Motorcycle Engine
How well do you know your motorcycle engine? Well, you love your bike more than anything else, yet you might be unaware of what goes into making her a sleek and speedy machine. For more than a century, motorcycles have caught the fancy of guys and gals wanting to feel the thrill of speed on the road. Till date, over one dozen motorcycle engines have been invented, some of which have also failed to make it in the market.
Well, it's time to touch the heart (read engine) of your bike and know what it feels to be one of the most important parts of this vehicle. First of all, you must know how this heart works. Every bike engine contains a rod that produces a force for pulling the gasoline and air inside the chamber, which is known as the cylinder. Here, there is a piston and rod that move rapidly to force the gasoline and air in the tiny space where it comes in contact with the spark or ignition plug. This leads to sparking, which creates a kind off explosion of air and gasoline. This is what you call "starting the bike."
The force produced by the explosion moves the piston downwards. This moves the belt or chain. This movement is called torque that moves the rear wheel of your bike. Now, when this process goes on continuously, your bike attains speed and moves on the road.
It's the number of cylinders and their arrangement that determine the performance of a motorcycle. The single cylinder motorcycle engine is used for off-road race bikes. Single cylinder provides an amazing torque, but it comes with a lot of noisy vibration. And this is what race lovers want - a ferociously roaring bike with thrilling speed to keep the adrenaline pumping!
Twin cylinder motorcycle engine also produces high torque, but it uses more fuel. But, the vibration is less. The cylinders are arranged at right angles. However, there are certain designs of bike such as the boxer design that has cylinders positioned adjacent to each other. This drastically reduces the vibration. But, it may not be as good as it seems because the arrangement of the cylinders restricts the biker to take sharp turns. You can see the cylinders protruding from the side of the motorcycle, which in itself, makes for a not-so-pleasant sight. And remember, you need leg protection here.
The triple cylinder motorcycle engine is another name for power! So is the four cylinder bike engine. But, the latter weighs more. The choice of engine depends on where you intend to ride the bike. If you want it for off-road purpose, you need an engine that gives high torque but low RPM so that you can climb the hilly terrains and handle difficult turns with ease. Hence, single cylinder engine is the best for you.
For riders who love to sail through the road with hair-raising speed, it's triple as well as four cylinder motorcycle engines that make a good choice. They can provide incredible speed and power - enough to sweep people off their feet!