Here at BikeBound, we’re big fans of two-strokes — the sound, smell, and sometimes scary power bands of these two-wheeled smokers just move our blood. 2022 was a particularly strong year for two-strokes on BikeBound, so we decided to follow up our Best Customs of 2022 with a 2T-only list.
As with our previous Top 10 lists, your visits, likes, and engagement served as votes, so these bikes were selected according to their popularity among our readership. This is the most objective ranking we could achieve.
Without further ado, here’s our list of the Top 10 Two-Strokes of 2022, in alphabetical order by builder:
• Joe Banks: 421cc Banshee Framer
• Black Cycles Australia: KTM 300 EXC
• Nathan Chasseray: Kawasaki KX125
• Simon Cheras: NSR-D Project
• Jake Drummond: Yamaha RD350
• Mark Goulding: Yamaha “RD443LC”
• Langen Motorcycles: The Langen
• SALT Motorcycles: KTM 300
• Smyth Innovations: Yamaha “RD427”
• Tough Tracker: Suzuki GT250
• Honorable Mention: Monsieur Dakar’s “YZ535”
Our feature of Stéphane Peterhansel’s Yamaha “YZ535” Supermoto hit it big, but considering that Team Sonauto Yamaha actually built the bike 33 years ago — in 1989 — we didn’t think it was fair to stack it up against these contemporary builds. Still, it deserves a honorable mention as one of our most popular two-strokes of 2022!
The Latest Two Strokes…
40th Anniversary Edition: 2023 Yamaha RZ350! - What if Yamaha and Bimota teamed up to build a 40th anniversary RZ350? That’s the question San Francisco-based engineer and road racer Julian Farnam asked himself. Of course, that would entail combining the legendary liquid-cooled, […]
Step-Through Smoker: RM-Inspired Suzuki FA50 Vinduro! - Off The Wall: 50cc Smoker from Carneros Negros Custom… Introduced in 1980, the Suzuki FA50 was a 50cc case-inducted two-stroke “noped” (no pedals) highly popular in South America as a beginner bike and commuter. Though […]
Lightweight Giant-Killer: Yamaha R5 350 Café Racer - Crane Moto’s 295-lb two-stroke giant-killer… In 1970, Yamaha introduced the R5 350, featuring a steel duplex cradle frame derived from the company’s Grand Prix chassis and a 36-hp two-stroke parallel-twin engine — features that made […]
Ducati Banshee: 350cc Two-Stroke Monster - A Japanese-Italian Smoker from Moto Vera… Yamaha’s aptly-named Banshee 350 is one of the most legendary quads of all time. Introduced in 1987, it earned a cult following for the staggering pump-gas power potential […]
Rolling Art: Yamaha RD400 Street Tracker - Gaston Motorcycle Werks builds a two-stroke street tracker… Introduced in 1976, the Yamaha RD400 was the last of Yamaha’s air-cooled two-stroke RD street bikes, a blue-smoking wheelie monster that undercut many of its rivals pricewise […]
Hooligan’s Dream: Yamaha “RD375LC” Street Tracker - FLATTY: Vic Shield’s 375cc Two-Stroke Street Tracker… By the late 70s, Yamaha’s air-cooled RD250/400 two-stroke street bikes were due for an update. In order to galvanize the supersport class, Yamaha decided to go all-out, creating […]
The Mutant: 421cc Two-Stroke Skorpion! - Vic Shield’s RZ421-Powered MZ Skorpion! In 1994, former East German motorcycle maker MuZ — aka MZ — introduced the Skorpion, a single-cylinder sport bike with a race-style chassis and 660cc Yamaha engine. This crossbred machine […]
Special Ciao: “Speciao” 75cc Piaggio Tracker - Fuchs Workshop builds a Piaggio mini-tracker… In 1967, Piaggio introduced their first moped, the Ciao — a 50cc two-stroke with a belt drive, drum brakes, and 6-volt electrics. Produced in various versions well into […]
Cheetah Cub: Yamaha RD421LC Restomod / Hybrid - Colin White’s 421cc Cheetah Cub LC… In 1980, Yamaha introduced the RD350LC (Liquid Cooled) as the successor to the air-cooled RD400, along with a 250cc version aimed at the British learners’ market. The “Elsie” quickly […]
Scary Fun: Yamaha RD400 Café Racer - Two-Stroke Smoker from Hawai’i’s Speedychoppy Builds… In 1976, the Yamaha RD400 appeared as the successor to the RD350, which had become a legend in its own time. Instead of simply overboring the 350, Yamaha created […]
Top 10 Two Strokes of 2022! - Here at BikeBound, we’re big fans of two-strokes — the sound, smell, and sometimes scary power bands of these two-wheeled smokers just move our blood. 2022 was a particularly strong year for two-strokes on BikeBound, […]
Ripsnorting Restomod: Suzuki RG500 Gamma - “The Dragon on an RG500 is the closest you can get heaven…” Introduced in 1985, the Suzuki RG500 Gamma was one of the most faithful two-stroke street-legal replica racers ever produced. It was derived directly […]
Viva Vinduro! Yamaha DT400 Restomod - Purpose Built Moto builds a two-stroke ripper… The Yamaha DT400 is one of our favorite two-stroke enduros of the 1970s — a wolf in wolf’s clothing and a howling fury to ride. The factory bike […]
Gulf Special: Yamaha RD350 YPVS F2 Café Racer - Bolt Motor Co. builds a stunning two-stroker… At its unveiling in 1982, the Yamaha RD350 YPVS — known as the RZ350 in North America — was called “the nearest thing to a road going racer […]
“Smoke, Noise, Speed” — Suzuki GT250 Street Tracker! - Tough Tracker builds a two-stroke ripper! In the 1970s, competition in the 250 two-stroke class was especially fierce, as 17-year-olds could ride 250cc machines in the UK — and of course, every budding street racer […]
They still make 2 strokes? Call me surprised. I thought that ended years ago