Coxylaad Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 Hi, If I wanted to build a 2 stroke road bike, that isn't going to cost 3 arms and a leg, what options do i have? I was thinking about maybe looking at an enduro bike to convert to a road bike (like a proper road bike not just fitting road tyres to it) - anyone done that before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srad34 Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 (edited) Two stroke performance roadbike = arm and leg build/purchase…. There’s no getting round that one! Edited March 21 by srad34 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellorp Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 Anything 2 stroke costs a lot these days. IMO cheapest way is to buy a tatty but complete VJ21 (not 88) or VJ22 and go from there. Parts are available and not too expensive. You can rebuild to standard or go down the Tyga route When you build anything starting with a complete bike is a way to save time and money. Trying to find those odd brackets etc. which are the missing/broken parts everyone wants can be time consuming Even an ex race bike is worth considering if you get enough usable spares not just the broken bits kept in a box. I recently bought a VJ22 ex race bike with 8 spare barrels (worth lots now they are all replated) Unless you have a massive stock of parts like I used to have with NSR's and RGV's when I actually built bikes just from the spares I had, building from a frame upwards costs more than a complete bike. I'd also avoid LC's as the starting point for a pile of rust is beyond a joke Covid bumped the price of 2 strokes to a daft level, and people are now trying to cash in on something they will never use and wish they never bought. You might just be able to pick up a complete bargain if you find the right seller Did I mention I was selling an RGV and an NSR.... 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougW Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 (edited) KTM 250EXC TPI , 2017 onwards . Balance shaft , no surging on part throttle. Edit, oil injection too. When I ran Juniors 2018 KTM 250EXC TPI in on the road for a bit before letting him loose on it I thought that would make a great road bike, a lot more refined than my carbed, non balance shaft 2009 250 EXC. My 2009 KTM250EXC is now wearing Supermoto wheels and tyres , forks shortened 25mm. Used it for tarmac hill climbs last year, and did 3 Sisters on it in February this year. Great fun. Edited March 21 by DougW 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougW Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 5 hours ago, Coxylaad said: Hi, If I wanted to build a 2 stroke road bike, that isn't going to cost 3 arms and a leg, what options do i have? I was thinking about maybe looking at an enduro bike to convert to a road bike (like a proper road bike not just fitting road tyres to it) - anyone done that before? Roland Sands converted some MX bikes to Road Race bikes some time ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Pryde Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 I had a ride on a friend's CRM 250. If you live somewhere with lanes or good B roads, it is excellent. Road bike? Suzuki 250 Wolf or R1Zif you can find one 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highside Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 Anything yamaha with a 1kt engine. Tdr250, tzr250 2ma, r1z. Cheap compared to wacky prices asked for rgvs, nsrs, later tzrs, rds etc. Spares are reasonablyish priced/available and its a piece of piss to work on engine wise. If a muppet like me can rebuild one from a heap then anyone can. Dont have to be a masochistic yoga master to fit on it or ride it for any distance. Reliable and quick enough. Yes im heavily biased but unlike most i believe in actually using mine. A garage queen it is not. Do at least 2500-3000 miles a year on it. All it needs is a sympathetic owner regards maintenance. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326062238769?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=GBwGifdASxi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=qMdH1EiBRqe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355433837631?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iFJIM4PxS-K&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=qMdH1EiBRqe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Both less than 4k. Tdr needs some bodywork. A enduro bike is always going to be a enduro bike. Better to get something designed as a road bike in the first place. Just my opinion of course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazrs257 Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 10 hours ago, highside said: Anything yamaha with a 1kt engine. Tdr250, tzr250 2ma, r1z. Cheap compared to wacky prices asked for rgvs, nsrs, later tzrs, rds etc. Spares are reasonablyish priced/available and its a piece of piss to work on engine wise. If a muppet like me can rebuild one from a heap then anyone can. Dont have to be a masochistic yoga master to fit on it or ride it for any distance. Reliable and quick enough. Yes im heavily biased but unlike most i believe in actually using mine. A garage queen it is not. Do at least 2500-3000 miles a year on it. All it needs is a sympathetic owner regards maintenance. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326062238769?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=GBwGifdASxi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=qMdH1EiBRqe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355433837631?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iFJIM4PxS-K&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=qMdH1EiBRqe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Both less than 4k. Tdr needs some bodywork. A enduro bike is always going to be a enduro bike. Better to get something designed as a road bike in the first place. Just my opinion of course. That seat unit on the TZR's a bit challenging! Dutch import? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2moto Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 (edited) 22 hours ago, Coxylaad said: Hi, If I wanted to build a 2 stroke road bike, that isn't going to cost 3 arms and a leg, what options do i have? I was thinking about maybe looking at an enduro bike to convert to a road bike (like a proper road bike not just fitting road tyres to it) - anyone done that before? Some very good advice above, especially @Mellorp. There was a race series a number of years ago that promoted the use of converted 450 dirt bikes. There was guidance on how to do this, and even a conversion kit, IIRC. It was mainly a case of different forks (much shorter), a new rear linkage setup, and different bodywork. Not sure if that would make a decent road bike. It all depends on what you really want. A nicely fettled 250 is a fine thing. Then there is the route of using a 350ypvs with a plethora of tuning options. I build 2-strokes, mainly NSR-500 and YZR-500 replicas but also built a few 350ypvs engined ones. Cheap they are not. Built this about 6 years ago: If you really want to "build" one, it's a slippery slope. If you just want a nice 2-stroke road bike, buy the best 250cc you can afford. Edited March 22 by 2moto 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highside Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 1 hour ago, wazrs257 said: That seat unit on the TZR's a bit challenging! Dutch import? It is a bit...don't think it is tho. More likely a aftermarket item, possibly a ex-race bike. Shame as the 2ma seat unit was a pretty thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyam Posted April 13 Report Share Posted April 13 2ma would be the best bet. failing that if your a bit handy with the spanners and fancy building summat, a ktm300 based bike would be reasonably cheap to do. 17'' wheels, forks off a crashed 600/1000 a bit of fab work and obviouly the suspension worked accordingly. im pretty sure mark hanna was the man to convert crossers into road race bikes a few years ago but dont quote me. the 2ma tzr with some nice pipes and a dyno session will still be the cheaper option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.