Missing My Blue Smokers....

[BobbyBlue]

I caught the words RD too many times today.....My first street bikes were blue smokers....RD 50, 125, 250 (x3), 350 ( x3) and RD400 Daytona.....Damn i miss the mosquito foggers !!! The funnest was the little 50...bored out to 26 mm...oh yeah baby...an RD 52....I really miss those bikes ....had to learn how to brake and use a compression release...no engine breaking had its advantages too....i favored Basani Expansion Chambers and Mikuni carbs...dogs would start howling at 1/2 mile away....good times and that awesome smell....someone on here said you could put some 2 stroke oil in the gas and it would bring back those memories....i've never used anything additive wise and don't really feel like being any more of a test monkey than i am at this point....but the bikes must go permanently unfortunately due to the nature of rib cage healing, or not as it were, but i sometimes fire up the weed wacker with the garage door closed just to remember that wonderful castor bean smell....the good ole smokey daze !!!

Post up if you rode a mosquito killer !!I and what was your fav and what mods etc.....'76-80 were some good years indeed !!!

Blessed...and stinky,

Bobby

 

[hillbilly1]

https://www.flyingtigermoto.com/products/two-stroke-smoke-candle

Here ya go. It's a candle you can light to remind of the old days. The smell is actually pretty close to the old bean oil smoke smell.

RD400 ported and polished up with expansion chambers. Very good times.

 

[timk]

All I was interested were 2 strokes. 66 TwinJet 100 was the first.I still have a mild 76 RD 400. Only time I strayed from Yamaha was to get the mighty 750 Kaw, still IMHO the first superbike.

 

[Fred W]

I'll never forget the first time I went to a real MX track, back in the late 60's early 70's. It was the track still run by the Capeway Rovers down in Middleboro, Mass. Back then they had a track that was more of a scrambles than what we think of as MX now, and they had all levels of competition there up to expert class. Most of the riders were on 2 smokes. Only a few open class guys were on big thumpers. The place absolutely reeked of Castor oil. It was heavenly.

Last time I went to an MX track (Moto-X 338 in Southwick) it was all 4 strokes with just a few token oil burners. The bikes are far more advanced these days, as are the riders. Ir was scary to see how far even the novice class riders can fly off the jumps and then land effortlessly. But the 2-stroke noise and the oil smell is all but gone from the scene, something I missed greatly.

 

[lonerider]

Started with a Bridgestone 90 cc in the mid 60s, also had a 175, both nice little two strokes. From them I went to a couple of Suzuki X-6s and ended up wrecking both of them. My first one right before a cager ran a stop sign in front of me, Dec., 1970:

My second one, built from parts from the first and another X-6:

After wrecking the second one, I didn't have the bucks to rebuild it, so I gave it and my spares to a friend who wanted to build a bike. He never finished it so after he passed away, I had the opportunity to buy it back from his estate auction:

It's sitting in the basement now, waiting for me to accumulate parts to get it running again.

 

[lonerider]

A couple of events where I've seen some vintage two strokes are the VJMC show and swap meet at the White Rose MC and the Nostalgia Run (poker run for vintage and modern bikes). From the VJMC show:

 

[lonerider]

And some more from the Nostalgia Runs:

Even though this one isn't a smoker, I had to include it as a true classic:

Unfortunately, it seems I'm seeing fewer and fewer of these old two strokes each passing year at these events. Tom

 

[Big Sky]

Where I grew up (rural farm country) we had a local Honda/Yamaha dealer so most youth were riding these. Most schoolkids lived on farms and irrigating was their summer job so they all had motorcycles for work - getting from field to field (they had tubes mounted to hold a shovel) - and commuting to school (the cops looked the other way). The Yamaha two-strokes were very popular, especially the 80s and 100s. Those who wanted some performance or could afford more rode those 180 twins. Later the DT "trail" bikes were popular, especially the 175s and 250s. So naturally, when I acquired my first bike, it was the 1976 Yamaha RD 400. It laid down a bluish contrail and was fast enough for the day, but soon my buddies were on the bigger four-strokes - the Honda 750, then the Kawasaki 900 (and 650 and 750). I rode the RD for two years before moving up to a 650 four-cylinder four-stroke in 1980. Been four-bangers and four-strokes since with the exception of the V-twin V-Strom. Its been a long time since I've come home with my clothes reeking of Castrol.

 

[smokerider]

Here's my current smoker. I've got a barn full of basket case water buffalos for sale. No time to restore 'em

. This particular one runs great. https://s1082.photobucket.com/user/smoketriples/media/suzi/10847607_1659773377578996_1670949735217017031_o.jpg.html

 

[beemerdons]

I had two 1976 Yamaha RD400's, the green one was my commuter bike and the red one was my track bike. Papa Chuy loved the smokers so much, I bought my wife a 1975 RD250 that was also on that Dealer's showroom floor! JSNS, Wonderful Motorcycles!

 

[900gc]

Shame on you guys for inciting lust in me!

 

[garyahouse]

I had a 1972 T500 Suzuki from 73 through 78. It looked very much like the blue one located 7 pictures above this post. I remember very well how the rear pegs became torture for my girlfriend who hated speeds over 60 because of the vibration.

The reuild

After it wore out, I got energetic and tore it down for a full rebuild. It was the only engine I ever completely disassembled. I spent probably 600 dollars on high performance parts, which was big money in 1977. Expansion chambers, 3/4 "race" port job, racing carbs, etc. When it "came on the pipe" it was a beast with a lighting quick power band. What a thrill to ride something that I'd completely rebuilt with my own hands. However, that was the year that Suzuki came out with the mighty GS1000 and I couldn't resist. How sad that I only got 300 bucks on the trade. I was told that all the work I did destroyed the value of the bike. UGGGGH. But what a hoot it was to ride. A little history:

The Challenge

One day my buddy Pat bought a '78 Suzuki GS550. Their new 4 cylinder 4 stroke did the quarter in 13.7, a full 1/2 second quicker than my stock 2 stroke. However, his bike was stock, mine was not. His endless bragging required a face off.

The Race

We lined up in the parking lot at Manley Elementary school. I was in the right lane, he was in the left. We launched at just before dusk with just enough light to see. But just as my front wheel was coming back down on the shift into second, my headlight caught something in my path. OH NOOOOO.... I forgot about the chain. There was a chain across my half of the parking lot entrance. I clamped on the brakes as my buddy Pat shot by on the left. There was no chain on his side. I scrubbed off all but about 2 mph by the time my front forks hit the chain. That could have been a very ugly and very stupid accident, but it was my lucky day. I came to a stop with my hips up on the gas tank, but there was no damage done.

Except for my ego

My buddy Pat came back to ask why I chickened out. When he saw my dilemma, he couldn't stop laughing. However his laughter was short lived. We lined them up again, and this time, that mighty 2 stroke buried him, his big mouth, and his new 550.

IT DON'T GET NO SWEETER THAN THAT.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[beemerdons]

If my right shoulder/arm wasn't as totally worthless as a fecking "Soup Sandwich", I'd send mi Amigo TomInCa over to look at this RD400! JSNS, Stupendous ese!

https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/1977-Yamaha-Rd400-115522137

 

[Fontanaman]

Don, sorry to hear your right shoulder is worthless as a soup sandwich. There are some awesome bikes on this thread. While it is nice to look at them who would trade an FJR for a sub 800cc two stroke motorcycle AND ride it like an FJR? Not many I think. Compared to today, when we look back on the good old days, we forget sometimes the good old days were not so good after all .

Ring-a-ding ding ding ding ding........

 

[Big Sky]

I just saw an RD 400, restored and very pretty blue, on CL in Dickinson, ND. Asking quite a bit, but... https://rapidcity.craigslist.org/mcy/5296623681.html

Then I saw a RD 350 in Red Lodge, MT, on CL also fairly clean, low miles, priced lower but no give-away - https://billings.craigslist.org/mcy/5293701729.html

They would make for a good conversation starter but I am not tempted.