Will The Vins Duecinquanta Mark The Resurrection Of Two-Stroke Bikes?

Sometimes precautionary measures are taken to ensure safety over thrill; with the ban on heavy emission two-stroke engines, the world of motorcycling bid adieu to one of the most exciting segment. These simple, lightweight machines might churn out less torque and might be dirtier too, in terms of emission, but no one could deny the power punches that two-stroke engines delivered.

It’s been over two decades since two-stroke bikes began to be scrapped around the world and eventually in India as well by mid-2000s. And even though manufacturers still seem to sense the demand for road-legal two-stroke motorcycles, no one seems to be trying. However, Vins Motors, an Italian motorcycling company seems to have made up its mind to deliver the same.

The new Vins Duecinquanta is a motorcycle that uses fuel injection to make a two-stroke engine, so it can pass emission laws in Europe. Duecinquanta, which literally translates to 250, is the successor to the Vins Powerlight that was introduced two years ago as a two-stroke, 100cc lightweight motorcycle made mostly out of carbon fibre.

The new 250 is made on a similar idea; powered by a 249cc V-twin, fuel-injected engine. It also gets a lot of carbon fibre, right from the chassis to the wheels and even the front suspension, which helps make it as light as possible.

Speaking about the looks of the bike, it’s a proper, performance-oriented motorcycle that focuses on being aerodynamic and light. It packs only the essentials - with a single seat and full fairing, it looks hardcore. It gets a uniquely shaped split exhaust with one exit pipe below the tailpiece and one mounted at the side.The suspension at the front is made up of Hossack style front forks with alloy wheels on both ends.

The bike will be made available in two variants, namely the standard sport variant for the road and a Competizione racing variant. While the Standard variant tips the scales at 95kg, the Competizione will be lighter still at less than 85kg. The racing model gets a bigger 288cc engine which delivers more than 80PS of power and is good for a claimed top speed of 240kmph. On the other hand, the 249cc standard can clock 200kmph with no information on the power figures yet. The figures aren’t surprising for two reasons - first, the generous use of carbon fibre and second, the engineering and designing team at Vins includes a group of former Formula1 engineers.

Like all good things, the Duecinquanta too comes at price, and a surprising one at that. The Standard variant will be priced at £35,600 (roughly Rs 30.5 lakh), while the Competizione will cost £44,500 (roughly Rs 38 lakh) in the UK.

Vins has already made a ballsy move by making a motorcycle that an average man will seem to associate with impossibility. The success for Vins on the Euro 4 emissions front could encourage a lot of other, bigger manufacturers to focus back on a road now forgotten. All it needs to do is deliver on the essence of a two-stroke bike; on the power end.