If you’re a longtime reader of The Kneeslider, you may remember a review several years ago of The Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook by Paul Olesen. It’s a great book if you’re planning to dig into any four stroke motorcycle engine, not just one from a dirt bike. Well, since I just showed you the Rimar 2 stroke project, I thought it might be helpful for those of you who want to learn more about working on 2 strokes to show you how that’s done with a little advice from a real pro, and once again Paul Olesen is your man. He has a companion to the first book, it’s The Two Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook and it’s filled with the same walk you through it, hands on instruction found in the first one.
So who is this guy?
Here’s a short bio from his website:
… attending the University of Wales, Paul not only received his degree in motorcycle engineering, but he also designed and built his own racing motorcycle from the ground up. He spent his summers stateside, where he interned as a design engineer for S&S Cycle. While there, he built the fairing for their Bonneville racing bike and worked on the 2012 racing team.
It was through this education and exploration that Paul honed his engineering knowledge, which launched him head first after graduation into a powertrain position at Erik Buell Racing.
Afterwards, Paul decided to share his knowledge with riders who might not be as well connected to motorcycle designers and engineers, giving you a chance to look over his shoulder and see how the pros do it before tearing into an engine and finding yourself up to your elbows in parts and not sure what to do next. (Yep, been there, done that.)
Show and tell
The book is filled with photos taken during a rebuild with detailed descriptions of every step, showing, for instance, how to position that case splitter or dial indicator, not just telling you to use one. It’s the kind of expert at your side guidance all of us can appreciate from time to time.
I have the four stroke version of this book sitting on the shelf right behind me as I write this. If I were going to get into a 2 stroke engine, I’d get this first. If you have one that needs a little work or maybe major work, you might want to check this out. He has both printed versions and an e-book available you can load on your tablet or computer, though, in this case, I’d prefer the paperback.
If you’re ready to get your hands dirty, here’s a friendly expert to keep you on track.
DIY Moto Fix – Paul’s website
The Two Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook on Amazon
Bob says
I neeeed that – just ordered it – thanks for the review!
Lost track of his site years ago – will have to find out what happened to the KX500 roadracer project, etc…
Bob says
Glad I got the book!
The chapter on crank truing alone is worth the price of the book. LOTS of useful details that aren’t in any of the factory manuals. NONE of that “Internet expert” effect. either.
Paul Crowe says
I just grabbed my copy of his four stroke book to check and he has that section in there as well. You’re right, it’s excellent. As he starts out, “Crankshaft truing, easy to talk about, difficult to master,” followed by pages of diagrams and photos and clear explanations which are like taking a class from a pro, and that’s exactly what it is. These two books are easily among the very best books available on the topics.