Best engine configuration?

[Hitcher]

In my relatively short life as a motorcyclist I have owned three inline-fours, a V-4 and an L-twin. Each had their own character and it's hard to pick a favourite.

Of all of those engine types, the V-4 was competent yet uninspiring when compared to its inline cousins.

Currently I am in love with an L-twin. Who knows where my allegiances will lie in the future.

[Madmax]

How many hours of correct engine starting experience do you need before attempting to start this behemoth?
Cleaning 56 spark plugs doesn't sound fun.

Being a radial engine the lower cylinders can fill with oil
leaked past the rings,
you have to walk the prop through four rotations
feeling for hydraulicking or the rods bend
(you do not want to know how long it takes to change
a rod/crank assembly)
there are about six different starter types
single engine start time is about 1/2 hour
if checking oil etc

[dipshit]

The K5-K7 pulls like a school boy from take off. It is easy to spin the back wheel up on the exit of a corner almost irrespective of gear selected and revs indicated.

That's exactly what I am talking about. Easily spinning the back up is a downside. A V-twin could drive a lot better out of a corner with a lot less fuss because of the way they put the power down. It's having the power delivered in pulses rather than a smooth buzz that helps prevent a tyre spinning up.

It's surprising how much you can just wind on the gas, even on wet dodgy roads and they just grip and accelerate. When was the last time you saw a V-twin highside..?? (outside of motogp)

And why do you think the R1 has gone to an uneven firing order..??

[Blackshear]

Being a radial engine the lower cylinders can fill with oil
leaked past the rings,
you have to walk the prop through four rotations
feeling for hydraulicking or the rods bend
(you do not want to know how long it takes to change
a rod/crank assembly)
there are about six different starter types
single engine start time is about 1/2 hour
if checking oil etc

I'm guessing the only people that started those things were the team of mechanics that come almost integral to the craft?! Fucked if I'm gonna let some joystick wonder start MY week of hard labor!

[cheshirecat]

straight six was my most exciting, v4 my do anything anytime, panther single most painful, two stroke triple most scary, flat four most sleepy.

[Cajun]

That's exactly what I am talking about. Easily spinning the back up is a downside. A V-twin could drive a lot better out of a corner with a lot less fuss because of the way they put the power down. It's having the power delivered in pulses rather than a smooth buzz that helps prevent a tyre spinning up.

It's surprising how much you can just wind on the gas, even on wet dodgy roads and they just grip and accelerate. When was the last time you saw a V-twin highside..?? (outside of motogp)

And why do you think the R1 has gone to an uneven firing order..??

i have seen a v-twin high side, vtr1000f.
Its all the traction control that is in that right hand, that depends if it spins up or not.

Why would ducati put Traction control on the 1098R/1198S/R etc if it did not spin up and such.

[ducatilover]

That's exactly what I am talking about. Easily spinning the back up is a downside. A V-twin could drive a lot better out of a corner with a lot less fuss because of the way they put the power down. It's having the power delivered in pulses rather than a smooth buzz that helps prevent a tyre spinning up.

It's surprising how much you can just wind on the gas, even on wet dodgy roads and they just grip and accelerate. When was the last time you saw a V-twin highside..?? (outside of motogp)

And why do you think the R1 has gone to an uneven firing order..??

Don't you mean apart from a tl thou....
Mind you they do have a sight......handling problem on the early ones.
I highsided a vtwin. nothing to do with wheel spin though

[dipshit]

Why would ducati put Traction control on the 1098R/1198S/R etc if it did not spin up and such.

Higher up in the rev range the advantage is reduced. More of a problem when racing than on the roads.

[Laava]

I'm not a person to have favourites, but I love the feel of a V twin!

[James Deuce]

That's exactly what I am talking about. Easily spinning the back up is a downside. A V-twin could drive a lot better out of a corner with a lot less fuss because of the way they put the power down. It's having the power delivered in pulses rather than a smooth buzz that helps prevent a tyre spinning up.

It's surprising how much you can just wind on the gas, even on wet dodgy roads and they just grip and accelerate. When was the last time you saw a V-twin highside..?? (outside of motogp)

And why do you think the R1 has gone to an uneven firing order..??

I'm talking about the torque comparisons that people go on about between V/L twins and IL4s and the fact that K5-K7 engine is incredibly easy to manage with throttle control alone. It is incredibly easy to NOT spin the back up as well. I was talking about the connection to the rider rather than the rider being surprised by power he/she didn't asked for. Normally if I spin a rear up I'm going flying soon. Not so on the K5-&'s I've been lucky enough to try,

I've no doubt the crossplane crank in the R1 will be easier on tyres, but I'm not convinced that rideability will be any better than the old R1. I liked the old R1's distinct steps in power delivery myself.

[bladerider97]

Why have pistons at all.

[Sully60]

H-24 Napier Sabre, built with the same ethos as most of my bucket engines, more power, stuff reliability!

Now I just have to hide the fact it's 36.54 litres too big to be legal


It's interesting what you say about the K5/6 GSXR motor Jim, everybody reckons the later models feel soft and 'doughy' compared to that one. THe bike magazine article a couple of years ago shed some light on the differences in part throttle power figures. The K5 had up to 20 more HP at 40% throttle through most of the rev range

[Kflasher]

Tried the V-twin 748, but did not like the characteristics and did tend to ride in a gear lower than required just to keep it spinning.
But does have the pull to suck the skin off a rice pudding which I liked.

[jim.cox]

Large capacity air cooled V twin

Keep it simple

[more_fasterer]

Bike: V4

Cage: V12