I love two-strokes! I race them, fix them, restore them and promote them. There are always a heard of two-stroke machines in my workshop every month.
One problem when fixing or restoring two-stroke bikes is rusty exhaust pipes They are such a pain to get cleaned up. I’ve tried sanding them which takes too long, requires hours and a ton of elbow grease.
Here in the UK we still have a band of 85cc racers willing and able to put it over on the larger engined 150f bikes, they’re not all like lemmings we’re pleased to say and these young guns can still ride a mx bike properly and with style. Big Wheel 85 racing continues to generate some of the best racing at National level and the 4st has not sucked every young pilot into its clutches, as some realize that there’s more to racing than buying a fast lap on a bigger bike, and with 2st’s making their way back to National and soon World level, these guys know they have to stay sharp and learn their trade. Often the 85 and 125cc classes are looked at as a riders apprenticeship after all.
The UK 85cc racers are all following the #119 KTM of series leader Ryan Houghton who rides out of Essex in the south East of England, Ryan, just 14 years old, has just left the second round of the BYMX and extended his Championship lead, after taking the overall wins at both events so far, he knows there’s a long way to go and accepts that the 150′s are faster in certain conditions but he has tried them over the winter and said ”when I’m older I might ride a 4st, but while I’m still learning I think the 85′s are the way to go and more fun as well”.
Ryan has taken the first round of the British at Mildenhall in Suffolk and now the second from Leuchars in the East of Scotland and increased his lead, both these tracks are sand and the 150′s just dont have the set-up yet it seems for soft going ? As confirmed in one moto last weekend when the top 10 had no less than 7, 85cc bikes, one top 150f racer used 3 machines to be able to finish the event, another had a noise penalty and others just DNF’d so there’s big negative’s too with the 150f.
Ryan has been working extemely hard and has been picked up by the ACU Academy here in the UK who have ex GP racer Mark Hucklebridge steering the chosen few in the right direction for this year. Ryan’s KTM machines are courtesy of Danger UK Graphics, and spanners are in the hands of 2stroke guru Chris Barker of 125mx.com fame, along with mum and dad who run the team from HQ. Next year he has his sights set on moving up to the 125cc class and not the normal 250f grid as there’s a tempting 125 European GP series catching his attention. This young racer surely has far to go with his attitude, dedication and ability to ride a small bore 2 stroke which alot of other schoolboys just cant do !
