This is the kind of music we expected to hear at the French Supermoto Championships
When the big single-cylinder four-stroke orchestra strikes up
it’s no surprise to hear big bass notes booming
Straining our ears, though, we can just about detect an intriguing little noise, music of a slightly higher pitch
a unique symphony that we thought had disappeared from the paddocks for good.
Amid the big buzzing bumblebees of the S1 class
sounds an altogether smaller bee with designs on upsetting the apple cart.
The recently retired four-time world champion Adrien Chareyre is at the handlebars of a modified Husqvarna TE
determined to show that the two-stroke is alive and kicking.
A 300cc two-stroke versus a 450cc four-stroke
on paper that sounds like a pretty audacious sort of duel.
It goes without saying that at Moto Journal we’re suckers for ballsy challenges like that.
Knowing Adrien, there was no way he was going to be turning up at the Circuit de Bresse with a flower sticking out of his rifle.
And when we take a closer look at his bike, we quickly realise that it’s one hell of a machine.
We started off with a 300 TE 2016…
the standard bike, for everyone
and we gave it a total revamp with a 2016 plastic kit,
modifying the rear chassis and the back frame, which is carbon composite.
We then added a 125 cross tank to make the bike more streamlined and to lose weight,
and after that we did a lot of work on the engine... We had quite a bit of fun with that.
We changed a lot of parts. We put in a special ignition system and a much smaller stator rotor to give the engine some power.
FMF very kindly put in a special exhaust pipe with different volumes in line with the preparations we did.
Then we did the first tests out on the track with Adrien to see what we had.
They were pretty convincing too.
One of the big things the two-stroke has got going for it is that it’s light
with one of the bikes here weighing in at barely 100 kg.
The suspension systems have been completely modified,
Beringer brakes have been fitted and the wheels are 17 inches
The rocker arm is the original, though.
The 36mm carburettor has also been dispensed with and replaced by a 38mm
one widened to 40mm
In short, this is a well-honed machine that has been lovingly finished.
Sadly, the weather is anything but loving,
with a string of showers turning the dirt section into something akin to an endurance special.
It was so muddy, in fact, you almost felt you were up on Dead Crow Hill in the Gilles Lalay Classic.
After much falling and sliding around, the organisers eventually decide to shorten the qualifying rounds
and keep the riders out of the mud as much as possible.
Even so, Supermoto is a pretty amazing event in the wet and in drying track conditions,
with riders braking and sliding around as if their lives depended on it and
accelerating like proverbial bats out of hell.
Adrien has a much more flowing style.
The two-stroke engine has a smaller operating range
and the Husqvarna rider has to keep the momentum going as much he can when cornering.
OK, it’s not as spectacular, but when it comes to the times, it works really well.
After an entertaining scrap with Thomas Chareyre and Sylvain Bidart, Adrien comes in fourth fastest,
with Sylvain Dabert just catching him at the line.
Just nine tenths off pole, his time of 1:14.699 looks like a good one.
You filmed me on that climb, right?
I got a timed lap in just before that. It’s good enough…
So what are the advantages and disadvantages?
I’m really going to be banking on the agility of the bike, which is lighter.
But there’s a bit of a shortfall in power.
It’s delivered in a different way, which means I have to maintain a bit of speed in the corners
so I can accelerate and get going again, because this bike just flies when the valve opens
I can’t complain. That’s what makes this so much fun, and that’s why I decided to ride a two-stroke.
Otherwise, I’d be on a 450 like everyone else.
But I chose to have that problem and to have so much fun when I ride.”
Above all, I wanted to prove that you can compete on a two-stroke
knowing that it’s a lot less expensive for riders in terms of maintenance.
Last year I was on my own, but this year there are two of us in S2, and there are a few more in the other categories, which makes me feel happy.
And sure enough, a few tents away we come across Alexandre Précop on the legendary Honda 500 CR.
Well, obviously I love the two-stroke…
There are only two bikes in french S1 class, with Adrien's Husqvarna 300 cc
I got injured last year and I didn’t especially feel like getting back on a
and chasing the objectives I had before.
I wanted to have fun to and to have a nice bike that’s a little out of the ordinary.
So how much fun is it?
Well, it’s a real buzz. It feels great, it smells good. It’s really nice
With the 500 CR having disappeared in the late 90s,
Alexandre had to fit a 1999 engine on a 2012 450 CRF chassis with an aluminium frame.
We’ve been talking about two-strokes and four-strokes for a little while now
but there might be some of you out there who have a job telling the difference between the two.
With a two-stroke engine, the various stages in the power cycle engine – intake, compression, combustion and the end of the combustion stroke
take place in only two strokes of the piston, with the end of the combustion stroke, intake and exhaust functions occurring in the same stroke.
In contrast, in a four-stroke engine, the intake and exhaust phases occur separately via valves.
It should be noted that in a two-stroke engine, a full cycle is completed during only one crankshaft revolution,
whereas two are required in a four-stroke.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
But what about their level of performance today?
Do you think it’s worth coming here with a two-stroke to do battle with the four-strokes?
Do you think it’s doable, realistic?
I think it’s realistic in France more than anywhere because the category’s open from 250cc to 750cc…
I know there’s only one 300cc at the moment, but you could just about come up with a customised 380 from it
I know that they’re doing it in Germany and that it’s working pretty well…
It’s a pretty easy question to answer. If it really was the case, there’d be more two-strokes.
If you wanted to win the championship, you’d go for a 500cc two-stroke.
Why hasn’t anyone done that? Because it’s not so easy.
I’m sure that if Adrien does the whole championship, he’ll be there giving us a really hard time on some of the tracks
I’ve always liked two-strokes. I started out with a PW50.
I’ve ridden 50, 65, 85 and now 125cc
My father has always said to me that the two-stroke was the best education you can have…
I have more fun with the 125cc two-stroke
but I don’t go as fast. I can take two seconds off my lap times just by changing bike.”
If you’re in good physical shape, I think you can win on a two-stroke.
Really? You’d better start doing some push-ups then
Well, as I think you can see, opinion is split right down the middle.
It’s Sunday morning, and the two-stroke riders couldn’t be feeling more pumped up ahead of the first S1 race.
Like the wily old fox that he is, Adrien is playing mind games with his rivals
I told him to give it everything out there because the two-stroke can really pile on the pace
Meanwhile, Alexandre shows everyone he’s in better shape than ever by launching into a workout.
The Husqvarna rider shoots past No98 to move into third place
Then he closes right up on Bidart and passes him on the last corner before the start/finish line.
A few minutes later, he eases past his brother in the same spot to move into the lead.
Adrien sets a fierce pace as he continues on his merry way, pulling away from the chasing pack.
A historic victory looks to be in sight.
Sadly for him, though, the rain puts in another appearance, forcing him to ease off a little.
Thomas retakes the lead right in the closing stages and holds on all the way to the chequered flag
OK, so a win would have been nice,
but Adrien seems happy enough with his second place.
That wasn’t bad for an old guy.
It wasn’t easy when it got wet at the end there and I had to open the valve up.
As for his recent decision to retire, some of his rivals think it’s bullshit
Retired, my ass !!
The hell is he retired! He’s still training like a bastard,
and here was us thinking he’d retired
Maybe it's strategic
Off course !
He never stopped !
And he has no pression too
But yeah, he told everyone he’d packed up, which means there’s no pressure on him, the bastard
The rain comes down even harder for race two, with the riders setting off in near monsoon conditions
Involved in a crash at the first corner and then struggling with his tyres,
Adrien overshoots a couple of corners before deciding to head for the pits.
That leaves his brother and Bidart to wage a superb duel out front.
The Honda rider looks to be in a class of his own in the horrendous conditions.
Riding a flawless race, he puts in a big spurt to cement his lead, and
and comes home first ahead of Fath and Thomas Chareyre.
I must have enough water in my boots to make 12 litres of Ricard
You can imagine the state I’m in. This is crazy
As for our survey, there are two things we can confirm.
First: two-stroke is far from dead.
That said, to win races on one you have to get your preparations just right and be one hell of a rider.
A nice umbrella would be handy too.
I’m going to turn into rust with all this water
I had two or three scares out there, and I decided to pull out
Aside from that conclusion, though, our in-depth look at the French Championship
just underlines what a fun and friendly competition it is…
So if there’s a race taking place near you, we strongly suggest you get yourself down there and take a good look around.