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KTM Used Fuel Injection to Revamp Two-Stroke Engines

Popular Mechanics US

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March - April 2023

TWO-STROKE ENGINES USED TO BE UBIQUITOUS IN DIRT bike racing, thanks to their lightweight construction and horsepower. Packed in a dirt bike frame, they make a motorcycle playful in the corners and plenty fast when the throttle's wide open.

- MATT CRISARA

KTM Used Fuel Injection to Revamp Two-Stroke Engines

Manufacturers kept plugging away at roughly the same recipe for decades until Yamaha released its YZ400F four-stroke dirt bike, which won its first race (1997 Las Vegas Supercross) with relative ease. This achievement marked the beginning of the end for wide-spread use of two-stroke engines in professional racing.

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