Two-Stroke Motorcycle Engine Maintenance and Repair

652 Pages·2016·60.19 MB·English

by  Dave Boothroyd

Two-Stroke Motorcycle Engine Maintenance and
Repair
Dave Boothroyd
THE CROWOOD PRESS
First published in 2016 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
This e-book first published in 2016
© Dave Boothroyd 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library.
ISBN 978 1 78500 121 5
Disclaimer
Safety is of the utmost importance in every aspect of an automotive workshop. The practical procedures and the
tools and equipment used in automotive workshops are potentially dangerous. Tools should be used in strict
accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended procedures and current health and safety regulations. The
author and publisher cannot accept responsibility for any accident or injury caused by following the advice given
in this book.
Frontispiece: Kawasaki KMX125 engine
contents
acknowledgements
introduction
1 pre-war two-strokes: transport for the working man
Francis-Barnett 250 Seagull (Villiers 14A)
2 post-second world war: British two-stroke twins
Greeves Sportsman (Villiers 2T)
3 a radical rethink from Italy/1
Lambretta Li 125
4 a radical rethink from Italy/2
Vespa 90SS
5 the sixteener years
Yamaha FS1-E
6 race developed!
Yamaha RD350LC & 250 YPVS (RZ250)
7 bigger engines and more cylinders
Kawasaki S2 (350 Triple)
8 the last of the (roadster) line?
Aprilia RS125 (Rotax 122)
9 off the beaten track: MX, trials and trail
Kawasaki KMX125
10 on track: popular road-race bikes
Honda RS125 & Yamaha TZ350G
11 more power: modern approaches to two-stroke tuning
12 caring for your two-stroke
afterword
index
acknowledgements
This book would not have been possible without the help of the people who were
good enough to lend me their bikes or engines to work on. Heartfelt thanks to the
following: For the Francis Barnett Seagull, my late cousin Bill Westwood of
Wakefield.
For the Greeves Sportsman racer, BS Paints of Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent.
For the Lambretta Li 125, Ken Rome of Biddulph, Staffs.
For the Vespa 90SS, Andrew Butler of the Vespa Club of Britain.
For the Yamaha FS1-E, Per Brandt of the FS1-E Owners Club.
For the RD350LC and RZ250, Norbo Lea of RD LC Crazy and UK 2 Strokes.
For the Kawasaki S2, DK Motorcycles of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
For the Kawasaki KMX, Anthony Goodwin of Stoke-on-Trent.
For the Honda RS125 and TZ350, Marcus Brown of Poynton, Cheshire.
Thanks for valuable advice and help from: Dave Rushton (Engines) of Burslem,
Stoke-on-Trent; DK Motorcycles of Newcastle-under-Lyme; Niphos Chrome Plating
of Crewe, Cheshire; The British Two Stroke Club (www.britishtwostrokeclub.org.uk);
The Francis-Barnett Owners Club (www.francis-barnett.co.uk); The FS1-E Owners
Club (www.fs1eoc.co.uk); Lambretta Club Great Britain (www.ilambretta.co.uk);
RDLC Crazy (www.rdlccrazy.co.uk); The Scott Owners’ Club
(www.scottownersclub.org); The Vespa Club of Britain
(www.vespaclubofbritain.co.uk); Villiers Services of Merry Hill, Brierley Hill, West
Midlands.
Of course, the book would have been very plain without all the photographs that I
was able to take of bikes belonging to exhibitors at the Stafford Classics Show. These
include, among many others: Allen’s Performance Ltd (RSW engine and Reverse
Cylinder TZR engine); Excelsior Talisman Enthusiasts (Excelsior Talisman and engine
parts); Fastline Motorcycles (NSR 250); Greeves Riders Association (various Greeves
parts); Fastline Motorcycles (NSR 250); Greeves Riders Association (various Greeves
bikes); John Cook (Villiers 8E engine); Martin Plummer (Maicoletta); Stafford
Motorcycles (Aprilia RS250); Steve Lawton Racing (125 Seel Racer); The Bike
Specialists (Kawasaki H2 and Bimota V Due); BSA Bantam Club (various Bantams);
The Scott Owners’ Club; Triples Workshop (Kawasaki H1).
Also thanks to the many people who were happy to have pictures included without
wanting any acknowledgement.