2ts, one in particular, are getting a bit of attention at EICMA.
Go searching, you'll find a lot of info.
Here's pictures of the Ossa. Pretty much every damned thing I want from a 2 stroke. Twin Injectors on these, the trials bike has just the case injector. Calling it DFI is not, by established norms, correct, but, the 2nd injector in the side of the cylinder, aimed Up, into the combustion chamber, I'd not argue as not being 'direct' injection. Athena's set up, too.
I'd be very interested to see the shape of the combustion chamber (of both the Ossa and Athena's set up). I'm also wondering if the Athena might use a purging / air 'dam' charge through the injector / or an air port, prior to the injector delivering the 'fuel' charge. Less need for high pressures, as in 'in head' injection, and, perhaps, a hell of a lot simpler. I've always said that there is more than just 'in head' DFI that can be used to give the cleanliness , and fuel efficiency 2ts need to achieve to stay around. Honda had the AR solution almost 20 years ago, the pricks. Better still, to Re- Introduce some sanity into ICE power plant usage, and KICK THE CRAP out of the 'all 4t , all the time' road ICE power plants have idiotically gone down. In nearly every form of ICE usage.
Airbox in tank , up high. Tank all the way down to the frame rails, (see it in the close up pic - it goes through the forward engine case / frame mounts) fuel carried ultra low - I see No Need to touch the tank for virtually Any work on the bike. The spark plug removal ?- shit it in, just a nice ratchet plug spanner, and no problems at all. The two injectors are Right There (see the close up pic again) to lay your hands on. Top end - seat off / pipe off, or, Better, simply removing the subframe /pipe off in one unit. Top end, right below you (tilting back). Perhaps having to remove the shock - 2 bolts. Different linkage, but a well centred, accessible shock, and the linkage can be made to do any damn thing you want. 'Conventional' linkage is just that - it's Nothing special.It has become what it generally is because of space limitations. No more smashed pipes, especially if they / an owner does a cover on the LH side. Small front sprocket ? Yes, that's an 11 - there's plenty of room for bigger, and the small size ay be part of an engineers take on reducing the drive trains influence on sispension action. A Cassette Gearbox - change ratios in under an hour, if you are competent. Scheduled for production in 2013 - but I'd say demand will bring it forward . The Trials bikes came out 'on time', if even, slightly earlier than first announced. I've heard No problems heard with the Ossa EFI - sure you'll find dirty injectors / typical electrical problems that any bike can have, if you are in need to be a wanker, and find 'problems, but I see plenty of people with carb problems, etc, on all sorts of bikes. With EFI / DFI, we enter the age of multiple fuel filtering - manufacturers shouldn't leave us to perfect it, but, most haven't learnt tp adequately grease bearings........
The Athena - the vids have been out for a while. The engine shown is apparently a Minarelli 50cc bottom end - Who Gives A Fuck - it's a 2 stroke (and That's the production market they can apply Athena's Thoroughly Patented design to, by the Millions) Why make a bloody 4t scooter / commuter (THE World market) engine when you can make a simple 2t that's clean, fuel efficient, And shows up the 4ts for the gutless engines they are?
That's Jan Witteveen in the dark jacket - one of the Great MC engine specialists, especially when it comes to 2ts.
These CG pics are of Jotagas' 250 / 300 engine - fairly conventional, but with an ES that is Not an add on, and a high crank set up, that most miss. It's at the show in Bimota's Enduro bike - it's been written by some the engine is Bimota's - whose it really is, I don't give a fuck - it's another , new 2t power plant. Jotagas have shown their Trials bike (different engine, theirs ?), and will show their version of the Enduro Bike this month, after the show. CG / design images from their site, (up far ahead of any Biota info I have found) show the frame to be pretty much the same as the Bimota.
If you have interest in 2ts apart from our old Dinosaurs (said with much love, guys) you should search out EICMA. Plenty of trick Road Bikes, even some E Bikes that are becoming more like real motorcycles, and less like glorified MTBs, and Geek Designers wet dreams.
KTM have their DFI ready for when They Have to produce them to allow continued meeting of regulations, so 2ts are legal for road use. Husky / BMW have stated they Will Not stop making 2ts, they are developing New 2 strokes. Thank you KTM, for so pissing off BMW, that BMW, bought Husky - it's the best things the Austrians have (to the Germans, and for the rest of the motorcycle world) done in years.
The Huge amount of interest in 2ts generated by the Ossa, Athena, and other 2ts, may force KTM / BMW to Not wait for legislation to force their hand.
Things are Changing, People. And for the better.
- KTM fucked with a sleeping giant when they declared they would surpass BMW (Never forget the BMW car empire that's behind them), and went into the big road bike market.
- you'll then Really know about a narrow power band) MX2 should be 250s, 2t or 4t. MX1 ? - bugger the 450cc 4t Max. - make it say, 350, to count out over bored 250s, as they did, in the 60s, to stop 251cc 2ts destroying the 4ts - to Any damned size you want. Not for, specifically, 500 2ts - 400cc modern 2ts would be more than enough - but if a company wanted to make a 500 + cc Anything, I'd be happy for it to be allowed to take a tilt at MX1 / Premier class racing. I'd love to see big, minimalistic, grunty, 3spd 4ts, like the CCMs I grew up with, but, modern , of course. Modern can still mean push rods, by the way, because a big , genuinely torquey 4t, would not need revs, like current 4ts use, Plus, it would lower the engine height, and engine centre of gravity, with a cam down low, in the cases. With 4ts, it was supposed to be 451cc? plus 4ts, but now they let 350 KTMs in MX3. Jussi Laansoo, for one, raced a 350 in MX3 this year.