Motorcycle engines typically have one to six cylinders and can be fuel injected, carbureted, or turbocharged. They are designed to achieve maximum power at high RPMs and are prone to mechanical problems such as overheating and fuel delivery issues. Harley Davidson’s V-twin engine is air-cooled, while some modern designs use exotic alloys and space-age technology.
A motorcycle engine is one that powers a motorcycle, and often contains one to six cylinders and can be fuel injected, carbureted, and even turbocharged. The initial design of the motorcycle engine was based on a two-stroke combustion and lubrication, but most modern versions are of a four-stroke design. Most motorcycle engine designs have the transmission designed into the engine housing, with the two components working as a single design.
The motorcycle engine is generally designed to achieve its maximum power at high revolutions per minute, or RPM. The typical motorcycle can comfortably operate at 6,000 to 8,000 RPM without damage. Some of the Japanese cafe style motorcycles can withstand extended operation at 10,000 RPM or higher. There are even some purpose-built drag racing motorcycles that can operate safely well beyond that.
The motorcycle engine does not differ much from the engine found in the average car, but it is generally built on a smaller scale. The basic functions of fuel, fire, and compression all exist in the motorcycle, and it is prone to the same types of mechanical problems as the automobile. Overheating and fuel delivery problems are the most common in motorcycle engines. Poor maintenance is usually behind most problems.
While the motorcycle is liquid-cooled for the most part, it does have some very high-tech features that have yet to find a home in the car’s engine. Exotic alloys used in engine production, as well as space-age design in power plants, help create ultra-fast, fast-accelerating machines. Some experimental models have included features such as oval-shaped pistons in the engine design, taking the cost of the motorcycle into the supercar league and beyond.
In the United States, Harley Davidson has chosen to stick with an air-cooled engine design very similar to its original motorcycles of the early 20th century. The air-cooled Harley Davidson V-twin motorcycle engine is a stand-alone engine. The engine is separate from the transmission in this design and is connected to the transmission via a chain or drive belt called the primary drive. The transmission may be a four to six speed unit and the final drive to the rear tire may be a roller chain or timing belt. Modern technology has found its way into Harley Davidson’s design studies, and it is offering a liquid-cooled, shaft-drive version of its lineup.
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