Second Hand Smoke

[askmrjesus]

I went down to my local "Bike Night" last night. It's not your typical squids on GXSR's trying to pick up Hooters waitresses bike night, more of a bunch of old dudes on vintage bikes and dual sports kind of a thing. Weird crowd. Interesting mix.

We meet up at a micro brewery in the seedy part of town. Nothing fancy. Good beer, pretzels with stone ground mustard, ugly women. The bar is in a converted industrial building, with a big roll up door at the front. In the summer they leave the door open, so you can gaze out at the landscape of weed encrusted pavement, and the peeling paint of the abandoned building across the street. I like it there.

I'm having a beer and a smoke with a few of my riding buds out on the sidewalk, when a dude I've seen around a few times come out of the bar, and jumps on a semi-kinda almost street-legal KTM two-stroke, that's parked in front of the big roll up door. He fires the thing up about 6 feet from a table of non-descript khaki wearing tourists, and proceeds to wring the fucking shit out it.

At first I'm thinking, Ok, you made your point, time to move along. But no, Mr. Blipie isn't done yet. He keeps whacking the throttle like he's expecting fucking nickles to come out the back end. He's pumped enough smoke into the bar to hide a goddamn battle ship. The folks inside are starting to get pissed. The chorus of "Hey, Asshole!", is falling on deaf ears. He's oblivious. The bar folk start throwing mustard covered pretzels at him. He has about 5 of them stuck to the back of his jacket, but he's still whacking that damn throttle.

I was just about to say something to him, when the barmaid came out, and yelled "Hey! Dickweed! You're smoking us to death in here!".

His reply?

"I know, it smokes a lot when the choke is on!"

Really?

No shit.

JC

[karl_1052]

I had the same thing happen to me at a cheesey guido bar on my RD350LC.

I thought it was funny.(it was around 32F that night, so it was really smoking)

[Gas Man]

Squids come in all shapes and sizes.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/cjclark69/Posting/suckmain.gif

[Papa_Complex]

OK, so there's a good part of town?

[neebelung]

:lol:

I have to say, he's a dickweed we've all encountered, but your description of it (esp the mustard pretzels sticking to him) had me :rofl:

[Apoc]

You've obviously never tried to walk through the parking lot of a snowmobile club to try and get a meal.


Two strokes smoke alot (they burn oil, what do you expect?) and they have to warm up, or the pistons turn into hand grenades. Suck it up buttercup. As a motorcyclist, you should love the smell and the smoke. Poser.

In the winter, if you walk in the garage here, your greeted with a mixed smell of pot smoke and 2-stroke smoke. Its like a gourmet meal for your nose.

[Papa_Complex]

You've obviously never tried to walk through the parking lot of a snowmobile club to try and get a meal.


Two strokes smoke alot (they burn oil, what do you expect?) and they have to warm up, or the pistons turn into hand grenades. Suck it up buttercup. As a motorcyclist, you should love the smell and the smoke. Poser.

In the winter, if you walk in the garage here, your greeted with a mixed smell of pot smoke and 2-stroke smoke. Its like a gourmet meal for your nose.

I'm guessing that not many snowmobilers have the opportunity to point their machines into the propped open door of a bar.

[Apoc]

I'm guessing that not many snowmobilers have the opportunity to point their machines into the propped open door of a bar.

I said like it!

[askmrjesus]

You've obviously never tried to walk through the parking lot of a snowmobile club to try and get a meal.

I'll put that on my "To Do" list. Should fit in nicely between freezing to death, and donating a kidney.


Two strokes smoke alot (they burn oil, what do you expect?) and they have to warm up, or the pistons turn into hand grenades. Suck it up buttercup. As a motorcyclist, you should love the smell and the smoke. Poser.

It's a question of manners. There's a difference between the sweet smell of Castor beans in the air, and being trapped in a giant bong.

Is it just me, or did a guy with a Harley just call me a poser? :lol

JC

[Apoc]

I ride my Harley, I dont hang out at bike nights :p

[Papa_Complex]

I ride my Harley, I dont hang out at bike nights :p

So since I rode to a bike night in Alabama, am I a poseur? :lol:

[Apoc]

So since I rode to a bike night in Alabama, am I a poseur? :lol:

were you drinking at a seedy bar, looking at the bikes outside, and complaining about the smoke? While you smoked yourself?

[Papa_Complex]

were you drinking at a seedy bar, looking at the bikes outside, and complaining about the smoke? While you smoked yourself?

Nope. I was in the middle of a parking lot outside a massive bowling alley complaining about the cigarette smoke, while breathing in exhaust from Harleys.

[Apoc]

Nope. I was in the middle of a parking lot outside a massive bowling alley complaining about the cigarette smoke, while breathing in exhaust from Harleys.


exhaust is exhaust... no matter what its from.

Im just pointing out, if people dont want to deal with the shit that goes on at bike nights, dont go to bike nights. Ive never been to one that wasnt filled with smoke/burnouts/etc etc. So why expect different?

[Apoc]

I should also admit, im a little defensive about 2-strokes because of the way the governement is trying to rid the world of them.

[Papa_Complex]

I should also admit, im a little defensive about 2-strokes because of the way the governement is trying to rid the world of them.

Clean 2-stroke technology exists. Manufacturers won't build it, because buyers don't want to pay for it. At this point there's little effective benefit from 2-stroke over 4-stroke anyway.

[shmike]

Clean 2-stroke technology exists. Manufacturers won't build it, because buyers don't want to pay for it. At this point there's little effective benefit from 2-stroke over 4-stroke anyway.

Therein lies the rub.

I like the smokers as much as Apoc. It is sad to see them forced into retirement.

However, the engines we grew up on are pollutin' sons o' bitches, no doubt about it.

[Apoc]

Clean 2-stroke technology exists. Manufacturers won't build it, because buyers don't want to pay for it. At this point there's little effective benefit from 2-stroke over 4-stroke anyway.

Manufacturers build tons of modern, clean 2strokes, just not on the street. They burn less oil than ever, and make tons of power (my sled has 145hp stock, and is bullet proof, at 800cc)

But.. They still burn oil, they still smoke, and they are still way dirtier than 4 strokes.

People can argue all they want about the benefits of 4 strokes. Yes, 4 strokes are more reliable and cleaner, but they make less power (a 450 2 stroke dirtbike, is raced in the 250 smoker class, 990 and 800cc race bikes, replaced 500cc 2 strokes, etc etc), and the snap and rush of the instant rpm's on a 4stroke just isnt anywhere near what it is on a 2 stroke. And im not saying that 4stroke technology should go away, and we should bring back 2 strokes exclusively for snow and dirt, i would be a fool and an idiot to think that. Just that the option should still be there for those of us who will still want 2 strokes in the future.

[Sean]

I ride with a couple of die-hard 2-smoke freaks and I feel like they're smoking something. Yes, the power-to-weight ratio is unmatched, but that CR250R feels like it's going to rip my arms off, it snaps like a mofo, and at the end of the day he's exhausted and I'm still sprightly. Guess who ends up loading the bikes?

Maybe that's the reason.

I've considered buying a 125 just for MX duty since I can pick up a 2003 CR125 for slightly more than what a new top end job would cost for my KTM, but then I'd have to be "one of those 2-stroke guys", and that's not a lifestyle change I'm prepared to deal with just yet.

[Apoc]

Yes, the power-to-weight ratio is unmatched, but that CR250R feels like it's going to rip my arms off, it snaps like a mofo

And the reason you dont like them, is the reason we love them. Different strokes for different folks.

But chances are if you had started out on smokers, you would prefer them today.

Then again, maybe your just in better shape than them. One doesnt tire me anymore than the other. (they both tire me, im out of shape)

[Particle Man]

mmmmmm, 2-smoke exhaust. I can't wait.

I think I'll head out to the garage and start up the sled. :D