Suzuki Ds80 Engine Information

The original DS-80 was produced in 1978. This little yellow dirt bike was built for youngsters and beginners. It started easily and ran dependably, but lost a little power on hills. The bike had a 79-cc air-cooled, single cylinder, two-stroke, five-speed engine that ran at a top 7,500 RPM.

The old DS-80 was a basic kick-starting bike with a chain drive and a steel-pipe exhaust. Including a full (5-liter) tank of gas, the bike's weight was about 132 pounds. Top speed was about 46 miles per hour.

The newer DS-80 is a bigger, faster bike with a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine with a displacement of 644 cc. There is an electric starting system and five speeds, as well as front and rear disc brakes. The engine fuel capacity has increased to 3.4 gallons and the entire bike weighs in at 324 pounds, making it no longer a beginner's bike.

The DS80 engine had both fuel and oil fill caps. Many owners who simply filled the tank with unleaded gas found their engines running rough and losing power. Even with a separate oil fill, it's best to add two-stroke engine oil at a ratio of about 1:32 to the gas whenever you refuel an engine of this size.

Dirt bikes such as the DS80 are also prone to fouling of spark plugs, carburetors, and air filters by dust, grit, and grime picked up from the trail. For best performance, these engines should be regularly taken apart, inspected, and thoroughly cleaned; their oil changed; and their air filters replaced.