Two Stroke Saab

We visited an old work colleague in England and he had bought himself a nicely restored two stroke Saab. He had one as his first car and always used to talk about them. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take it out on the road at this time but he demonstrated the fine exhaust note and the clouds of blue smoke you get when it hasn’t been out on the road for a while 

Ah!!! the smell of Saab 'two stroke smoke' and the 'ring-a-ding-ding' engine sound, brings back a few memories. As does the Saab free wheel clutch and total lack of engine braking. Those were the days... some say !!!!. Luckily times and technology has moved on.

Mike

They went well, and kept the mosquitoes fogged down along the route! 

Quite a few were sold in Canada, and apart from corrosion issues due to the road salt used here, the cars did very well.

I get somewhat Nostalgic seeing these pictures - though the model year don't quite match my Fathers nor Grandfathers .... this one looks to be two or three years earlier.

Engine braking - who needs that Mike  .... as long as you're not going down a steep mountain with loads of traffic !!
I learned to drive with that system (years before I was old enough to take a License) and it worked wonderful 

Racing Two Strokes also taught you to NEVER use any Engine Brake - unless you wanted Seized Pistons - great for my first Street Bike (Yamaha 350) .... and for that matter my street moped before that.

I actually got an old Saab 96 in my early twenties and the seller suggested that I drove it home as a test drive to see if I really wanted to buy it (thank God) and I rediscovered how cramped the space was for the Driver => it was returned.

The 96 two stroke was nice back in the day - but the V4 version was quite a bit better and we never used to lock the freewheel system on those either 

Beside that - I do agree Mike - I'm Not into old Bikes and definitily NOT old tires or Brakes that goes with them 
I even have the problem that I can't get a new Mikuni Carburator to my oldest bike - Suzuki DR350 (1990-1999) anymore   

Per