any kind was a used 73 Yamaha RD350. My parents were mortified , in their mind I might as well have bought a Harley chopper, they thought I was on the highway to hell.
That little Yamaha was fast, smoked like a pig, and had an appetite for spark plugs. I carried a spare set under the seat and many times had to change plugs on the side of the road.
Some other two stroke street bikes that I always admired are ,
The Suzuki air cooled triples, the 380 and 550
And their twin cylinder brother the T500. I think this is one of the most underrated classic two strokes, it didn't have the sexy exhaust pipes and Ram Air of its siblings, but it was legendary as a bullit proof, dependable street bike.
And let's not forget the enduros, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki all made fine enduros in a full range of displacement. These were often the entry level bikes for a whole generation of new riders.
I loved that whole era, I still prowl Craigslist looking to see what's out there. It was an exciting time to be young. So did you own any street legal two strokes? Got any photos? I know Yamadude does!
When I was twelve years old , I learned to ride and love motorcycles on the original Yamaha DT250. Even with lights and fully street legal, it was a true lightweight dirt bike and was a marvel of performance and reliability.
When I became old enough to drive and got my drivers license , the first street machine I lusted after was the Kawasaki H-1 500.
Alas it was out of reach for a high school boy working a minimum wage job, so for me my very first street vehicle of any kind was a used 73 Yamaha RD350. My parents were mortified , in their mind I might as well have bought a Harley chopper, they thought I was on the highway to hell.
That little Yamaha was fast, smoked like a pig, and had an appetite for spark plugs. I carried a spare set under the seat and many times had to change plugs on the side of the road.
Some other two stroke street bikes that I always admired are ,
The Suzuki air cooled triples, the 380 and 550
And their twin cylinder brother the T500. I think this is one of the most underrated classic two strokes, it didn't have the sexy exhaust pipes and Ram Air of its siblings, but it was legendary as a bullit proof, dependable street bike.
And let's not forget the enduros, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki all made fine enduros in a full range of displacement. These were often the entry level bikes for a whole generation of new riders.
I loved that whole era, I still prowl Craigslist looking to see what's out there. It was an exciting time to be young. So did you own any street legal two strokes? Got any photos? I know Yamadude does!
. My lovely '74 H1. 
