Not long ago, it only took a few moments of strolling through town until some two-stroke bike would drive by, cloaking the neighbourhood in a plume of pungent exhaust gas that would linger for several minutes. Cheap and popular two-stroke scooters were everywhere, and so was their buzzing noise and piercing stench. It was even quite common to be surprised by a whiff of exhaust smell completely out of the blue, not a bike within sight or earshot, simply wafting in from somewhere else.
However, first with the proliferation of more four-stroke motorcycles, then the growing popularity of electric scooters, encountering piercing, oily exhaust fumes in the wild and at random has become more rare. People who like the sound of two-strokes, and who enjoy the sight and smell of their exhaust fumes, now usually have to put a little more effort into actively seeking them out.
Fortunately, many people still treasure and enjoy their two-stroke vehicles. Whether it's at community rides or motorsport races, with a bit of planning you can still visit places and events where the air is thick with blue, oily smoke all day long. Of course, there are other types of events as well, whether that's rental jetskis dumping oil into the lake, or tractor pulling competitions blacking out the sun with plumes of sooty diesel exhaust.
Being able to visit such events was quite important to me as a teenager, when I didn't yet have an opportunity to use gasoline engines myself. Visiting places where others were having fun polluting the air allowed me to enjoy some exhaust fumes regardless. I remember when I visited a motocross race for the first time, I was stunned that the air indeed reeked of exhaust gas most of the time. Even though I liked the smell, I had to take a few breaks in order to get a few lungfuls of fresh air away from the track. My airways were irritated and stinging for the rest of the day, hours after leaving the event. Likewise, I was overwhelmed with how thick the air was with exhaust fumes the first time I visited an indoor karting track.
For my younger visitors, who perhaps also see no easy way to get on their own gas engine anytime soon (still living with the parents or in the city can make that quite difficult), I hope these pages help them find places and events near where they live, so they can enjoy those experiences. But of course, these events are also for everybody else to enjoy.
General hints
So far lacking a real calendar, or a concept on how to maintain one, I'll start out by giving a few general tips on where you can start looking for the right kind of events.
- Find local kart racing tracks. Rental kart racing is a very popular and accessible pastime. Look for your nearest track and, even if you don't feel like taking part yourself yet, have a look around and watch people racing. Unfortunately, electric karts are becoming more popular, so make sure the track offers petrol karts before you head out there. The best atmosphere can definitely be found at indoor karting tracks with gas-powered karts. Despite the high-performance ventilation systems in those locations, the air always smells of exhaust fumes. You'll even bring the smell back home with you in your clothes and hair!
- Check the calendars of motorsports associations. Find out which associations are running amateur races and tournaments for the disiplines which interest you in your country. Motocross, enduro, karting, moto trials, snowmobile racing, tractor pulling… you might be surprised how much of that is going on not far from where you life. These associations usually publish a calendar of all events for the upcoming season towards the end of the year. Spectators are always welcome there.
- Find out about club events. If there's a particular type of vehicle you're into, look for clubs that organise meet-ups or rides. For example, there are many Vespa fanclubs around the world. They usually still have a very high percentage of two-strokes, enshrouding whichever neighbourhood they meet up at in their fumes.
- Find trade shows. Trade shows relevant to your preferences may offer interesting events and demonstrations. Fun races at motorcycle fairs, chainsaw demonstrations at garden shows, etc.
- Find organised tours. Depending on where you live or travel to, find local businesses who organise motorised trips. I like to check for any jetski rental places when I travel to a seaside place, or snowmobile tours when I travel to colder regions (especially looking for those still renting out two-stroke snowmobiles or jetskis!)
