Keeping two-strokes healthy in the blue-smoke
Two-strokes are now-a-day a rare sight in Thailand. By the end of the decade ever more draconian environmental legislation, particularly for exhaust emission, had all but wiped out new two-strokes. The brief appearance of few sporty Kawasaki’s models in downgraded power compared to other countries, was Thailand’s last chance to buy a new road legal two-stroke motorcycle.
But that wasn’t the end of the two-stroke in Thailand. A hardcore of fans and owners – many of them expats seeking a better life in the sun but seemingly unable to kick their two-stroke habits of old – have made sure that sweet, blue smoke still finds its way into the air. I met a guy, who relocated to Thailand 20 years ago.
Now in Bangkok in one of the suburbs called Bangna, an engineer by trade, has just finished restoring a beautiful ‘90s Kawasaki KRR 150 to better than its former glory. We say better because our new friend mission for this restore was to build a motorcycle to last the next 50 years.
That meant its paint finishes, assembly and myriad one-off machined parts far exceed the standard of the original throw-away Kawasaki build quality.