We have a triple treat for you this Two-Stroke Tuesday! Over the years we’ve featured hundreds of strokers here on BikeReview, and back in our Rapid Bikes days. Aside from Jeff riding the Cagiva 500GP bike, these three stand out as closer to reality!
BIMOTA V-DUE
The Bimota 500 V-Due was originally destine for the world GP circuits, unfortunately this was not meant to be, mainly due to lack of funding – so a decision was made to make the V-Due a street legal racer, at a premium price of $34,000, which was a lot back in 1997. The V-twin engine was the first ever engine that Bimota had produced, before that the company had bought all its motors from other manufactures and slotted them into their own frames. The actual engine took eight years to develop and produce and as you can imagine, for a small company the cost of this was extreme.
The engine itself was 499cc, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, V-twin that produced 126hp at 9000rpm and 90Nm of torque at around 8000rpm. The motor was direct fuel injection – this was designed so the two-stroke engine could meet stick US and European emission laws. Eventually, the fuel injection and electrical malfunctions would send the company into receivership as owners started demanding refunds. Only producing 388 bikes out of the 500 they had originally intended.
SPECIFICATIONS: Bimota V-Due
ENGINE
Two-cylinder 500cc two-stroke, liquid-cooled with direct fuel injection with four-port throttle-body and electronic ignition, wet multi-plate hydraulic actuation clutch and electric starter system, six-speed close-ration cassette style gearbox.
CHASSIS & BODYWORK
Carbon-fibre bodywork, alloy and billet CNC frame, cast alloy wheels, Paioli inverted forks and Ohlins shock, Brembo brakes.
PERFORMANCE
126hp@9000rpm
Mick Costin YZR500 Replicas
Mick Costin, owner of Costin Motorcycle Engineering, is a two-stroke maniac probably most famous for the Red Bull Replica Garry McCoy YZR500 back in 2006. In fact, I’d go as far as calling him the mad professor of two-strokes Down Under. Thankfully for die-hard GP fans like me, he specialises in replicating the glory days of the mighty, raw, untamed and awe-inspiring 500cc two-strokes.
In his workshop in Western Sydney, Mick makes these dream bikes for lucky cashed up customers from all over the world. Read our feature on the Costin Engineering Wayne Rainey 500 here.
SPECIFICATIONS: Costin YZR500
ENGINE
1985 Yamaha RZ500 V4 two-stroke, bore and stroke 56.65mm x 50.0mm, compression ratio 6.6:1, RZ Performance crankshafts and conrods, bead blasted stock crankcases, stock ported and polished cylinders, machined heads, balanced Mitaka forged pistons and rings, factory six-speed cassette-style gearbox, dry conversion re-built clutch, Boyseen reeds, four 26mm Mikuni flatslide carburettors, Costin Motorcycle Engineering titanium expansion chambers, YZR500 mufflers, all bolts machined stainless steel or titanium, R6 radiator, custom black box incorporating programmable CDI ignition, programmable power-valve controller, CME radiator, 15/36 gearing.
CHASSIS & BODYWORK
Costin Motorcycle Engineering replica 1997 YZR500 frame handmade from 6061 billet and sheet alloy, matte black finish, R6 swingarm, Ohlins shock with custom linkages and Costin Motorcycle Engineering ride-height adjuster, Costin Motorcycle Engineering alloy sub-frame, CME titanium triple-clamps, 43mm Ohlins inverted forks, Brembo alloy 3.5 x 17in wheel (f) and Brembo Alloy 6 x 17in wheel (r), Brembo 320mm rotors with four-piston Brembo calipers (f), 210mm Brembo rotor with Brembo caliper (r), Brembo radial master-cylinder, braided stainless steel brake lines, titanium bolts, Costin Motorcycle Engineering rear quick wheel-change caliper mount. CME two-piece GP ‘bars, YZR500-style switches, STACK tacho, TZ Yamaha temp gauge, Domino GP throttle housing, 1997 YZR500 bodywork, YZR500 seat, TZ250/custom fuel tank, YZR500 front guard, billet alloy fuel cap.
PERFORMANCE
Lots!
THE ORIGINAL SUTER 500
If your after a full factory spec GP racer then look no further – Suter Racing Technology (SRT) had just what you need to impress your mates at the next track day.
What you got for your $96,400 is an alloy twin spar chassis that been partly CNC machined with fully adjustable steering geometry. The suspension is top grade Ohlins front and rear and is fully adjustable. You also get full carbon-fibre bodywork and fuel tank but the main draw card is the engine – it’s a V4 two-stroke that has double counter rotating crankshafts and roller bearings, this is not a rebuild of a RZ or RG engine it’s a true ground up built GP motor.
The induction is modern fuel injection with four port throttle bodies and carbon reed valves, while the gases exit through four single expansion chambers that have electronically controlled valves. The bike only weight 125kg ready to race and is well capable of clocking 300km/h – now all we have to do is sell Jeff’s organs and where in business… Suter Racing Technology are no stranger to racing in the mid ’90 they has world championship success with their 500cc GP bike the MZ Weber that claimed two pole positions and a handful of top ten finished piloted by Luca Cadalora. Suter also developed the Ilmor X3 and the Foggy Petronas FP1 world superbike.
The Suter Company is now concentrating their talents on the new Moto2 category using their Suter-MMX chassis with the controlled 600cc Honda inline four. Teams that use the Suter chassis are Team Forward Racing, Team STR Italrans, Mapfre Aspar Team, MarcvDS Racing Team, Racing Team Germany, Team Technomag CIP and Team Viessman Kiefer Racing. The company even develops some pretty wild looking luxury high-speed catamarans and recreational vehicles, take a look at their web site to find out more suterracing.com.
SPECIFICATIONS: Suter Racing 500
ENGINE
V4 499cc two-stroke, double counter rotating crankshaft, 54 x 54.5mm bore and stroke, electronic fuel injection, four port throttle bodies with carbon reed valves, double flap electric controlled exhaust flap, SRT six-speed cassette gearbox, SRT multi plate dry clutch, four single resonance expansion pipes, Marelli ECU.
CHASSIS & BODYWORK
Alloy twin spar frame, multi adjustable steering geometry, adjustable wheelbase and ride height pivot position, Ohlins front and rear adjustable suspension, rear linkage adjustment, lightweight OZ wheels, Brembo 320mm steel rotors and four-piston calipers, 218mm single rotor with twin-piston caliper, full carbon-fibre bodywork and fuel tank 125kg ready to race.
PERFORMANCE
195hp@13,000rpm
