Motorcycle Engines Explained | Which Engine Is 'Best' For Street Riding?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Welcome to our video discussing whether inline 4 cylinder engines are better than parallel twins, and which is more suited for street riding. There are many different types of motorcycle engines to choose from, and many different types of riding experiences. The engine in your motorcycle plays a huge part in the overall riding experience. Today we'll be picking my best from an experience perspective, and why both have their pro's and con's. Let us know which engine you prefer in the comments!
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End Credits:
Rip & Tear - Mick Gordon (DOOM 2016 Soundtrack)
Rip & Tear - The Anchor (Cover)
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Hey all, this video has been approached with beginners in mind, it's not meant to be a technical breakdown. BTW the inline 4 diagram shown in this video for context is the engine of a car, however in principle, they work in the same way for motorcycles. I hope this helps anyone who, like me, didn't know much about how motorcycles worked. Let us know where you think V4's and V2's stack up against i4's and i2's! Cheers👍
went from a v twin (shadow 600) to a parallel twin (vulcan 500), and have added an inline 4 to the fleet (blackbird) and each iteration was smoother than the previous. the blackbird motor is a little of an anomaly because it has twin counter balancing shafts to further reduce any vibrations so it's silky smooth, I hardly feel the engine when it's running. the v twin in the shadow has a single pin crank, so it mimicks a bit of the shake and rumble of harley motors, and the vulcan 500 is a 180 degree twin so it actually doesn't feel quite as smooth as a 270 degree, and had a nice lumpy idle but smoothed out once it got goin
I also have a few singles in my collection and they're obviously very lumpy and bumpy but I love that low end torque and the lightweight and simple design makes them excel as off road engines. Also have an old nighthawk 250 with a 360 degree twin, smoother than a single for sure, not nearly as smooth as a 180 or 270.
Z900RS is inline 4 and has excellent torque approx 82ftlb and quick get up and go over my old parallel twin ninja 650
Twin torque is FUN AF, 4 cylinder top end is FUN AF. Twin is objectively faster in most real world situations with the same displacement of engine. Motorcycles ain't objectively smart in most real world situations. Get what you want and enjoy it.
The fact that I4 engines don't have that much low-end torque is the reason I love them. Probably a sportbike only thing, but you get two bikes in one: you can just chill and cruise around on a 600-1000cc sportbike and still be faster than most cars if you don't rev it above 6K rpm, or you can keep the bike in lower gears with high (10K+) rpm and produce a lot of torque if you want to have some fun. That's 2 completely different bikes in one and you can control which one you want in the exact moment.
Easy for me i just love the sound of an inline four with a good exhaust over a lumpy parallel or v twin
Kein Problem.
Fahre 1-2-4 Zylinder.
Für jedes Wetter das richtige 😊!
Ps. Der grösste unterschied ist, das gewicht !
1 Zylinder Kg 110-135.
2Zylinder Kg 167.
4 Zylinder Kg 210.
Gruss Amateur.
Thailand 1959.
I had a very different experience with the inline-4 I owned. My Z900RS was quite torquey at the low end and dropped off sharply at the top end. It still hit 150mph, but it wasn't anything like a sport bike of that size. The big difference is how it's cammed.
Haven't ridden anything but my own 120 crank horsepower 1000cc Japanese V twin for an age, but when I did ride a mate's Yamaha Thunderace 1000 some years ago and went to overtake a few cars in top, 5th gear, it seemed gutless until I changed down to 3rd. My own bike rockets past from 40MPH upwards in top, 6th in the same circumstances. I've held a full licence since 1974, when I was 17. It all depends what you want from a bike really, Bragging rights about BHP are pretty daft, in my opinion.
There's a disconnect between what in somebody's mind is evocatively great for the road vs what an engineer has optimised to be efficient for the road. Emissions has helped sway the argument and evidence to parallel twins and triples for ease of production, whilst the reduction in cylinders also allows for smaller surface contact area for blow by in piston rings and such like, allowing for a reduction in emissions.
Personally, again with rose-tinted spectables, my favourite engine configuration for the road, which felt the most engaged and rewarding was sub 400cc IL4 screamers. Everybody still remembers my ZXR250C being so much fun in the powerplant department. Granted, it's gutless as anything, but the induction howl was so evocative. VFR400 - NC30 - nice torque all through the rev range.
Torque wins on the road, but I just love having a rubber band that I have to stoke up for an engine.
The real reason for improved efficiency on lower cylinder counts is the larger bore and stroke pistons which provide more low rpm torque and midrange.
You are effectively trading the superior primary and secondary engine balance of the i4, which allows a higher redline and therefore more peak power.... for a lower peak rpm but with a wider more usable power curve which suits street riding better... and because it doesn't have to be revved out to reach the power curve it can be more efficient.
I own aZZR 1400 but I also own a mk1 Triumph Daytona 900 Triple which is now 28 years old, it’s got much less horsepower that the Big Z but I still love to ride it. That 100 Hp triple is still so peachy.!❤
I’m liking the CF Moto - CL Cruiser. I am thinking of getting one later on this year.
The i4 can have a much higher redline than lesser cylinder counts due to having better primary and secondary balance than lesser cylinder counts.... but there are also many other factors.
'Driving 4 answers' does a fantastic breakdown of all the different engine types, their strengths, weaknesses and their typical power characteristics. He also covers power pulse frequency and why singles with their spread out power pulses are desirable off road as they allow the tyre carcass to recover to help recover grip.
In one video he also covers the Honda NSR i4 'big bang' engine that fired all cylinders at the same time, the power pulses were as spread out as a single which improved traction on the race circuit for a net advantage even though it was compromised in other areas, by the design.
Btw, you can have a parallel twin with adjacent rising pistons.. it's called a 360 deg parallel twin. :)
I ride a 750 twin currently, mainly for commuting and the torque is perfect for that, but my first bike was a 600 i4 and the i4 will always be my favourite riding experience, still plan one day on getting a 1000cc i4 purely for fun, just have to tick that off the list even if only short term
Just do it, just for fun even buy an old crap gsxr/r1/fireblade inline 4 liter power is something every rider should experience. 😊😊😊
@Jackal9405 yes those early to mid 2000's were the golden age and not too expensive today, that's what it will be when I do it
Sorry to contradict you on the in line four situation, but there are a handful of big bikes like the GSXS1000GT and Kawasaki Ninja 1000 and 1100 sports tourers all have relatively detuned supersports engines re-egineered for producing torque rather than massive peak power.
To me the torq at low rpms and eficiency at city riding. So naturally my favourite bikes of all times are the sv650 and the z650 i now own. They are not the best at any level but are so affordable and competent at 99% of situations that i simply forget other bikes.
False choice. There are Vtwins, inline 3s, V4s, inline sixes...in order of rarity. Twins especially are f'n great.
Vtwins are basically pointless when parallel twins of equal displacement exist, just a large engine for no gain
Hello ,I have test ridden the ZH2, i own a KTM SSgt 1301cc twin, it has more torque and less horsepower but it is 200kgs compared to the heavy ZH2, I also have an MT-09 SP which is the best of all worlds lightweight, maneuverable smooth and very agile.
my concours 14 with VVT variable valve timing makes that torque /ecu flash from bottom -midrange strong+++ perfect for street and still got high end puch all inline 4s need that VVT !!!!!.. gsxr 1000 got it !
Triples. I love twins and inline 4's for different reasons, but triples just give that blend of the benefits of both. Smoother than a twin, more punchy low down than an inline 4. For the real world, its gotta be a triple.
( That being said, I have a 1600 inline twin but my excuse is I hardly ride anymore )
Got my license using MT07. However, I bought a ZX4R as my first bike. I don't regret it at all. For the torque you give up you get a lot back in sound and riding experience. It's hard to explain but on the ZX4R I feel I am in full control of the bike all the time. On the MT07 not so much. Maybe it is because difference in build quality between the bikes.
For my Budget a Parallel Twin is affordable fun They are Cheaper to Make The M T - O7. Has sold in
Massive Numbers so there. Must be a lot of Riders who Love a P Twin
I agree the ninja 650 is a great bike!! i watched your video and wanted one got a 2018 krt edition with 1500 miles on it i absolutely love it, once it gets a bit warmer and im more confident ill get the 955i out for a run see what its like.
I always wanted a CB400 Super Four. (2 to 4 valve VTEC)
I thought it was about the right size bike and engine style.
Sounds nice too.
I have a cbr600rr 24 love the scream
Great video. The triple engine is like a swiss army knife. I like them the best for that reason. The powerband is great and the sound is also great. Not as great as an inline four but far better than paralell twins. Its so sad that is so few triple sportbikes out there. Most of them are naked bikes and im not a huge fan of naked bikes. I like the looks of Yamaha R7 but cant stand the riding position. I want a little more upright position than that bike offer. Everyone complains about the new Triumph Daytona 660 and that its not a”real Daytona”. I cant care less. That engine is so great and also the sound. Yes they can upgrade it for sure but for me is also about price and insurance cost. Really like the Honda cbr650r for the looks and sound but is heavy. Wish Honda can make that lovely looking bike with a triple engine what a win. Kawazaki also make pretty looking sportbikes but dont like the sound of their paralell twins. Its sad. Even kawa should go into triple engine sportbikes. They already have great designed bikes.
The zzr1400 , just said.
Hold my beer, it has power and torque, as well as mid range, all rounder really..
It's still one of the fastest kwaks ever made, 3rd I think.. especially unrestricted..
Zzr1400 115 in first gear..
V2 is made for road bikes, its simply perfect in terms of packaging and performance.
Performance it works fine in bikes but when it comes to packaging v twin is not perfect, I'd even say it's subpar . 270° twins beat v twins in every aspect.
can you do a review on 1390 super duke twin ?? then see what up ? thanks you will see another experience..like no other.. street
The triple engine trumps both for street use
you were right !! ,you do,nt know what you are talking about
Think of it like this there is 2 silinders less to seeze or brake.
The 1000SX