| So you want to buy a quad eh? ATVs are fun and | | | | will no longer be available for purchase. Two stroke |
| useful off-road vehicles that are relatively inexpensive | | | | quads have been used in competitive motocross and |
| and easy to maintain. To this day, though, the | | | | high-speed racing, and that is what they are best |
| debate rages between supporters of the two stroke | | | | suited for, because the great majority of their power |
| and the four stroke engines. What do you need to | | | | is found at wide open throttle. This makes it |
| know when looking at purchasing an ATV? | | | | impractical for use on rocky or muddy trails, where |
| Mechanically, the difference between a two stroke | | | | low-end torque is needed. |
| and a four stroke engine lies in how often the spark | | | | Think of the difference between these two engines |
| plugs fire. In a two stroke, it fires once with every | | | | as the difference between a 4-cylinder import and a |
| revolution of the cam, while a four stroke only fires | | | | big domestic V8 engine. The 4-cylinder can get a lot |
| the plugs every other revolution of the cam. With | | | | of power when revved high, whereas the V8 has |
| everything being equal, a two stroke will have twice | | | | loads of low-end torque that makes it so appealing |
| as many combustions as a four stroke, which causes | | | | for muscle car applications. In the end, it really |
| it to produce much more energy with the same size | | | | depends on what you are going to be using your |
| engine. While this may make the two stroke engine | | | | ATV for. In most cases, a four stroke quad will be |
| the obviously superior choice, there are real-world | | | | perfect for most people, be it hunters, rock crawlers, |
| drawbacks that may make you want to get a four | | | | farmers, or forest explorers. |
| stroke. | | | | To top it off, two stroke engines require much more |
| Because of the high heat that the two stroke engine | | | | frequent and involved maintenance and it consists of |
| develops due to the increased combustion frequency, | | | | rebuilding the top end every so often. Four strokes, |
| oil needs to be added to the fuel as a cooling agent, | | | | on the other hand, only require regular tune-ups and |
| which in turn causes it to produce a lot of smoke. | | | | oil changes. Besides, you may have trouble finding a |
| This is why two stroke engines are being | | | | two stroke quad to buy in the near future, as they |
| discontinued from production, and two stroke ATVs | | | | are a 'dying breed'. |