Originally Posted by Cal Coon
All 2 strokes smoke when first started. Smoke should go away when warmed up and in use for the most part. If it smokes a lot constantly, it is getting to much oil, which can be adjusted, or the top end of the motor is junk. A compression test will tell you whats going on. All 2 strokes have automatic oil injection from the factory, no need to "mix" gas and oil yourself, unless someone has disconnected the injection system themselves and pre-mix the gas, which some people do for a host of reasons, but it's not very common, most people keep them in tact, and just add oil as needed. A 2 stroke has an oil reservoir for oil, and usually will have a dummy light, or a beeping sound for low oil warning should you forget to check it once in a while. I would top it off with every ride just for peace of mind, and keep a spare quart on board at all times. Make sure you either wrap the quart of oil in duct tape, or put it in a heavy duty leak proof plastic bag, (or both!!) because manufacturers have made the plastic bottles so thin and cheap, they break open pretty easy and make a big mess!! I have learned this the hard way!! You will become familiar with how much it goes through after just a few rides. A full reservoir will usually last around 3 to 5 full tanks of gas depending on how it's ridden. 2 strokes are a little bit louder than a 4 stroke, but in no way are they any where near as loud as a chainsaw these days, if ever!! Even ones 15, 20yrs old are not obnoxiously loud, you have to go back a long, long way to be able to compare them to a chainsaw, and if you do hear a loud one, it has been "customized" by the owner most likely, it didn't come that way out of the factory. I would NOT be afraid of a 2 stroke at all if you find the right deal on one. There are pros and cons to both. If you look at a 2 stroke to buy, I would highly recommend doing a compression test. It is simple, quick, and easy, and will give you a good idea on the condition of the top end of the motor, (pistons and rings). If you are not familiar with how to do a compression test, just look it up on youtube and you will find a thousand different videos on how to do it. IMHO, the "order" of quality goes like this: Honda, Yamaha, SeaDoo, Kawasaki, and the rest... Some may disagree, and that is ok with me, just my opinion. Good luck in your search. FWIW, I have a nice Snap On compression gauge set if you want to borrow, let me know. You don't want to use a cheap gauge because (and crazy to buy an expensive one to use it once), readings may be inaccurate, I saw it first hand one time when I was selling a snowmobile. A guy came with his own cheap gauge, and sled had low compression on his gauge. When we put my gauge on it, it was fine, and he bought it!! I KNEW the sled was fine, but he definitely wouldn't of bought it if I didn't have the nice gauge. He trusted mine over his... You don't have to have a "Snap On" gauge, but you definitely want a top brand name.
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