List of motorcycles by type of engine is a list of motorcycles by the type of motorcycle engine used by the vehicle, such as by the number of cylinders or configuration.
A transverse engine is an engine mounted in a vehicle so that the engine's crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the direction of travel. In a longitudinal engine configuration, the engine's crankshaft axis is parallel with the direction of travel. However, the description of the orientation of "V" and "flat" motorcycle engines differs from this convention. Motorcycles with a V-twin engine mounted with its crankshaft mounted in line with the frame, e.g. the Honda CX series, are said to have "transverse" engines, [1] [2] while motorcycles with a V-twin mounted with its crankshaft mounted perpendicular to the frame, e.g. most Harley-Davidsons, are said to have "longitudinal" engines. [1] [2] This convention uses the longest horizontal dimension (length or width) of the engine as its axis instead of the line of the crankshaft.
There are many different models of motorcycles that have been produced, and as such, this list is not exhaustive and contains only more notable examples.
The vast majority of motor scooters are single cylinder (see List of motor scooter manufacturers and brands).
The split-single (Doppelkolbenmotor to its German and Austrian manufacturers), is a variant on the two-stroke engine with two cylinders sharing a single combustion chamber. It is also known as a twingle, U-cylinder, or doppelkolben [5]
a.k.a. parallel-twin, inline-twin, vertical-twin, straight-two, or inline-two
The Tandem Twin is where the cylinders are longitudinal, and have two cranks geared together. A tandem twin is effectively a pair of geared singles, and is to be distinguished from an inline twin. Tandem twins are suitable primarily for two-stroke racers.
This is a partial list of some of the many four-cylinder motorcycle designs.
The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. All parts rotate consistently in one direction, as opposed to the common reciprocating piston engine, which has pistons violently changing direction. It is also known as a rotary engine.
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel.
The rotary engine was an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary in operation, with the entire crankcase and its attached cylinders rotating around it as a unit.
Electric motorcycles and scooters are plug-in electric vehicles with two or three wheels powered by electricity. The electricity is stored on board in a rechargeable battery, which drives one or more electric motors.
Only very small numbers of diesel engined motorcycles have ever been built. The improved fuel efficiency is offset by the increased weight, reduced acceleration and potential difficulty of starting, at least in colder climates.
A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders are arranged in a V configuration and share a common crankshaft.
Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production.
A café racer is a genre of sport motorcycles that originated among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s in London. Café racers were standard production bikes that were modified by their owners and optimized for speed and handling for quick rides over short distances. Café racers have since become popular around the world, and some manufacturers produce factory-made models that are available in the showrooms.
A motorcycle engine is an engine that powers a motorcycle. Motorcycle engines are typically two-stroke or four-stroke internal combustion engines, but other engine types, such as Wankels and electric motors, have been used.
The RS Cube (often wrongly and redundantly referred as RS3 or RS3 Cube, due to the original lettering RS3) is a prototype race motorcycle that was developed by Aprilia to compete in the 2002 until 2004 MotoGP seasons. It was unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show in December 2001 by Aprilia's president, Ivano Beggio, and their race boss, Jan Witteveen. The Cube is powered by a 990 cc inline-3 four-stroke engine (to conform to MotoGP rules of that time). The engine was developed with large F1-derived input from Cosworth, bringing many features not previously seen in motorcycle development - this includes pneumatic valves, traction control and ride-by-wire.
A cruiser motorcycle is a motorcycle in the style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, including those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and Henderson.
The Yamaha TRX850 is a sports motorcycle with a 10-valve DOHC 849 cc 270° parallel-twin engine. First released in Japan in 1995, a version for the European market was available from 1996 to 2000.
A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the engine, provides a location for the steering and rear suspension, and supports the rider and any passenger or luggage. Also attached to the frame are the fuel tank and battery. At the front of the frame is found the steering head tube that holds the pivoting front fork, while at the rear there is a pivot point for the swingarm suspension motion. Some motorcycles include the engine as a load-bearing stressed member; while some other bikes do not use a single frame, but instead have a front and a rear subframe attached to the engine.
Superbike World Championship is a silhouette road racing series based on heavily modified production sports motorcycles.
The Cyprus Classic Motorcycle Museum is a museum in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, dedicated to the history of motorcycles between 1914 and 1983. The collection consists of more than 400 motorcycles. Companies represented are AJS, MV Agusta, Matchless, Norton, BSA, Triumph, Ariel, BMW, James, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield and many more brands. The museum was created in 2000 by Andreas Nicolaou. It is the biggest motorcycle museum in the Middle East.
MotoAmerica is the organization that promotes the AMA Superbike Series since 2015. Sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), it features eight classes of road racing: Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport, King of the Baggers, Super Hooligan National Championship, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and Mini Cup.
The KTM RC16 is a prototype grand prix racing motorcycle which was developed to race in the MotoGP series by KTM, starting from the 2017 season.
GNC1 was the premier class in the 2015-16 AMA Grand National Championship for professional motorcycle flat track racing in the United States.
Grand Prix motorcycle racing sponsorship liveries have been used since the late 1960s, replacing the previously used national colours. With sponsors becoming more important with the rising costs in the motorcycle CC classes, many teams wanted to be able to display the logos of their sponsors as clearly as possible.
The BMW R 18 is a cruiser motorcycle manufactured by BMW Motorrad and was officially introduced in April 2020 and launched in September 2020 in Germany. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an official introduction at the BMW dealers was not possible, therefore it was presented virtually on the internet.
The 2020 MotoAmerica Championship was the 6th season of the MotoAmerica Championship.
Moto Guzzi's transverse V-twins are unique among motorcycles, while Ducati, in keeping with the classical school, uses a longitudinal V, meaning the axis of rotation of the crankshaft is transverse to the frame.