[charleym3]

Can someone or everyone explain to me why one would specifically choose a V-Twin over an In-Line twin or vice versa? The in-line will take more space, but it would seem that timing would make for a smoother ride. Can you have a single carb service both cylinders in a V?
Now that I think about it, a single carb serviced all cylinders of my early v8 automobiles, why not motorcycles? What am I missing?

 

[zleviticus]

hmm well as long as there is an intake manifold of some sort bi it a pipe or whatever a single carb can serive both cylinders... I think some of it has to do with the sound it generates as well.. or i could be smoking crack...

 

[87gsxrnut]

You are kidding, right?

- Nut

 

[zleviticus]

Who me?!?! NEVER :twisted:

 

[charleym3]

Alright let's not get side tracked. I really want to know if there is an advantage of some kind in one design over the other.

 

[doblerj14]

one dealer that i went to told me that the v-twin has more toruqe for low end pulling.

 

[KatanaMatt]

You know... in case you wanna pull a U-Haul trailer loaded with stuff... I can only imagine what effect that would have on the handling of the bike... :lol:

- [email protected]
- KatanaMatt

 

[TL chris]

I'm going to be buying a TL1000R. It's a V-twin superbike. I want this model because of the lower end torque it gives. As far as I know, it has 2 carbs, and is also dual exhaust. One pipe for each cylinder, while most inline fours usually run all 4 head pipes into 1 can. Theres no particular evidence as one being better than the other. The I-4's are smoother, but the V-twin exhaust growl just sounds mean.

 

[Guest]

The I-4's are smoother, but the V-twin exhaust growl just sounds mean.

I believe that's pretty much the point. I also like the TL, probably because it's just different from most sportbikes.

The v-twins generally have higher torque because they tend to have a longer stroke and a heavier flywheel. The vibration comes from having mechanicals being thrown out in all different directions. The sound probably has more to do with the timing than anything else. (Just rambling here. :? )

 

[TL chris]

Did a bit of looking and the TL series has FI not carbs. You're probably thinking of a Harley style V-twin. Theirs are built for show, Suzuki's are built to fly.

 

[USA1]

THe main difference?? HP and torque. Most V-twins have more low end torque, but less top end HP that a in line 4. So the inline-4 has an VERY high top speed, but the V-twins come out of corners faster on average. That doesn't mean they are faster, generally, the top speed of a Z-twin is less than a inline-4 bike.

 

[LayinLo]

Much like USA1 said, V-twins and I 4's were designed alittle different. The V-twins make a consistent flat torque and HP across the power band, while the 4's make their power towards the upper portion of rpm's.

 

[Clint]

There are enough generalizations in this thread that I'm prompted to pipe in.

First, it is bore/stroke, camshaft design, and intake/exhaust that determines horsepower and torque curves, not number of cylinders. Yes, four-bangers often have shorter strokes and hotter cams, but that's not necessarily because they're fours. And v-twins often have longer strokes and milder cams, but not because they're twins.

Secondly, my Bandit makes as much torque, and as early, as many v-twins of larger displacement. It's a very flat curve, and it holds on until past 8,000 rpm. The horsepower curve peaks relatively low, too. I can power wheelie at 3,000.

The main reason to buy one or the other is simply personal preference. Sound, appearance, and maintenance all offer reasons to own one over the other.

 

[Guest]

cant inline 4's go faster than a v twin of the same displacement?

 

[Clint]

More cylinders equal more firings per minute and all that, but it's more complicated than just counting bores. You could build a short stroke, big bore twin and it would make more horsepower than a long stroke, small bore four, all other things being equal, simply because it could rev higher.