Motorcycle Engine Types

After experimenting with various other combinations that failed to come up to expectations, motorcycle engines are now exclusively of the internal combustion type, using only gasoline. The principle behind the internal combustion motorcycle engine is well known.

A combination of air and gasoline are either sucked or injected into a cylinder inside the motorcycle engine, in which a round piston placed on a pneumatically operated rod pushes and compresses the gas-air mixture downwards, while a spark plug ignites a minute spark that ignites the fuel.

As the fuel burns, the gases produced expand, pushing the piston back down.

This generates a force that is transferred via the crankshaft to the rear wheel causing the bike to generate forward motion.

These are the basic principles that cause a motorcycle engine to generate power. The many other permutations that allow a motorcycle engine to operate are detailed below.

Single Cylinder Engine
This variety of motorcycle engine has only a single chamber with one piston. By virtue of its design this type of engine is used almost exclusively in off-road bikes, as they produce loads of torque at lower revolutions per minute.

The down side is that since there are no alternative methods to counter-balance the movement of the single piston, the bikes they are mounted on constantly vibrate, and they produce a deep throaty sound.

Twin Cylinder Motorcycle Engine.
Coming in a variety of configurations, the dual cylinder type of engine are mostly V-shaped with the pistons angled at 90 degrees in most cases.

These engines produce considerably more power than their single cylinder counterparts.

Their tendency to vibrate is also much less than the single cylinder version.

Triple Cylinder Motorcycle Engine
The three-cylindered engine is uncommon, despite the fact that it produces excellent power and has considerably less accented vibration characteristics.

On the down side the number of moving parts in the engine are much greater, thus increasing the required number of carburetors or fuel injectors.

The Triumph Engine Company in the UK produces powerful triple cylinder engines. Having an engine with more cylinders produces more power, although in some cases, this advantage is offset by the weight required.

Motorcycle engines gradually rise in power according to the number of cylinders in operation and can reach as far as six. These make for a very powerful yet equally heavy motorcycle.

Anyone who understands motor cycles, and know what they want from them, will be well aware of which motorcycle engine type to choose from.

Whilst Triumph have their place in the market, the Japanese companies such as Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki have a very strong hold on the market, with BMW taking their share, especially in the more powerful motorcycle engines.

People who choose a motorcycle dependant solely on style, are making a mistake if they do not place at least the same emphasis on power and motorcycle engine capacity.


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