Two-stroke engine

A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston (one up and one down movement) in one revolution of the crankshaft. A four-stroke engine requires four strokes of the piston to complete a power cycle in two crankshaft revolutions. In a two-stroke engine, the end of the combustion stroke and the beginning of the compression stroke happen simultaneously, with the intake and exhaust (or scavenging) functions occurring at the same time.

Two-stroke engines often have a high power-to-weight ratio due to having power strokes twice as often as a four-stroke engine. Two-stroke engines can also have fewer moving parts than four-stroke engines, and thus be cheaper to manufacture and weigh less. In countries and regions with stringent emissions regulation, two-stroke engines have been phased out in automotive and motorcycle uses. In regions where regulations are less stringent, small displacement two-stroke engines remain popular in mopeds and motorcycles.^[1] They are also used in power tools such as chainsaws and leaf blowers.