2-stroke or 4-stroke?

[zumaguy123]

Hi,

My only scooter exp comes from having owned 2 4-stroke Zumas ( I owned a Puch and 2 Tomos mopeds in my teens but don't count them because they were used as toys not actual transportation).

Anyways, I've seen guys post about hitting 10,000+ miles on 2t scooters (and similar stuff elsewhere in 2t vs 4t debates) as if that's a lot of mileage and a big accomplishment--is that much mileage on a 2-t considered a big deal or something?

Shoot I'm pushing 13,000 miles on a 2014 Zuma with no real issues and I know of guys on 4-stroke Hondas, Yamaha C-3s, and Genuine's hitting 25-35 thousand miles without engine failure or a rebuild needed.

Based on what I've seen, I would think its obvious that a 4-stroke is superior when it comes to longevity. No?

[kz1000st]

There are so many factors to consider in two stroke longevity. How it's used, the oil used and how it's cooled. Most people don't keep two wheeled machines for more than a few years and don't generally put a lot of miles on them during that time. By the time the machine gets to its third of fourth owner it's been through hell. My experience is that two strokes mainly wear their rings and barrels faster because they're lubed by gas thinned oil. The lower ends are usually fine since many auto lube systems pump through the main bearings first. Everything after that usually suffers lube issues in the long term.