two-stroke

Limited Edition Langen Two Stroke: last few slots

With even more orders being taken, only the last few build slots remain for the limited edition Langen Two Stroke – only 100 will be made. The team from Langen Technology Limited (Langen), one of the leading automotive engineering and development companies specialising in low volume motorcycles, has returned from an extremely busy 9 days at Motorcycle Live at the NEC Birmingham. Visitors and the media flocked to the see the first two customer bikes being unveiled to their respective owners before being centre stage on the Langen stand. Both bikes represent great examples of the bespoke nature of working with the technical team at Langen to achieve the ultimate motorcycle, tailored to the customers exact specification and aspiration. The first Langen Two Stroke customer motorcycles unveiled at Motorcycle Live The first two customers who chose VIN’s 13 and 59 are about to take delivery of their Langen Two Stroke machines having been part of the display at Motorcycle Live at the NEC last month. Langen received an exceptional response to the bikes on display from both the media and visitors, with many quoted as saying that “the Langen Two Stroke was the best-looking bike at the show”. Discover more at: https://www.langenmotorcycles.co.uk/ Video: Peter, proud new owner of bike number 13, said on seeing his machine for the first time “I was overjoyed and it felt like being 18 again without the cost of a divorce!” but on a more serious note, added “I was over the moon with the full experience of the Langen team the little subtle changes I made to the design turned out better than expected, it is more than just a motorbike – it is more a work of engineered art.” David, proud new owner of bike number 59, said on seeing his Langen Two Stroke – “I […]

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Langen Motorcycles: first two bespoke customer machines

Langen Motorcycles unveils the first two bespoke customer machines at Motorcycle Live – NEC Birmingham The first two lucky owners will see their motorcycles for the first time before Motorcycle Live opens to the public on Saturday 19th November at the NEC Birmingham. The two motorcycles will remain on display on the Langen Stand 3E25 at the NEC for the duration of the show before being delivered to their new owners. Both motorcycles have been carefully created to meet each client’s exact specifications and are the embodiment of the Langen customisation and build process. Langen Technology Limited (Langen), one of the leading automotive engineering and development companies specialising in low volume motorcycles, is today unveiling the very first customer two stroke 250cc V-twin machines. The keys will be handed over to the lucky new owners at the start of the Motorcycle Live exhibition at the NEC. In a specially orchestrated ceremony, the founder of Langen, Christofer Ratcliffe, will greet the new owners and provide a short presentation on the customisation process of each machine. Chris will then be available for a short Q&A session on the stand. The two customer motorcycles will remain on display on the Langen stand 3E25 in Hall 3A at the NEC between the 19th and 27th December. A range of two stroke bikes from the 80’s and 90’s will also be exhibited. The Langen team will be joined by IRRC SBK Champion and Ex 125 & Moto3 GP Rider Danny Webb to give his account of how the Langen Two Stroke performs on track. What makes this motorcycle unique is the intoxicating 250cc V-twin engine combined with the focus on simplicity, the reduction in weight using modern technology and materials, along with the use of components of the highest quality. Modern design meets Great British

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Rare Suzuki at Bonhams Auction to fetch £35,000

by Rob Hull from https://www.dailymail.co.uk A 34-year-old motorcycle with just TWO ‘Push Miles’ on the clock: Rare Suzuki road bike that’s never been ridden is tipped to sell for £35,000 The Suzuki RG500 Gamma is an ultra-rare two-stroke road bike from the 1980s It’s based on the factory 500cc Grand Prix racers of the era that won two titles This example has never been ridden with its two recorded miles accrued while being manoeuvred during storage Bonhams will sell it at auction this weekend with an estimate of £30k to £35k A late eighties Suzuki RG500 motorcycle is set to go under the hammer this weekend with an astonishingly low number of miles clocked in its 34 years – and none of them came from it being driven. The two-stroke road-going replica of the factory Grand Prix race machines of the era is already a hugely collectible motorbike today – but this particular example stands out for having just two miles on the clock. Bonhams, which is offering the bike at its 9 October sale at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show in Stafford, says these are ‘push miles’ only, accrued by owners moving the bike around by hand – meaning it’s never actually been ridden. The auction house has estimated that the motorcycle could sell for between £30,000 and £35,000 – though its like-new condition and lack of use could see it easily eclipse that valuation when bidding commences on Saturday. Bonhams says it represents ‘a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an unused and unregistered example of this iconic Suzuki model’. The RG500 ‘Gamma’ was only produced by the Japanese motorcycle brand for two years between 1985 and 1987 and was heavily based on the racing machine used by its factory team. And it was a title-winning package, with Italians

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Dream E-Type: Early days of the Honda 4-Stroke

from https://www.thesundaily.my Mr Honda’s disdain for two-stroke engines fuelled the relentless pursuit of perfection for his little four-strokers. It was March 1951 when Soichiro Honda summoned engineer Kiyoshi Kawashima from Hamamatsu. “‘Kawashima, would you mind coming over for a moment?’ It was the beginning of a two-month stint in the capital as I worked on the design of the E-Type 4-stroke engine in a corner of the Tokyo Plant,” recalls Kawashima. “When the plans were at last ready the Old Man dashed in to see it, bringing Fujisawa, with him.” (Takeo Fujisawa was Honda Motor Co Ltd’s co-founder.) Kawashima can remember clearly that day in May 1951. “As he showed the plans to Fujisawa, Mr. Honda gave us an enthusiastic commentary: ‘Ah, I see. You have this kind of valve and the cam goes like that. This is what I call an engine, it isn’t just a two-stroke machine that looks as though it’s been cut from a bamboo tube with holes drilled. This will sell. Honda will do well with this!’ Mr. Fujisawa didn’t have any understanding of the plans, he didn’t know anything about mechanical things at all, so he just said things like ‘Hm, yes, that’s great,’” said Kawashima, laughing. The now-legendary test crossing of the Hakone Pass took place on July 15. In those days the Hakone Pass was considered the ultimate test for a motor vehicle. Even lorries could only get over it if they stopped for a rest every now and then. So it was certainly a challenge for a small 150cc motorcycle. Kawashima acted as both the engine designer and on that occasion, as test rider. “Actually we’d been using the Hakone Pass as a test track for quite some time by then. I was sure we could climb it, but I was

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Yamaha updates its iconic YZ125 for the First Time in 15 Years

by Cristina Mircea from https://www.autoevolution.com For so long now it looked like Yamaha had given up on its legendary YZ125 two-stroke, but the company finally decided to fully update its motocross bike with the launch of the new, reimagined 2022 version. Even the Japanese manufacturer admits that this is the first full update the 2022 YZ125 receives in over 15 years, but with its new features, the motorcycle now jumps to the top of the 125cc two-stroke class. It is now more powerful, more ergonomic, and with a more aggressive look. So, what’s new? Well, for starters, the overall design and graphic scheme of the new YZ125, which looks rougher, with the new appearance better highlighting the racing capabilities of the bike. It has a new front and rear fender design and the body panels and radiator shrouds are slimmer. The seat is flatter and the fuel tank narrower, offering an improved riding experience, making it easier to shift body weight and maintain good control of the motorcycle. Yamaha completely redesigned the liquid-cooled 125cc engine, which is more powerful than the one in the 2021 model. All the parts in it are new, including its cylinder body, piston, crankcase, expansion chamber, etc. Moving on to the braking system, that too has also been updated to be lighter and offer a better feel. It has larger front pistons, a redesigned 270mm (10.6 in) front rotor with a 30 percent increase in pad contact area and higher friction pad material. The rear rotor is smaller, with a diameter of 240mm (9.4 in), although it keeps the same braking power. The manufacturer also boasts the revised suspension and improved fueling, thanks to the new, high-precision Hitachi Astemo Keihin PWK38S carburetor with throttle position sensor and 3D-map-controlled CDI unit, for precise ignition timing. Yamaha

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Langen Motorcycles Is Bringing Back Two-Stroke Sportbikes

by Zac Kurylyk from https://www.rideapart.com The RZ350 formula gets updated for the 2020s. Two-stroke sportbikes had their day, but now they’re done and gone, right? Wrong. Over in the U.K., Langen Motorcycles—a low-volume startup with some high-revving ideas—is revisiting the old-school oil burner with a limited-production run of custom-built, two-stroke motorcycles. Clearly inspired by sporty, mid-80s two-strokes like Yamaha’s RZ-series, Langen’s bikes are a pleasant, if smoky, surprise. The company sourced its 250cc, liquid-cooled, 90-degree V-twin from Italian company Vins. Although two-strokes are often seen as outdated, this engine has modern touches like electronic fuel injection and a counter-rotating crankshaft. It supposedly makes around 80 horsepower, a massive output for a 250cc engine. As a comparison, Kawasaki’s hot new ZX-25R four-stroke should make around 50 horsepower, and that’s with a 17,000 rpm redline. Light And Fast: Langen’s use of high-quality, high-tech bike components doesn’t stop at the engine, however. For suspension, there’s a set of 43mm Öhlins forks up front and dual Ktech Piggyback Razor shocks in back. Brakes are dual-discs up front and a single disc aft with billet aluminum radial calipers. In addition, the bikes have hand-built aluminum frames and carbon-fiber bodywork to cut down on weight. That, in a nutshell, is the appeal of two-stroke motorcycles: high power, low weight. Langen says its completed machines should weigh around 250 pounds. Most of the current 300-400cc beginner bikes on the market weigh between 350 and 400 pounds. Langen’s machines are built for a different type of customer, though. As its website says: “Each part is constructed to exacting standards using either modern methods such as 5-axis CNC machining and additive manufacturing or hand crafted using traditional methods such as carbon fibre [sic] lay ups and gold leaf gilding. During the design and build of the motorcycle each new

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