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Types of Engine Almost all commercially available motorcycles are driven by conventional gasoline Internal Combustion Engine s, but some small scooter-type models use an Electric Motor Gasoline engines can be compared by many criteria. Displacement Displacement is defined as the total volume of air/fuel mixture an engine can draw in during one complete engine cycle. In a piston engine, this is the volume that is swept as the pistons are moved from top dead center to bottom dead center. To the layperson this is the "size" of the engine. Motorcycle engines range from 50 cc ( Cubic Centimetre s) to 2300 cc. Number of cylinders Motorcycles have mostly, but not exclusively, been produced with one to four cylinders, and designers have tried every imaginable layout. Engines with more cylinders provide more power for the same displacement, and feel smoother to ride. Engines with fewer cylinders are cheaper, lighter and easier to maintain.
Cooling: Water or Air Water-cooled motorcycles have a Radiator (exactly like the radiator on a car) which is the primary way their heat is dispersed. Water is constantly circulated between this radiator and the cylinder when the engine is running. The radiator has a small fan attached to it which is controlled by a thermostat. The cooling effect of this fan is enough to prevent the engine overheating in most conditions, thus water-cooled bikes are safe to use in a city, where traffic may frequently be at a standstill. Air-cooled motorcycles have no "cooling system," as such. As air blows past the engine case, it disperses heat. The cylinders on these bikes are designed with heat sinks (fins) to aid in this process. Air cooled bikes are cheaper, simpler and lighter than their water-cooled counterparts, but unless the ambient temperature is cold, they will overheat quickly if the bike stands still, as in traffic. Some manufacturers use a hybrid cooling method where engine oil is circulated between the engine case and a small radiator. Here the oil doubles as cooling liquid, hence the name "oil-cooling." Four Stroke or Two Stroke As applied to motorcycles, two stroke engines have some advantages over equivalent four-strokes: they are lighter, mechanically much simpler, and produce more power when operating at their best. But four-strokes are cleaner, more reliable, and deliver power over a much broader range of engine speeds.They use the 'Otto cycle' Induction-Compression-power-Exaust.In developed countries, two-stroke road-bikes are rare, because - in addition to the reasons above - modifying them to meet contemporary emissions standards is prohibitively expensive. Almost all modern two-strokes are single-cylinder, air-cooled, and under 600 cc. Other components Fuel Injection and computer engine management systems are now usual on large and expensive bikes, and starting to propagate to smaller bikes, driven by increased demands for emission control and improved performance. Capacitor Discharge Ignition (CDI) is now standard on all bikes, as opposed to the previous technology, Magneto s. |
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