Very sweet!

[The Masons]

> The old 2-strokes like this were called "piston port"
> because the piston and port height controlled the "timing",
> essentially what the cam does.  The newer 2-strokes,
> employee a reed valve in the back to seal off the intake
> instead of the piston skirt.  This increased the bottom end
> substantially.  In fact, the older single cylinder 2-
> strokes from the 60's and very early 70's were capable of
> starting backwards and it did happen that some poor sucker
> would be on a starting line and when the gate dropped his
> bike would go backwards.
>
> Charles S.

You remind me of my yooth and being the owner of an "ATV" called a Penguin. 
This was basically a 7'x3.5' fiber glass bath tub with seating for 2 and a 2 
stroke engine in the rear.  It was 2 wheel drive, with a 4 speed 
transmission.  Front suspension was equivalent of a new 16 hp lawn tractor.
The occupants sat side by side.  The steering control resembled the grips on 
a British Vickers 303 heavy machine gun with the throttle where the trigger 
was.  The shifter/clutch sat between the occupants.  This resembled  the 
parking brake lever with a clutch lever attached.  To start you turned the 
ignition key clockwise to the 1 o'clock position.  To move you grabbed the 
shifter lever , pulled in the clutch, lifted the shifter lever up for first, 
give it some gas, release the clutch and it would move forward.  To get to 
second, grasp the shift lever, pull in the clutch, push the lever down for 
second 3rd and 4th.  It was capable of nearly 40 mph.
The winner was it had "REVERSE"
You shifted to neutral, shut off the engine and waited until it stopped 
spinning.  Now you grab the ignition key and turn it counterclockwise to the 
11 o'clock position and the engine rotated backwards.  There were no safety 
devises what so ever.  You could get all 4 gears in reverse and yes it was 
capable nearly 40 mph.
It was also classed as aquatic.  Fortunately for me a friend's father (a 
lawyer) and his brother in law (another lawyer) slightly jammed from an 
after win party took it for a ride into Georgian Bay to check its 
seaworthiness.  It went down like a stone in the 5 foot waves.  The two of 
them in their $400.00 suits had to be rescued. They settled with me quickly.

Jim