The great debate between riders is which engine is better, 4-stroke or 2-stroke. Each type of engine comes with its advantages and disadvantages but a seasoned rider will know that a 4-stroke and a 2-stroke cannot be rode the same.

A lot of riders consider a 2-stroke bike “a thing of the past” but 2-stroke dirtbikes have been making a comeback in the past 5 years. KTM and Husqvarna are the two top manufactures that have been making 2-strokes and bringing them back into the game. While 2-strokes are great and finally making a comeback, there are plenty of disadvantages that come with them. The biggest disadvantage is the fuel mixture. Not only does a rider have to buy fuel for his 2-stroke bike but the rider also has to buy oil to mix with the gas and at that point, it gets pretty expensive. A lot of inexperienced riders tend to dislike a 2-stroke because of the way a 2-stroke is meant to be rode. A 2-stroke, especially on a track, is meant to be ridden with the throttle open and the bike always on the power band. Some riders find it hard to ride a bike that demands constant work and constant control of the throttle. A 4-stroke is much different in the throttle control demands.

A 4-stroke is much easier bike to learn how to ride on because it doesn’t demand as much work as the 2-stroke but a 4-stroke is still hard to ride. A lot of riders, including myself, prefer the 4-stroke over a 2-stroke for many reasons. A 4-stroke has torque that a 2-stroke cannot produce. Torque is a rider’s best friend, especially if the rider rides in the woods. Torque from a 4-stroke is easy to control and it’s easy to predict unlike a 2-stroke power band. Although 4-strokes have a very complex engine, a rider won’t need to buy oil to mix with their gas. The only thing the rider will need to run a 4-stroke engine is gas and engine oil while a 2-stroke needs gas and oil mixed to run the bike plus it will also need transmission oil to keep the gears and everything in the bottom end on the engine lubricated.

The great debate between riders on which engine is better will go on until the end of time because every rider has a different riding style and a different way of riding a dirtbike. Some riders enjoy the 4-stroke; others enjoy the 2-stroke. All of that matters on personal preference. There are other riders out there that don’t believe in the debate and just have both types.