Femtosecond two-beam coupling is demonstrated in N,N′-dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide by using a time-resolved pump-probe system at a wavelength of 800 nm. As the temporal delay between pulses is varied within the coherence time, transient energy transfer from one pulse to another occurs. Because of the asymmetry of the normalized transmittance, two-photon absorption is considered in the two liquids. A theory based on two-beam coupling in perpendicular linear polarization is used to interpret the experimental results. Good agreement is obtained between the theory and experiment. Moreover, by introducing a valuable variable, the ratio of the relaxation times of the two Kerr liquids is directly characterized.