2T engineering

16/08/2026

Brilliant day at Oulton Park with classic bike trackdays.

Testing the tzr with different suspension ahead of its next event.

Found some good handling improvements on the ZXR 400, finally its starting to turn like it should.

Haven't been round Oulton since 2004 and it showed. 3rd session was a big improvement and having Dan Hobson and Mark to chase after really helped me to find a rhythm.

Dan was testing his Ducati after a recent injection mapping session we did (don't tell anyone we allowed a 4 stroke on the dyno🤫) that was performing really well.

Mark let me ride his rgv/rg500 and that was a lot of fun, not all play as I wanted to experience for myself the hesitation at 8k rpm. We have planned changes to make on the servo system and hopefully with some winter Dyno work we can iron out the issue. Aside from that it's an absolute weapon, handles well, easy to ride quickly and plentiful power on tap.

Regulars Ian Coose Cass , Miff Smith and Guy Burnett in attendance, always great company.

Met a bunch of new customers, look forward to helping you all.

06/08/2026

Suzuki rgv 250 1990

Late model VJ 21.

Came in mainly for idle problems.
We found various issues during initial checks. Incorrect power jet pipes, leaking air, clutch lever fouling on switch gear, clutch slipping badly. Pilot jets fitted with no markings, they measure up at 15, should be 27.5. air screw set at 6 turns out, should be closer to 1.5. throttle position sensor out of calibration. Powervalve cables set too tight.

This model also has a separate electronic control unit for the solenoid valve on the main air jet. However the bike also has zeeltronic electronic ignition. This could be used much better to control the solenoid valve. In addition the zeeltronic also needs various settings improving and then calibrating to get the best from the pipes.

The bike will go back to the owner for a new clutch and we will set a future date to optimize the zeeltronic wiring and settings.

04/08/2026

Check out this spot light video from Alan Flack covering Bemsee's open 500 class.

Being in front of a camera is definitely not my natural environment, however for the greater good if it helps to get the word out and fill spots on the grid it's was certainly worth going outside my comfort zone. 😁

In it's first year the class is steadily gathering momentum, if you have ever fancied racing a 2 stroke in the UK this class could be the perfect opportunity. Easily accessible and well supported, we can help you turn your dream into a reality. Don't just think about it, make it happen, your just an email away from getting started.

Thanks to Alan Flack for his excellent coverage of all the Bemsee rounds. We are very lucky to have you!

A review with interviews from Round 6 of the British Motorcycling C...

02/08/2026

Another Great weekend at Donnington park.

Classic bike trackday on the Friday, got the TZR looking great in its new bodywork. Great to hook up with the regular CBT crew, Ian , Guy and Miff .

Met up with Mark, he had his mk9 rg500 and his rgv/rg500 hybrid out. We have been helping him with the RGv recently and after a bit of Dyno time and dialing in a new ignition it's now flying.

Also met a guy with a Suter , really interesting to see one in the flesh and chat with the owner.

The only complaint is one day just isn't enough for these things, too many interesting bikes and people and not enough time

CRMC classic race meeting on Saturday, not riding but had several customers there. Actually got to watch quite a bit of track action.

Alan Cooper out in Supersport 400 on his tzr 250, up against the bigger hp 400's is difficult as his corner speed advantage is countered with the 400 straight-line speed. But he was able to show he can run very quick lap times and with a little luck on the start the podium should be possible.

Mike Smith out on his tz350, running top 5 in race 1, let's see if he can improve upon this on Sunday. Mike also had his tz250 4tw/5ke hybrids on display in the paddock.

Andy Dyer has his son, Will Dyer out in a parade on his Tz350, looking great in its martini colours.

Pete Nicholls on his T500 Suzuki. Thankfully seems to have resolved his recent clutch problems and was enjoying his weekend.

Met up with Nathan Wisniewski and his dad , Nathan had set himself a challenging weekend turning up with a rs125 and a tz250 reverse cylinder, neither bike having been run or ridden before. A couple of annoying brake problems but hope to see him making more progress on Sunday.

Also great to meet Will Pagget, had a good chat and great to see him going well on his zxr400 ( who would have thought a 4 stroke could have sneaked through the door of 2T for some Dyno time !)

Thanks to Darren Cooper for keeping us fed and watered.

11/07/2026

Tzr 250 3xv spr race bike.

Built for the Japanese production racing classes this is a very special bike.

We originally built the engine for the previous owner, it had a history of detonation problems. During the full rebuild we modified the heads to our own specification.

The bike was sold sometime later to Iain. We have been looking after Iain for several years and after some track use the engine was in for a winter check over. A weld on the powervalve linkage had cracked so that was repaired. Full measurements and records created the top end was refreshed.

The V twin 3xv series of tzr was the basis for the TZ 250 race motors. It roots run through the 3yl, 4dp and 4tw models. So with the right parts, deep pockets and a little effort it is quite possible to effectively build a TZ motor from a 3xv TZR .

Now this is not your average TZR 250 motor and shows just how serious Yamaha was about offering a production based race bike. Spr cylinders with rotary powervalves in the main AND aux ex ports. Close ratio gearbox. Spr crank. TZ flat top pistons. 2t engineering bespoke heads. 36mm Tri oval race carbs. Sugo pipes. Sugo ignition

As usual I don't post Dyno graphs or numbers, I just try to tell you the important facts. Simply this bike has shown performance on par with a good 4dp tz 250. The overrev doesn't extend quite as far but it makes up with a superior front side due to the advantages of a rotary powervalve Vs a guillotine style. The unfortunate fact is these are rare, and owning one is challenging, let alone actually racing one. Huge kudos to Iain for running this bike in the open 500 class with Bemsee

Currently running a Sugo ignition but in the future we may try an ignitech ignition to help with the mid throttle performance and fine tune to suit the fuel.

05/07/2026

Snetterton Round 5 Bemsee - YPM / Open 500 updates

The hottest day on record made Friday practice very difficult at the Norfolk circuit. Over 38 deg in the shade and the 2 strokes were not happy. Glad to report no mechanical issues due to heat, but reports of bikes above 85 deg and many riders choosing to limit track time and sit sessions out.

Saturday was still very hot but slightly more bearable. YPM were last out so it was going to be a lot of sitting around. Kev Wholley would qualify top, followed by Mark Haigh, Haydon Smith and Tom Ridley

Race 1 Kev Wholley would take the win, Haydon smith 2nd and Mark Haigh 3rd, Tom Ridley 4th . Tom continuing his excellent form from Cadwell. Kev Wholley had a sightly nervous race as an exhaust b**g had come adrift, but aside sounding like a tractor the bike ran perfectly. The b**gs were subsequently lock wired. Paul Nield and Chris Whitlock taking wins in Clubman and junior clubman respectively.

Race 2 Kev Wholley taking his 2nd win of the weekend. A 4 way battle for the remaining pots would see Mark Haigh spectacularly high side exiting agostini. Haydon Smith 2nd, Richard Hayward 3rd and Tom Ridley a very close 4th. The race was stopped on lap 3 as rain had begun to fall and we were very close to the end of play circuit time limits. Chris Whitlock crashed out on lap 1 coincidently he was sharing a garage with Mark Haigh, it meant these two would have a busy evening together repairing both bikes. Luke Macrae was riding Pete Fishwick's #7 bike but unfortunately the combination of Snetterton and Luke being heavier than Pete meant the suspension was struggling. They decided it was best to park the bike up for Sunday.

Race 3 Extended to 9 laps due to Race 2 being cut short. We had a head wind on the start / finish straight and thus a tail wind on the back straight. Kev Wholley had Saturday best time of 2:09.6 – the long standing lap record is a 2:07.92 – set by Doug Edmondson. Kev clearly had some work to do if that lap record was to be found. During the race Kev was clearly figuring out a few things and had set several 2:08 s laps, we really were not sure if an improvement was possible but on lap 6 he was only 0.006 seconds outside and then on lap 7 Kev set a new lap record 2:07.289! Going on to take the win. Haydon smith would take 2nd, Tom Ridley finished in an impressive 3rd. Mark Haigh was a solid 5th with yesterdays highside having calmed his commitment somewhat.

Race 4 – Kev Wholley would take his 4th win of the weekend and on lap 4, would stamp his authority by improving on his earlier lap record with a 2:06.926. Amazing job (again!). Haydon Smith would unfortunately crash out of what we thought was a safe 2nd place on the penultimate lap. Tom Ridley bringing home a fully deserved 2nd place and Mark Haigh taking 3rd holding off Damien Lee who was riding brilliantly and trying hard to mug Mark on the last lap. Paul Neild and Chris Whitlock taking clubman and junior clubman class wins.

A huge congratulations to everyone on the grid for getting through such difficult temperatures this weekend. A notable mention to Tom Ridley who has really found some form in the last couple of rounds. Looking fast and smooth and proving it with regular podium finishes. Hopefully this weekend will be a turning point for Mark Haigh, reflecting on his approach he made changes on the Sunday and looked like a different rider, well done!

This weekend has been a significant milestone for Kev Wholley, he has now achieved some formidable race statistics.

Consecutive Starts with Podium finishes: 102 (98 x YPM 4 x MZ)
1st x81 2nd : x20 3rd x1
Consecutive Starts and finishes : 111

Last Dnf : Cadwell 25/6/2022 – crashed whilst leading at the hairpin
Last time off the podium 4/9/2022

Along the way he has taken several lap records at various circuits.

His TZR 250 race bike (prepared by Alan Cooper at Twistgrip Motorcyles with engine development and tuning here at 2T engineering) has clearly proved to be both exceptionally reliable and fast, combined with Kev's talents as a pilot he has set an extremely high bar to follow.....and its worth noting he's not finished yet! Huge congratulations to Kev on his 100+ Podiums, its a pleasure to be helping you along the way.

Some time ago I was asked how many YPM lap records have been set using 2T tuned motors, I wasn't sure so I decided to look into it and realised that Donnington Gp and Snetterton were about the only 2 left. It was never a goal until we realised how close we were. Kev had sorted the Donnington lap record earlier this year, but the Snetterton 300 was always going to be difficult, Doug Edmonson set an exceptional lap time and honestly I wasn't sure if it was possible without perfect conditions. But records are meant to be broken and finally this one has gone.

YPM Lap records set using 2T tuned bikes:
Kev Wholley : Pembrey, Donnginton GP, Donnginton Nat, Oulton Park, Snetterton 300
Anthony Johnson: Brands Indy, Cadwell park
Scott Grant : Silverstone
Scott Carson : Brands GP

(* Based on circuits Bemsee has raced on since 2021)

It really is an honour to be able to have helped so many racers over the years. If I have one main objective its simply trying to provide the best engines and development that I can. This set of lap records is a great reflection of that core principle. We have come such a long way since our beginnings in 2020 and I'm excited to see just how high we can push the bar going forward.


Open 500 2 stroke Championship

This weekend Haydon Smith would be trying to further his championship points lead riding Kieran Lewis 3YL TZ250. We saw GP bike entries from Bruce Dunn, Steve Bayley, Phil Guillou and George Prinos. Production based machines included Andy Gill using Nick Smith's Kr1S, Damien Lee and Darren Cooper on TZR250's. Regular class entrant Ian Davis was notably absent.

Race 1 and 2 wins would go they way of Bruce Dunn. Haydon Smith trying hard to to challenge Bruce but in the end the superior drive to the line was an advantage on Bruce's 5KE. Haydon taking 2nd places on Saturday races. Phil Guillou would claim the final podium in Race 1 and George Prinos would take 3rd in race 2.

In race 3 Bruce unfortunately suffered a broken gear return post on the penultimate lap, sadly that would ultimately put an end to the race and his weekend. Phil was also struggling with gremlins in the high speed areas of the circuit, suspecting a potential fuel pump issue. Haydon Smith was left to clean up with 2 race wins on Sunday, again improving over the weekend and setting his fastest lap in race 4. Damien Lee took 2 x 2nd places onboard his YPM spec TZR 250. Andy Gill was getting to grips with the KR1-S and took 2 x 3rd places.

Next round is at Donnington National in 3 weeks time. We have some carburation work to do on Haydons TZ as a post race review of the on board data showed some interesting information associated with running in the hot conditions.

14/06/2026

A couple of apprentices hard it at .. nice to sit back and eat biscuits for a bit. 😁

08/06/2026

TZR 250 Yamaha Pastmaters Race Bike

This bike was built by Chris Whitlock for his 1st year road racing, we completed it readiness for the final round of the season at Donnington. Chris has been competeing in all rounds of 2026 and currently leads the Junior Clubman championship - his race craft going from strength to strength.

The motor was stripped and fully tuned and rebuilt to 2T specification and then set up on the dyno, we also built a dedicated race loom from scratch. This allows us to minimise weight and parts whilst relocating various components to make the bike easier to work on. Reliability is also ensured with a brand new electrical system. A dual channel Temp system allows us to monitor the cooling efficiency. Jolly moto pipes fitted along with a Zeeltronic power valve controller.

Chris expects high standards of both performance and finish, its certainly one of the nicest bikes on the grid, even though it has now picked up a few inevitable scrapes along the way.

Its back for a refresh soon and then ready to contest the remainder of the season.

01/06/2026

2T Engineering BMCRC Open 500 - 2-Stroke Mid season update.

Championship standing coming into round 4 Cadwell Park , Haydon Smith (2T) leads, Stephen Bailey 2nd and Ian Davis (2T)3rd.

Regular TZR rider Ian Davis is spectating at the TT, giving the TZR based entries of Darren Cooper ,Damien Lee and Adam Sheriff a shot at the silverware. Ross Armour RGV 250 – Great to see an RGV out and apparently Ross has plans to be at Snetterton and Donnington, look forward to meeting you.
Hayden Smith - 2T Engineering tuned TZ250 3YL and George Prinos & Bruce Dunn 5KE TZ250, Stephen Bailey was not entered we hope to see him next time.

Qualifying - Bruce Q1 Hayden Q2 ,separated by 0.05s. Adam Sheriff Q3.

Race 1 – Haydon took outright win, Bruce 2nd, Damien Lee 3rd

Darren Cooper's luck not improving as Adam Sheriff misjudged his entry to the hairpin resulting in a DNF for Darren and a few more bumps and bruises.

Race 2 – Bruce Dunn got away well at the start and Haydon set about chasing him down, Bruce taking the win and Haydon 0.5 s behind at the line. Damien Lee getting the better of Adam Sheriff for the final podium position.

Race 3 – Bruce getting away well at the start and Haydon finding himself separated by a couple of 400 riders. Haydon found a way past on lap 2 and got the hammer down. Passing Bruce and going on to set a PB lap. 1:40.5. Finally finishing 8 seconds ahead of Bruce in 2nd. Adam Sheriff taking 3rd with Damien lee having dropped out on lap 1

Race 4 – Haydon Smith again taking the outright win, Bruce unfortunately did not start, leaving Damien and Adam to squabble over the remaining podium positions. Adam held 2nd for the majority of the race but Damien using his experience executed a perfectly timed move across the line, the pair separated by only 0.03s.

A brilliant weekend in the 2T engineering Open 500 2 stroke class. This is a new class for 2026 and is starting to gain momentum, its run by the BMCRC (Bemsee). https://www.bemsee.net/racing-classes. The rules couldn't be simpler, split into 2 stroke and 4 stroke categories, So any 2 stroke bike up to 500cc is eligible. Giving the option of production based machines, GP based machines or even build your own!

So far over 4 rounds we have seen a mix of stunning bikes including:
1 x Kawasaki KR1s, 9x Yamaha TZR 250's (1kt and 3XV), 1x Honda RS250, 3x Yamaha TZ250 5KE , 1 x TZ250 3YL, 1 x Suzuki RGV 250. 1x TZR 250 / 350 hybrid.

Over the 4 rounds 15 individual 2 stroke riders have entered with class wins and podiums having been achieved by riders onboard KR1S, TZR250 production based machines and TZ250 GP machines. Clearly production based race machines are proving to be competitive options.

If you have a 2 stroke race bike tucked away and gathering dust why not dig it out and come and join in the fun with the UK's best motorcycle racing club on the UK's best circuits.

If you want to know more about the class or thinking of getting involved but need some help and advice please message me via this page.

01/06/2026

TWISTGRIP MOTORCYCLES YAMAHA PAST MASTERS

Somehow we are at the 1/2 way point in 2026 so a report is well overdue. First off we have a new class sponsor. Up to this point DFDS have been sponsors for almost as long as I can remember, I used to race with DFDS very own Wayne Bullen back in the day, so a huge thanks to them for all the support over the years. But good things must come to an end so step in Alan Cooper from Twistgrip Motorcycles. If you follow my page you may recognise the Twistgrip name, we have been supporting Alan Kev and Darren (Team Twistgrip) with engine development for several years now, and its been very successful relationship with 4 out of the last 5 championships going their way. Its great to see someone with such a personal interest in the class providing support and Alan turns out some of the best bike preparation in the paddock https://www.twistgrip-motorcycles.com/

The season opener at Brands hatch went he way of Kevin Wholley on his 2T tuned Twistgrip m/c machine, 4 straight wins making his intent clear. Dave Ball and Luke Mcrae would share the remainder of the silverware with 2 2nds and 2 3rds each over the weekend. Luke was piloting the famous #7 TZR on loan from Pete Fishwick. A regular CB500 campaigner Luke got to grips with the TZR very quickly, looking fast smooth and in control all weekend.

Paul Neild on board his freshly tuned 2T engineering machine would take honours in the clubman championship. Followed by Ian davis (2T) and Abi Marshall in 3rd.

Mark Haigh had testing weekend, from van problems, to gearbox issues, braking issues, powervalve problems, falling off in the paddock, falling off in the race, being knocked off on track.

Paul Whitby had a huge highside in race 1, Launching himself off his 2T tuned TZR, in full moto GP style. Not often a TZR lets go like this and thankfully everyone avoided him. But a broken collar bone and damaged ribs means he would be out of action for a while.

Father and son duo, Nick and Haydon Smith were out to play courtesy of Doug Edmonds aka “Team Patina” Haydon having looking to the measure of his dad over the weekend.

A huge welcome back to Nick Shorter, I used to race with Nick back in the mid 2000's and he hasn't changed at all, such an enthusiastic chap and a pleasure to be around. . We struck a deal if he did a sub 1min lap he could have a couple of 2T stickers. (see photos)

My old mate Pete Fishwick managed to spangle himself on Sunday whilst returning from the commentary box on his push bike. The end result was a broken hip, subsequently undergoing a full hip replacement later that week. We all know racing is dangerous but it seems Pete has found new ways to prove that point.

Round 2 Outlon Park
Great to be back at this circuit for 2 consecutive days of racing. Paul Whitby had loaned his bike to Haydon Smith for the foreseeable rounds whilst he recovered from injury. Haydon had raised a few eyebrows from the first time he rode a TZR in 2025 so aboard Paul's missile this was a real opportunity for the lad from Ipswich. The weekend would again be dominated by Kev Wholley. 4 straight wins. On the Sunday the wind had picked up between races and in the early laps this caught Kev out slightly whilst leading. The extra push from the wind meant his braking zone was just a little to tight at the chicane, so he had to take to the bypass road. Aware of gaining a perceived advantage he slowed and rejoined allowing 4 riders to pass. That act should ensure a possible 10s penalty was not applied , but just to be sure he got the hammer down and attempted to gain over a 10s lead. Ultimately he finished 13 s a head of second place – class act! Dave Ball, Mark Haigh and Haydon Smith would share out the remaining podiums. Mark just edging things with (2nd, 3rd , 4th , 4th) Over Dave (2nd,3rd,5th,6th) and Haydon Smith (2nd,2nd, DNF, 4th) Haydon being an unfortunate victum of the windy conditons. Richie Welsh was out on the Team Patina bike, up the sharp end and seemed to be enjoying himself. Richie could well be one to watch going forward.

Clubman Championship : Ian Davis and Paul Neild sharing the top clubman points between themselves over the weekend. Abi Marshal taking the remaining 3rd step prizes.

Round 3 Donnington Park. GP

Home turf for the Twistgrip boys, and Kev Wholley certainly put on a show. Another 4 straight wins and in the process he obliterated the existing lap record by serval seconds. In Kev's own words “There's always something to be aiming for” Mark had a string of podiums (2nd 2nd, 2nd and 3rd), he also had a string of problems to deal with, failed rear shock and engine swap and Van trouble, again! Haydon Smith taking the remainder of the silverware (3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd). Richie Welsh had a tumble in race 1 and was collected by another rider., suffering a damaged shoulder I believe, but that was his weekend over unfortunately. Darren cooper was unfortunate, in he was knocked of his Twistgrip prepared bike in an Open 500 race start, no major damage but sore ribs and new lid required. Pete Nichols joined on his new to him TZR, Pete had hired the club bike at Oulton, instantly hooked he quickly bought a 2T tuned TZR from Paul Godbold and hasn't stopped smiling since.

Clubman Championship Paul Neild taking the weekends class wins and Ian Davis scooping up 2nd Place over the weekend.

This was great weekend all round for 2T tuned bikes, 1,2,3 all weekend in YPM, Haydon smith finally out on the TZ250 in open 500. The TZ is owned by Kieran Lewis and some time ago we forged a plan to get Haydon out on it, the short story is we hit unexpected issue after unexpected issue, meaning round 3 was the maiden outing. Hayden won 3 out of 4 races, DNF in one due to a red flag restart – ran out of fuel. (the preferred way not to finish a race). Mike Smith on his 2T tuned TZ250 4TW / 5KE hybrid took qualifying and 3 race wins at NG in the 250 ACU GP championship. Racing is unpredictable by nature, nothing is a given, but when these outstanding moments arrive its really pretty special.

Round 4 Cadwell Park.

Kev Wholley notably not in attendance this weekend – on a well earned holiday and providing a chance for everyone else to fight it out for the top step. Mark Haigh starting the weekend with a simple radiator swap and somehow it turned into an engine swap by the end of the day, when will his luck improve. But it didn't stop him taking P1 qualifying and Race 1 win. Haydon and Dave in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Race 2 – Mark Haigh crashed out on lap 4, Haydon taking the win, Dave 2nd and Tom Ridley clinching 3rd. Brilliant result for Tom on his 2T tuned TZR, His race craft improves with every meeting and a taste of the podium does wonders for self belief. Well done!
Race 3 : this was full of drama and excitement. Just as the commentary were discussing Marks run of bad luck he lost the front through the Goose-neck, thankfully up and OK. Then on lap 4 Dave Ball crashed out somewhere in the mountain section. This left Haydon to control the pace and without challenge he settled his times. Unfortunately he had no idea Tom and Richard Hayward were pushing each other along nd as the laps passed the gap closed. The inevitable pass came late and gave Haydon no time to respond, perfect timing. Richard taking the win and Tom taking 2nd. Well done Tom for going 1 better and on to the top step, great ride. Huge congratulations to Richard Hayward, top step finally, a very special moment.

Ian Davis was spectating at the TT so that gave his clubman competitors a chance to grab points, Paul Neild taking straight wins, Club bike rider Robert Whittaker taking three 2nds. Not sure of his background but he certainly made an impression on the #100. Abi Marshall (2,2,2 3rd) and Mark Stubberfeild grabbing the last 3rd place in race 4 Sunday.

Thanks to Keith Roisetter and Rik Balerini for excellent commentary, very very entertaining.

Junior Clubman – Chris Whitlock making is serious progress in the Junior clubman Championshop on his 2t tuned TZR. His very first season and he goes from strength to strength. Dave Patterson is out of action after a Donnington crash, hope to see him out there as soon as possible. Adam Collins had a brilliant round at Cadwell on his 2T tuned TZR. 11th overall finishing just ahead of Chris Whitlock. He also took over 8 seconds of his best lap form last year, Well done! Looking forward to seeing you and Chris Battle it out at the next round.

Top 3 currently

1 Kevin Wholey 300
2 Haydon Smith 249
3 David Ball 217

Top 3 clubman

1 Paul Nield 386
2 Abigail Marshall 274
3 Iain Davis 207

Top 3 Clubman Junior
1 Chris Whitlock 331
2 David Paterson 220
3 Adam Collins 177