Motorcycle Power and CCs

Motorcycle Power, CCs, and Engine Size


Motorcycle Power:

When it comes to motorcycle power and how much power a motorcycle engine produces size does not matter. It's simlply not true so don't belive anyone who tells you otherwise.

Size of a motorcycle engine is not a good indicator of the actual power it produces. There are many factors of and most important is type of engine. For example inline 4 cyclinder compared to air-cooled. These days with techonolgical advances an engine with 900CCs might produce as much output as a 600CC engine. Technology has come a long way. Some large engines surely will produce more power but think of their weight.

Depending on type of riding you're going to do a higher cylinder motorcycle engine will be smoother than a 1 or 2 cyclinder. However, with a 1 or 2 cyclinder engine you'll probably get more torque out of them. These engines are typically rougher, louder and slower running / turning. To both types there are exceptions just like with anything.

Every motorcycle is designed by the manufacturer with a purpose in mind and when you are selecting your motorcycle type think about what will be sufficient in terms of power for you. This is very important because if you want a higher torque motor then you probably want a motorcycle engine with less cyclinders and for a smoother ride you probably want a V-Twin or 4 cyclinder.

Please remember that just because a motorcycle has for example 900cc it has more horsepower and remember that a motorcycle that has CC's in the 1000s will probably be great for all around touring but will not produce the same results as a lightweight 4 cyclinder 650cc sport bike. The 600cc sport bike will have to run at much higher RPMs to get the same horsepower then the larger CC motorcycle but performance is greater. Of course something has to give right, you loose the comfort and require you to be more in control of the motorcycle.

We like to compare for example a touring bike to a sport bike or a dirt bike in this way: a touring bike is like riding a caddy :) vs a small sport car.

Hope this helps you decide on your motorcycle type and size.