What is the difference in having a v-twin rather than an inline-four?

Question

i was wonderin if a v-twin requires more up-keep or if its pretty much the same. i've been riding a while but never owned a v-twin and ktm has got a new superbike comin out so i thought i'd ask before getting into sumthin i know nuthin about

Answer 1

basically like others said.  v-twin for torque, inline 4 for HP.  and red_ducati, HD's do have counter balanced engined in the softail models, they have since the 2000 model year.

Answer 2

In-line fours are faster, smoother and last longer.

Answer 3

Usually V-twin engines are used in cruiser bikes, but we've seen more of them in performance bikes lately.  I haven't had a KTM superbike come into my shop yet, but I would guess that the engine is very similar to the Ducati rather than the V-Rod or Japanese twins.  If so, you can expect a normal to above normal level of maintenance and repair which will include regular service of the valve train.

V-twins usually make more torque and operate at a lower rpm range than inlines, and since they operate at a lower rpm range they usually have longer lives and require less maintenance.  You could argue that V-twins require less maintenance because most of them are used by cruiser riders that don't abuse their engines like sport riders do, but the new V-twins are known to turn high rpm's as well.  V-Rods typically have issues with the electrical systems that operate the engine, not the engine itself, and Ducati's desmodromic valve train requires regular inspection and adjustment.

Dealerships will charge more than average for something exotic, like a KTM superbike, when it comes to normal maintenance (the hourly rate is the same, they just allocate more hours to the job).  I would suggest getting a service manual along with the bike, so you can take care of some of the stuff yourself.  Checking/changing oil in the crankcase, transmission and primary will add years to your bike and reduce your overall service cost significantly.  I would have a professional handle items like inspection/adjustment of valve train and clutch, but you can perform items like inspection/adjustment of primary and final drives which will also add life to your bike and reduce overall service cost.

I think it's safe to say that you can expect a 20-30% increase in annual maintenance cost over what the average GSXR or Ninja owner pays, or 5-10% more than the average Ducati or V-Rod owner pays.

Answer 4

i know peopel with harlys and 4 cylinders

the harlys are in the shop more

in the end 4cylinders are easier to keep up

but harlys are harlys

Answer 5

V-twin has 2 cylinders, inline-four has 4 cylinders.personally I like a V-four. Yamaha puts out a V-max, very fast drag bike, gets u to 150 mph fast but any faster, didn't feel stable enough for me.

but i am kinda a wuss.

Answer 6

I think that the primary difference you will notice is that the V-twin will generate torque in a more linear manner, pulling strongly from 2500-6000 rpm. An inline 4 will generate more HP and lower torque, and more power will come in at higher rpms.

For a street bike, the I-4s are fun to ride as the power comes in, but can be a pain in a cruising situation because it just doesn't like to lope along like the V2s do.

From a mechanical standpoint, your V2 will be a little rougher but much easier to work on that the I4 versions. I4s usually have 4 carbs as well and keeping them balanced is much harder and needs more special tools than the V2 engines. If injected, this isn't as much of an issue, but they will still need balanced.

Seat of the pants? I like more torque than overall horsepower. Torque is what you feel in the seat of your pants and pulling out of a broad sweeper and riding the torque from 2500 rpms and up is a great feeling without having to execute shifting to keep your rpms in the 5-7000 band.

Answer 7

4 cylinder torque goes either to the left or right, depends on which way the engine turns which means it does'nt handle near as good as a V Twin. It also has a lot more moving parts, which means more trouble. HD has been running V twins since 1909, and every bike builder in the world has tried to copy them. I hear all these bashers bashing HDs twin , in the mean time 90% of the imports are trying to run V Twins. I forgot, V-Twin's torque goes up and down, not sideways. Hendersen tried it Excelsior tried it, Indian tried it, and they all went back to the V Twin. On top of all that they don't fit in a frame worth a hoot, a V Twin is a natural fit for a frame. I can tell Red Duce has never ridden a HD in the last 50 yrs, They don't need balancers (except the rigid mount engine bikes) The reason is they don't vibrate.

Answer 8

I think a V is a slice of an airplane radial that was adapted to a motorcycle to save weight and present a streamlined appearance. This evidently worked well at it has been with us for a long time. Europe varied into the parallel twin because of air flow to both cylinders seemed to make more sense. V held up, large displacement parallel never really took off. Most 50s - 60's Brit engines were tinker toy arrangements designed for cross town work. There seems to be no upper limit to cylinder size on a V twin.

Answer 9

a v-twin is two cyinders in a "V" shape, an inline four is four cyinders in a straight line, like most cars, just smaller. an inline four is going to be much smoother and have less shaking then a v-twin (espically a H-D which have no counter balancing in their engines, that's why H-D shake themselves to pieces all the time!) the power band on a v-twin is going to be much more uprupt as well, lots of fun, but sudden and powerful. up keep depends much more on how well someone takes care of the bike. KTMs look crazy cool though, but man are they expensive!