Status and Prospects for Two-Stroke Engines Used in Off-Road Recreational Vehicles

John Williford
Chrysalis Technology Group, Ltd.
April 30, 2001

TWO-STROKE ENGINE TRANSPORTATION APPLICATIONS

In the world at large, the preponderant use of two-stroke engines for transportation is in scooters and motorcycles. These uses in the U.S. have been largely supplanted by the use of four-cycle engine motorcycles and scooters.

Domestically, two-stroke gasoline engines are used in marine engines for recreational boating, and also for off-road recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles. The development of recreational vehicle usage in the U.S. has been dealt with earlier in the section dealing with applications.

Although the numbers of two-cycle, off-road vehicles remain comparatively small, the uses of certain classes, such as personal watercraft and snowmobiles, bring them into view against the other users of waterways or wilderness facilities.