What do you like and dislike, about the engines on your bikes?

[JIMLARCH]

I have owned numerous bikes over the years.  I have mainly ridden inline fours in my later years, but twins in my youth.  

One thing that has always struck me, is the different feel to each of the engines.  Some engines I liked and some I didn't particularly care for, and it had very little to do with performance, just the way they felt.  

One of my favourite engines was on my 1989 GSXR1100.  It was like a V8, plenty of torque, and certainly speed.  It was smooth, with slight buzziness at certain rpm.  It felt unburstable.  A nice engine to ride.  I have always liked smooth engines, they don't have to be fast, but smooth.

What about my bikes now?

2005 GSXR1000
-I like it's power.  Has plenty of torque.  Never feels strained, but then why would it.  I don't care for it's buzziness.  Don't like that due to the EFI it is super sensitive to the slightest movement of the twist grip.  On a fairly rough road you have to really concentrate on holding it steady over bumps.  Carbs may not be as responsive, but they are more relaxing on a bike.  Engine does everything so easily that it somehow takes out some of the fun of riding, unless it is a twisty road, and then it is in it's element.

1982 CB900F
-The engine is very smooth, no vibes.  Ridden moderately hard it has plenty of power.  Plenty of torque, a nice touring engine.  Don't like that when ridden hard, it lacks punch on the top end.

1982 FT500 Ascot
-Basic riding.  A pleasant ride.  There is vibration, but not enough to annoy.  Revs easily, likes to be revved.  Surprisingly, it doesn't have much torque.  If you don't rev it the bike can be annoying, especially on fast roads.  Not an engine for cruising the freeways, but great on back roads.  

One thing I have noticed on this engine, compared to bikes with more cylinders, is you can hear that single piston thumping away when it is working hard.  Don't like that the engine is noisy when on the gas.  In cruise mode it is fairly quiet.

IN REGARDS TO RIDING.
- The Ascot is good for back roads where speed is not the object.  The CB900F is great for touring.  The GSXR is great for twisty roads and the track.

[Orson]

nuthin wrong with V twins. Low down torque where it's needed for street riding. Sounds like a locomotive  

who told you there wuz sumthin wrong with V twins?   oh, ok ok. I guess the Guzzi's black dip stick is difficult to read.

the parallel twin Triumph is a little lacking in ponies, otherwise it's a nice little engine. Nice torque curve and a soundtrack to die for  

[chornbe]

96" big twin in the 'Glide - shakes too much.   the "B" balanced engine is sooooooooo nice.

883cc twin in the Sportie - I *love* the way this bike delivers power, and the pulse of it and the grunty feel. It could use a bit more mid-range punch.

1000cc in the FZ1 - It buzzes quite a bit. Not as much as a gen-1 connie (but really, what ever COULD???), but it's pretty buzzy.

I think I'm more of a pulse (twin, triple) guy than a high-revving buzz guy.

[rgbeard]

I wish I could check the oil on the Trophy 1200 with a dipstick.  It uses a sightglass, and it's difficult to check as a one-person job.

[ksann]

K12S, non-linearity of throttle-to-power delivery.





Lack of low-end power.


Guzzi V11, loved everything about it.



ken

[traveler]

A vote here for the Honda V-4 in my VFR.

Likes:
smooth
sufficient torque
overall nice powerband
the sound

Not so much:
complexity of engine package with regard to maintenance
flat spot in powerband at around 5k

[stromgal]

V-Strom:  love that big L-twin. It's visceral, you really feel like you have a connection to a mechanical beast. Plenty of grunt when you twist the throttle, and so far, with 74,000+ miles, bulletproof.

TT600: my first 'sporting' in-line 4. It's fizzy, and not happy 'til you get the revs up. But when it's up there, it's a sweet little bike. The faster you go, the happier it seems!
Sure gets hot when you're stuck in stop n' go traffic-- if I had chestnuts, they'd have been roasted several times.  

RD and RZ two-strokes: addicted to the quickness of those bikes, and the ringdingdingding. Wish I had a version of those engines with a modern chassis, suspension and brakes.

Triumph Tiger/Sprint St: now I understand the 'Goldilocks' aspect of the triple engine, "It's juuuuust right!" The best of both a twin and a four.

[ged]

I always liked the engine in 1200 Bandit.  A friend of mine said it sounded like a sewing machine, and since at the time he owned a factory with about a hundred sewing machines making shirts I suppose he knew what he was talking about.  When I swapped the Bandit for the FJR it was with something of a sense of loss.  The FJR is competent enough but in my book it doesn't have much character.

For raw power there's little to beat the Hayabusa's engine, I really like it although I've always said it's rather a 'harsh' engine.  Somehow it seems to me like it doesn't take very long for the air to get from inlet to exhaust.

I always wanted one of those engines that you hear screaming along the race track and it wasn't for years that I found I have one!  If you wind the Hayabusa up to about 160 using all the revs in the first few gears it sounds really great!  After that you're starting to get ahead of the noise it makes and you aren't really thinking about it anyway.

Never really been fond of the V-twin sound but I'm sure it has a place.  I have an SV650S, if I drive it after one of the four-cylinder machines I always seem to be over-revving it.

Once I did quite a few miles on an old BMW twin.  That was great to drive around the twisty roads of the Pyrenees.  Flexible.  I found it better than the Bandit.  But not long after I gave it back to its owner (the guy with all the sewing machines) it blew up.

[ruffcut]

96" big twin in the 'Glide - shakes too much.   the "B" balanced engine is sooooooooo nice.

883cc twin in the Sportie - I *love* the way this bike delivers power, and the pulse of it and the grunty feel. It could use a bit more mid-range punch.

1000cc in the FZ1 - It buzzes quite a bit. Not as much as a gen-1 connie (but really, what ever COULD???), but it's pretty buzzy.

I think I'm more of a pulse (twin, triple) guy than a high-revving buzz guy.

         It`so wonder they have to spell your name backwards over at COG. It keeps you away.

             

[Johnny Monsoon]

nuthin wrong with V twins. Low down torque where it's needed for street riding. Sounds like a locomotive  

who told you there wuz sumthin wrong with V twins?   oh, ok ok. I guess the Guzzi's black dip stick is difficult to read.

the parallel twin Triumph is a little lacking in ponies, otherwise it's a nice little engine. Nice torque curve and a soundtrack to die for  

Meh.  That '89 GSXR 1100 engine renders all V-twins obsolete; it just does everything better except catering to Vtwin aficionados.

My XX's engine was flawless; incredibly precise and very smooth.  I was, unfortunately, mated to a weird gearbox that was geared too tall down low, and not quite tall enough on top for a proper ST machine that'd earn you a few extra miles at the end of your tank.  Pity.  That engine was flawless though; and a lower gear right off the light would really showcase the visceral nature of this engine that gets so easily lost in the bike's utter (and unfortunately mildly boring at legal speeds) perfection.

There was my KLR.  Funky engine.  Was a bit vibey up top, and tended to drink oil when purring down the road at a constant 85mph for hours on end (which it can easily do with that big tank).  It made an odd noise, one that was normal for the engine, but made the rider 'feel' as though there were more vibes than there actually were.  

The XR650R though... Oh Dear Lord in all Heaven above.  What a delicious engine.  Honda got the gearbox right on this one as well.  Smoother than a long shot than my KLR, and profoundly more powerful.  The valve adjustments were so much smarter than the KLR's engine, with no stupid shims.  This engine can tractor through anything, and loft the front wheel at will.  At most any speed, (provided you're in an appropriate gear) will always, ALWAYS give you a very pronounced leap forward, even at 75mph.  That bike, mostly due to the engine, is an absolutely delightful machine in almost any situation.

The KX250, despite being one of my favorite bikes (especially at its pricepoint) had an engine that did the job.  It felt snappy low down, and revved out nicely, but wasn't much else to speak of.  That bike was truly the sum of its parts, and the best part, sadly, was not the engine.

Oh, let's not forget that delicious parallel twin that resides in the Ninja 650R and also graces the Versys.  If you have not experienced this engine, and truly, really paid attention to what it is doing (the bikes wrapped around them are so damn well mannered that it is very easy to overlook how quickly you get to speed, and how versatile the transmission is) that you're likely to let it go unnoticed.  However, if you *do* manage to take note of the beautiful magic that makes these bikes move, you're likely be be deeply impressed.  The first couple hundred miles will have the engine vibing a bit more than you'd care for, but like magic, the vibration gremlins pack up and leave altogether (presumably migrating to Sturgis to be with their kind) and leaving you with an utterly competent, completely delicious engine that provides just the right torque with just the right rev-ability.  It is the engine capable of toting around a heavier bike than the XRR without losing much of the same wonderful behaviors that make the Honda such a sweet machine.  Can you tell I love this engine?

Let's see...

There've been a host of others, but I think these are the ones that spring to my mind as really good bikes with notable engines (well, maybe not the KLX, at least as far as the engine is concerned).  There are others; maybe I'll revist the others soon in this thread.

[Orson]

Meh.  That '89 GSXR 1100 engine renders all V-twins obsolete; it just does everything better except catering to Vtwin aficionados.

meh...read Stromgal's post  

inline 4 owners ride around thinking about the stock market or college football.

V twin owners ride around thinkin' bout V twins  

 

[Johnny Monsoon]

meh...read Stromgal's post  

inline 4 owners ride around thinking about the stock market or college football.

V twin owners ride around thinkin' bout V twins  

 

You've never turned one of these engines, but you'd be just as well to avoid it.  If you did, it is absolutely certain that Guzzi's stock would drop, and you'd be spending all your time in a shrink's office trying to sort the whole thing out instead of sprinting about the European countryside taking beautiful photos and filling the rest of the ST-N population with envy.

Please, do not, under any circumstances, take of of these engines for a spin.  It'll ruin everything.  In fact, we'd all be very worried about black holes forming.

[falcofred]

Loved the V-Twin in my Aprilia Falco, can't think of one negitive thing to say about it other than being a dry sump with a oil reservior it wasn't as easy to check the oil level as some other bikes with a window.
Love my air cooled engine in the multistrada, love the power and the sound. Negitives are the frequent valve checks/adjustments and the fact that it's a bitch to clean, and just doen't come clean anymore no matter how I scrub on it. Lots of staining, oil or grease staining here and there. It also has that front cylinder right behind the front tire, so it gets hit with all the road has to offer.
I can get the rest of the bike spotless, but the engine, well it disapoints me. I actually thing Harley Davidson engines stay good looking longer. Both fully exposed, both air cooled, but the Italians just don't have a grip on paint and plating like Harley does.

[David Morrow]

I have an FJR and the engine is flawless, at least for my purposes. But, I was mostly happy with my old 2000 Concours as well and its 1000cc engine. I think that rather than just continuing to get bigger, the MC companies would do well to give us a ST bike with a 1000cc engine. Most of the time you never need all that power and with the same size tank, you'd get better range.

[Raymond]

I raced MX until '04.  I've got to say, my favorite engine was my '04 CR250 2-stroke.  It had instant power and sounded cool too.

...but now I enjoy that of the twin and a V-4.  I like the power delivery of the twin.  Specifically, rolling on the throttle in and through corners.

[HipGnosis]

delicious parallel twin that resides in the Ninja 650R and also graces the Versys.... an utterly competent, completely delicious engine that provides just the right torque with just the right rev-ability.  It is the engine capable of toting around a heavier bike than the XRR without losing much of the same wonderful behaviors that make the Honda such a sweet machine.  Can you tell I love this engine?

You start out talking about the Kaw Ninja 650R/Versys, then end up talking about the Honda XR650R...
So WHICH engine do you love??

[phoenix]

V-twin in the SV650s
Likes: I FEEL it. It does like to get up and go. Good available power down low too.
Dislikes: Too much engine braking. I hit the rev limitter too easily. And it wants to be in a certain gear at a certain speed, although this might go either way. I'm still not comfortable at slow slow speeds.

I-4 in the R6
Likes: Smooth. I rarely ever hit the rev limitter. I can back off the throttle and not slow down 20mph instantly.
Dislikes: no power down low or even much up until at least 8000 RPM. A bit abrupt when going from no throttle to some throttle and that can cause issues if its in the powerband.


For similar sized engines and kind of similar power, they're pretty much polar opposites. But what would you expect. On a little ride today on the SV, I took one corner pretty aggressive and was almost wondering if my knee was going to touch pavement. That wouldn't have been the best thing since my overpants don't have sliders on them. Really, I'm sure I wasn't even close. But still I did like how the bike/engine felt in the corner. Maybe I will take the SV to the track next year.

[shah269]

I-4, 1996 1100 GPZ
It's not an V-4!
Ever push a grand piano? Well that's what its like when you go from a 750CC V-4 to an 1100CC I-4!
It's like jumping on a fat chick in Layen Bryant trying on langer (you know they sell them is size 20+!), grabbing her by the ears and riding her around the mall. I mean sure you could do it but well she's kind of wide and top heavy and every one looks at you funny.
But on the + side she's dead nuts stupid! Nothing usual there! It's all old school!

[Johnny Monsoon]

You start out talking about the Kaw Ninja 650R/Versys, then end up talking about the Honda XR650R...
So WHICH engine do you love??

Both, but each for its own application.  If I only had one bike to use for everything, it'd be a Versys.  However, against any other thumper engine, I do believe I'd be quite contented to run that sweet XRR engine.  They're both just amazing engines, and they're both stuffed into great bikes.

[Spiffious]

Best engine experienced by far: V-Max 1198CC V-4.

The motor in my '89 sounds unbelievable, growls with rediculous torque, and increasing acceleration as v-boost kicks in.  Just awesome.  

Negatives? For the motor... none that I can think of other than it is heavy.



My Sv1000s V-twin:  

The good:  Great power and torque, pulses with pleasant power.  Sounds great with leo-vinci's mounted.

The bad: Rough under 3K RPM.  Idles like a tin can filled with nuts and bolts (sounds like it too).  Stock, the bike sounded like cheap crap, which made me initially dislike the bike.  Wearing Earplugs and installing exhaust remedied this.  Torque curve is flat, so sometimes it doesn't feel as fast as it is.

[RenegadeVT]

SV650
I love everything about it except for too much engine braking (completely agree with Phoenix).  It has good even power delivery, little vibration and great sound with Yoshi pipe

Sprint
Love it, love it, love it.  I have not one single complaint.  Orson is wrong (sorry), the I-3 is the perfect motor.

Bonneville
Sounds like a sewing machine and needs more power. That's why I let the wife get custody, I still have visitation rights.

[TucsonDon]

Current Bike -- GL1800 horizontally opposed six.  Truly superb power response across most RPMs; even responds fairly well if in a gear too high for the speed.  But it's basically an Accord engine, scaled down.  And the friggin' thing is a tank, which is both good and bad.

Previous Bike -- VT1100 Honda Shadow.  Eh ... okay.  My feeling at this point is if you're going to have a V-Twin, it might as well rattle the back molars, and the Shadow is too civil in that regard.  Otherwise, go for a smoother V-4 or something.

One Ride Experience --Co-worker's Harley Fat Boy.  I wouldn't want one for my own, but I must confess I did like the raw edge of it.  Embarrassed me to death motoring through downtown Frederick, MD ... I was afraid to crack the throttle at all for fear of making babies cry.

[JonS]

90 degree v2. When I bought the bike, I had no idea what the motor would be like. It is very different than anything I had ridden before and took a good while to get used to.
What I like about my engine is the linear power delivery. The great torque coming out of corners is so easy to use.
The only thing I dislike is the fact that it doesn't do slow very well. It is happy at about 3800 rpm and above.

[Cale_Kat]

A certain Suzuki perspective:

2000 Katana 750
Likes: Tractable power down low with a jolt of power at the higher revs. Ease of maintenance; screw and nut valve adjustment, no water, and proven durability.
Dislikes: Can be buzzy, sometimes leaves me looking for 7th gear, and chock.

2003 DL1000
Likes: Torque, and some more torque. Engineness. Accessable valves.
Dislikes: 4K is just like 6k only with more vibes.

[Nitro]

 ENGINES in  bikes i owned this summer.
Favorite this year is my NON vtech vfr v4 for its no buzz or vibes, smoothness, nice power spread, smooth efi setup, and all the cool sounds and sensations that come from it.especially with a pipe!
next I enjoy my old honda F engines with carbs, Big factor is they still look like engines! and are all smooth as silk to drive,make all the old mechanical noises, get better mileage than my new bikes,cheap and simple to maintain, and still fast enough!
I liked my v4 st1100 engine, another smooth as silk engine.Almost too dull,as no cool sensations at all ,but effective powerband and super smooth and perfect for that kinda bike!
Really disappointed in my fjr 1300 engine due to the lousy on/off efi calibration that plain sucked,and the vibes.
I enjoy the kids gsxr600 just for the screaming rpms and the sound it makes! smooth engine and a blast at 16 grand!
noteable others...that buzzing vibrating thing in my 2000 connie..yuk!
but worst ever was a  70's 650 special yammy twin..woweee..unrideable!
Other engines i had? yep, lots, but no room here for the comments...

[Orson]

Bonneville
Sounds like a sewing machine and needs more power. That's why I let the wife get custody, I still have visitation rights.

dude!...get the Triumph aftermarket peashooters.

They totally transform the sound  

[Norwegian Blue]

Wow -- two pages and not one BMW oilhead response?

The good: From a real world riding perspective, my twin-spark 1150 twin works extremely well. It has excellent low-end torque and is very tractable at lower speeds. While it shakes at idle, it smooths out very nicely at speed; when in overdrive 6th on the highway, there are almost no vibes at all. When in the twisties on public roads (i.e. riding at a spirited but not crazy pace) it spins in its sweet spot so that it's sufficient to keep up with the big boys (whose engines tend to be overkill for such applications). The engine has a nice tone when accelerating, but the bike is QUIET -- which I really appreciate since I dislike loud bikes. Mileage is in the mid-40s. Not the best, but I'm not complaining either. I don't do my own wrenching, outside of oil changes, but having the cylinder heads sticking out in your face makes valve adjustments and other services very easy.

The bad: In places where more power is appreciated (i.e. a multiple-car pass on a two-lane highway or on the track) there simply isn't much in the way of top end. The engine gets kind of thrashy and makes more noise than forward thrust as it approaches its redline (then again, it's tuned for low-end torque). While the engine sounds pretty nice under load, the exhaust note is pretty flat. While I don't like loud bikes, I appreciate the sound of a nice exhaust. On my bike it's not a problem, but part-throttle surging has been an issue on single-spark oilheads. Finally, I hate the oil sight glass. The procedure for checking the oil is to warm the bike up, park it on its center stand, and then wait five minutes before checking the oil level. Even when following this procedure, I have gotten significantly different readings even when checking on the same ride. PITA.

[Bjorn Toulouse]

'07 Tiger 1050: IMO, one of the most versatile powerplants ever stuffed in motorcycle chassis.
                     It's Triple-licious!! How can you say anything negative about a mill that will pull like
                     locomotive from 2000 rpm to redline in 6th gear?

'81 SR500:  Simplicity and torque. 36mm Mukini and a 'Trapp reverse cone pipe make the otherwise
                 stock engine a stud. A very precise tool for the twistys.

'79 SR500:  Simplicity and TORQUE! 38mm Mikuni, 'Trapp reverse cone pipe and Megacycle off-road cam.
                 A very effective "blunt instrument" for pounding the back roads into submission.

The bestest motorcycles have an odd number of cylinders!


I'll have to get back to you on the dislikes, nothing comes to mind at the moment.


Rex

[roadwarrior]

2002 Yamaha FZ1

     - This bike had the best engine ever. It was smooth as glass, instant power, and took off like a missile after 7000 rpm. My only complaint was always that it was a little too fast. It seemed every time I passed a car I broke 200km/h. I knew it was going to get me into trouble one day. It was also a handful in the rain, and often broke the rear tire loose no maker how gentle I was. But other than that it was a sheer joy to ride. In my opinion Yamaha ruined the FZ1 on the second generation by making it more of a race bike.

2001 Suzuki Hyabusa

     - This was a friends bike, so I didn't get too much riding time on it. Super sports aren't my thing so the bike was so so for me, but the motor was sweet. It lacked the smoothness of my FZ1 so it isn't #1 on my list, but the instant unreal torque from idle to redline put smiles on my face. This is one sweet motor, which explains why Suzuki didn't change it over the years.

2006 Harley Davidson Dyna

     - I know I will get flak for this but I loved that motor. I'm not a cruiser guy, I've only ridden Harley's on demo rides. I did not like the riding position, or the handling of the bike, and on paper it looks like I would hate the bike, but The Dyna was one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden. The motor feels and sounds so mechanical, and it pulls so effortlessly that the bike "feels" fast. The vibes are rhythmic and soothing (Unlike the paint shaker vibes I felt on Sportsers, and Buels), and the fuel injection felt spot on.

2006 Suzuki V-Strom

     - My present ride. When I rode it home from the dealer, I thought I'd made a mistake. It was rough, completely unusable between 2500 - 3400 rpm, and liked to hi-cup, cough, and backfire. The computer controlled secondary throttles gave the bike the feel of hesitation, and made it feel like the motor had a mid of its own. So why is it on my list? Well a throttle sync did wonders, and made me wonder how this bike left the factory grossly out of sync. Then removing the secondary butterflies got rid of the hesitation making the motor feel responsive. Finally a Dobek TFI unit, and some Fuel Injection tuning brought out the hidden motor inside. I'm not kidding it felt like a new bike! Now the motor is fantastic, and it pulls well all through the rev range. It is as smooth as a V-Twin can get, and I like the fact that the power is very manageable, so riding in the rain is no problem. Wheelie's on this bike are so easy, anybody could do one. Fuel economy isn't the greatest, I usually get 35-36 mpg and 39 if I'm really nice.

I have ridden many other bikes, singles, twins, and four's, but none of them in particular stand out over the ones above.

[miles]

I've had bikes with just about every engine configuration, enough to know that it isn't as simple as saying "this type is best".  For example, I really loved the I-3 in my Speed Triple, but the Kawasaki triples I had (two strokes, and that makes a difference) were nothing like it.
I've had smooth I-4s and buzzy I-4s.  V-Twins with loads of torque but no top end and others that needed to be revved hard to go anywhere.  

In my mind it comes down to individual bikes.

My top three favorite bikes for their engines are, in no particular order:
I-3 in my Speed Triple.  Smooth, smooth, and smooth, but very strong with plenty of useable power.
I-4 in my FZR600.  Not as powerful as some contemporaries, but very, very useable if you kept it spun up.
I-4 in my GPZ 750.  Not as quick to spin up as the FZR, but much more power.

Bottom three, also in no order:
I-3 2S Kawasakis.  I had a bunch of them (long story) and they all sucked.  Super buzzy, peaky, and very hard to keep in tune.
V-2 1200 Sporty.  Sounded great, but was otherwise annoying.  Too much sturm and not enough drang.
I-4 GPZ 550.  Not really an inherently bad engine, but this was a racebike and so highly tuned it was an evil bastard.


Some other interesting bikes, enginewise:
V-2 Cagiva Elefant.  A Ducati 650 engine in a KLR frame, more or less.  Fun enough, but not really the right tool for the job.
P-2 Yamaha XS650.  Vibes like crazy, but very, very satisfying in its way.  
Single-cylinder Honda FT500 Ascot.  Way down on power, but plenty of torque, low gearing and very light weight meant that on the right road it just couldn't be beat for fun.  On the wrong road it wasn't horrible, but not too fun either.

[chornbe]

2002 Yamaha FZ1

     - This bike had the best engine ever. It was smooth as glass, instant power, and took off like a missile after 7000 rpm. My only complaint was always that it was a little too fast. It seemed every time I passed a car I broke 200km/h. I knew it was going to get me into trouble one day. It was also a handful in the rain, and often broke the rear tire loose no maker how gentle I was. But other than that it was a sheer joy to ride. In my opinion Yamaha ruined the FZ1 on the second generation by making it more of a race bike.

I agree 100% with this assessment.

2006 Harley Davidson Dyna

     - I know I will get flak for this but I loved that motor. {snip}

The BigTwin is a nice, nice mill.

[jstark47]

dude!...get the Triumph aftermarket peashooters.

They totally transform the sound  

+1.  Was gonna say, pipes and rejetting will help this!  

[243Win]

DR650SE, thumper. -- Came up to a stop light and for some odd reason the bike wouldn't down shift.  Light changed and I chugged away in fourth gear.  It actually likes to be spun up a touch more than that, but I give it two thumbs up for the torque that got me out of that situation.  Carb swap and it goes from forgiving beginner bike to beast.  Or so I'm led to believe, looking forward to finding out myself some day.  Dead simple to work on.

GSF400, I4 -- since it is an I4 and only 400cc, it has zero torque, none, nada, zip.  Nice mild kick in the pants once you spin it up and it likes to spin up fast.  Simple to work on as well, other than the extra carbs, it's just like any other four cylinder in my cars.

Vf500F, V4 -- completely lacks the kick in the pants feeling of get up and go of the bandit 400, but oddly it just goes faster and never really cares what gear it is in, leave it in third all through the twisties rather than row it up and down like the Bandit I4.  I'd descibe it as pretty much point and go due to the torque despite being only a 500.  Somewhat nightmarish to work on tho'.  

[leveredge]

I like my Honda V4 in the ST13. 1261 cc chain driven double over head cams, 4 valves per cylinder. Counter balancers so no torque stear.
Smooth as can be. Only other Honda V4 guys or George Jetson will like the sound of it. I like quiet so I like it stock. Great low end torque. Mile muncher. Smooth and quiet. Which is what I like.

[Geoff]

BMW K1100RS
Likes: Good power across the range, smooth
Dislikes: Consumes oil, runs a little hot

Harley Electra Glide
Likes: Usable power low in the range, tons of torque, great sound
Dislikes: Weak passing power at higher RPMs

[ZED]

KLR 650 - The power delivery is decent, but IT'S   A   BIG   THUMPER.  What more need I say.

Z1000 - Nice and smooth.  A bit buzzy around 5k, but smooths out as it revs up.  Good torque everywhere, but at 7k it comes on so strong you better be ready for it or you won't stay on.  Too much power for me if I'm honest with myself.

ST3s - Beautiful torque curve from 4k up to 9.5k.  Not quite as smooth or powerful as the Z, but much nicer delivery. Definitely my favorite engine.

WR250X - It's a thumper, but it's a small thumper.  Buzzier than the KLR, but with less amplitude per thump, so it doesn't rattle you, it buzzes you like an angry mosquito.  Power delivery is strong for a 250 right up to where the rev limiter kicks in.

[veefer800canuck]

Vee-four baby! Geardrive cams.  



An extra 219cc's of displacement, 20HP (and no extra weight) would be welcome though.  

[TuffguyF4i]

To me the engine IS the bike.  If you like the engine you like the bike.

F4i:
Buzzy CTT
XX:
Buzzy CCT

I still love both engines.

[DosEquis00]

Vee-four baby! Geardrive cams.  

+1 as the VFR has been a very pleasant surprise all the way around.

[Phenix_Rider]

I've demoed quite a few bikes now, with most of the possible engine configs.

Buell XB12- no rev range.  You go from zero to 6k- or whatever redline is- in no time.  Honestly, not as much torque as they'd like you to think.  RATTLES!  Like a cement mixer full of boulders, or a dryer with a pair of tennis shoes.  Feels like it will fall of the stand, and the trans is full of gravel.  Neutral is impossible to find.

Aprilia RSV and Tuono.  Awesome engines.  Loads of power- and character.  All the right parts, just not put together in a way I could ride every day.

SV650S/F- NO!  Revs quick- almost too quick-. plenty of power, like the engine braking.  Don't like the vibes!  Trans isn't bad, but the shifter placement is wrong for me.  Ergoes suck.

R6- Sweet!  Race ergoes are no fun, but the engine is a blast!  It likes to rev, and I had no problem keeping it happy- except that I wasn't allowed to go as fast as the bike wanted.  Smoothest trans I've met.  Lose the kink in the neck, and I'd keep it.

R1- Insanely fast.  Smooth.  Keep it to 4,5,6k, and everything's cool.  Hit 7,8,9k and things start getting wild.  Really like the Yammi trans- they know how to do it right.

B-King.  Another Zook trans- not the greatest.  Torque like Whoah! from the basement.  Hooligan bike to the max.  Too freaking wide for me though.  If they went longitudinal, it would be much better.

Zook 450SM- NO!  I hate beating on an engine to do an honest 65.  Poor little thumper sounded like I was kicking the hell out of it, and no tach meant I was waiting for the grenade between my legs to go off.  Dirt bike trans- use your whole leg to shift.

Ninja 650R- Best Bike Ever!  It's got the twin thump, but not the rattle.  Little bit of vibration in places, but overall smooth, and a little jetson sound mixed with the deep voice that's hiding.  Good power and torque- not quite as much low end as the SV, but much better roll-on.  Kawi makes a very well behaved trans, and finding neutral is a breeze.  Never had a problem snicking through the gears with just the smallest amount of clutch.  Doesn't much like clutchless shifting in the low gears- but 4-5-6 is nice.  Twisting the grip exiting a turn, or punching it for a pass, results in the most gorgeous exhaust note short of a speed triple with aftermarket pipes.  Stutters if you goose it below 4k- but only happens when you're in too high a gear.  Easy to work on- once you get to the engine proper.  2 quarts of dino and 87 octane is all it ever wants.  Positively BEGS to go out and play, but behaves very well when you putt around town being mature.

[rauchman]

2007 SV1000S (Currently own) - Love the engine.  There is a rough spot in the 2.5 - 3.ish zone, but love the grunt of the engine.  Is DECEPTIVELY fast.  Nice grunt out of corners. Revs easily, nice engine braking.  SV650 has more engine braking.  Even with stock exhaust, love the sound of deceleration.  Bike has low frequency vibes...more like pulses, which I like.  Makes the bike feel alive.  Switched the handlebars to Convertibars (wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than stock) and just received my Sargeant seat yesterday in the mail.  Really like the trans as well, smoothest I've had the pleasure of riding.

2003 Kawi Z1000 (wife's) - I've taken it out a few times and this was my 1st (and come to think of it, only) experience with an I-4 bike.  Off the line, the bike is smooth...really smooth (I'm guessing this a characteristic of the I-4 engine).  I believe this engine is tuned with less of a focus on top end speed with more midrange punch.  Regardless, the bike is fast.  Remember laughing in my helmet flying on Rt 80 just ripping it.  Engine has some high frequency vibes in it around 6k or so.  Gave my hands the tinglies.  Really nice package of a bike though.

2002 Yamaha Roadstar (sold) - Very very smooth carburation when warmed up.  Nice grunt off the line but dies off quickly.  Vibrates hard when over 75.  Decent engine for real world riding.  Never ever got passed up by another cruiser and surprised a sport bike or two (read...sucky sport bike riders) with this bike. Ultimately, too heavy with weak brakes.  Very comfortable though and a worthy touring rig.

Buell XB12R/Ss - Buddy and I took a test ride on these bikes and thoroughly loved them (mostly).  For real world riding they were easily fast enough.  Test ride was done on 35 - 40mph twistie roads and a smidge of highway.  Engine was great in this environment.  Never felt it ran out of steam too quickly.  No horsepower "hit" though.  Bikes handled almost telepathically.  Did notice a couple of times, if I ran a gear too high in a turn, the bike would pull through, but the engine felt very luggy.  Would require getting used to it.  The fact that the XB12Ss that I was riding back to the dealership lost a bolt with an audible ping, that my buddy heard as well, just as we were pulling back into the dealership parking lot, kind of turned both of us off to the bikes.  

2001 BMW R1150R (My buddies bike he currently owns) - Haven't ridden it in a while, but distinctly remember the shaft drive feel.  The engine, although very competent,  didn't give me tinglies.  It was ok, with no prominent feature of feel, outside of twin pulse vibes.  Loved the way the bike felt though.  I've never ridden a dirt bike, but the bike rode like I would think a dirt bike would.  Felt like you could throw the bike so easily into a turn (guessing this is from the very low center of gravity with the engine design).

2003 HD Fat Boy (rented) - Wife and I got married on a hot air ballon on the north side of Phoenix and rented 2 HD Fat Boys to ride up to the Grand Canyon for the honeymoon.  She was a little uncomfortable w/ hers as she wasn't used to a bike that big, but she did ok.  I remember the bike feeling a little smaller than the Roadstar.  Engine, like the Roadstar, was smooth and competant for the style engine it is.  Above 75, the bike vibrated to the point where the mirrors were useless (like the Roadstar).  Bike was comfortable and, like the Roadstar, a worthy tourer.

2002 HD Dyna Wide Glyde (rented) - Started riding in 09/2002 and my buddy and I (who also started riding around the same time) went to go visit a friend in AZ and decided we were all going to rent HD's for a few days.  At the time, to me the WG looked like the quintesential HD, chopper like, sleek and above all else...cool.  At the HD dealership, 1st thing I noticed was the vibration at idle.  Loved it.  Really made the bike feel alive.  2nd thing I noticed was that the front foot pegs were wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy out there.  There is nothing like cruising down empty roads in the desert on a HD though.  It reeks of cool.  Having said that, the WG was not the most comfortable bike.  As mentioned, foot pegs too for forward for me, where I felt like my ass was getting jolted from the seating position.  Ran the bike to max speed (about 110 or so) and the front felt very light...skittish.  Right now, if I were to get a new bike, the HD Super Glyde would be 1st pick.  Loved the visceral feel of the engine in this series.

2002 Suzuki SV650S - My 1st bike and one that I should not have sold.  I loved this bike.  It was silver and beautiful.  The last year of the 1st gen SV, with the more tubular trellis frame.  Remember the 1st time I pushed the bike on a twistie highway and understood what the reviews had mentioned about a great bike.  The engine, easily enough power for the street.  From 6k on up, the creamy power and the bike handled so easily.  Downside, the bike had massive engine braking.  In slow speed around town stuff, was a real bitch to be smooth on.  Very very jerky at low revs.  Also, was not a fan of the sport bike ergos.  

[Baron Samedi]

just the ones I have now:
Moto Guzzi Spada 11: lovely, sweet, gorgeous sound, slooow, but I like it. Easy to work on, too.

Triumph Thunderbird (triple). Brilliant engine, less like a bike engine than the Guzzi (that is a proper feeling bike engine) but more power and torque. Sounds like a bag of nails being shaken but the exhaust moise is great. I HATE THE BLOODY OIL INSPECTION WINDOW.

Velocette-doesn't work.

[Jake Harsha]

Triumph Speed Triple 1050 - Smooth.  Torquey.  Powerful.  Everything an engine should be and nothing it shouldn't.  Absolutely nothing bad to say about this engine.

Gen 5 VFR 800 - Ditto what I said about the Triumph triple except to a much lesser degree.  A bitch to work on.

Ninja 250 - Slow to rev, but a rabid sewing machine once it gets up a head of steam.  Fast for what it is.

CR 125 - Take the rabid sewing machine and turbocharge it.  200 pounds and 30+ horsepower all concentrated in the last 3000 RPM of the rev range.  Crap mileage.  Ultra peaky...goes from nothing to wheelie faster than you can say "loop out."

KX250 - Tons of power, decent low-end, even crappier mileage.  Front wheel spends most of its time in the air.  Too fast for the woods.

CBR600F3 - Typical 600 SS power curve.  Fast.  Fun.

FZX700 Fazer - Similar power curve to a 600 SS but with more low-end torque.

SV650S - Good torque down low, but gutless in the top end.  Left me wanting more.

Honda XL 175 - Ball-less, but fun to putt around on.

XS650 - Never actually rode it as a bike, but I put the engine in my buggy and I have to constantly check/tighten/replace bolts, nuts, etc...  That thing is freakin' imbalanced!  WTF was yamaha thinking?  Othern' that it's a great stump-puller of an engine.


Jake

[chornbe]

To me the engine IS the bike.  If you like the engine you like the bike.

F4i:
Buzzy CTT
XX:
Buzzy CCT

I still love both engines.

eh.. I've ridden machines that were perfect except for the engine, I've ridden bikes that had absolutely perfect engines but horrible brakes or suspension or ergos, and often - TOO OFTEN - several of those bad things together.

[2RR2NV]

current FJR, love the power, but sometimes gets jerky at lower rpms. a lil bit of vibes but i can easily live with em. too quiet. needs an exhaust. and needs a PCIII

[Fast Blue]

Every bike should have a ZZR 1200 motor in it

[blueridgerider]

The most boring bike I've ever ridden was a V4 - maybe that's why I'm not really into that configuration.  Of course that had a lot to do with the bike in total.  It was an ST1300.  It wasn't pretty IMO, and the engine felt electric smooth.  Sure it had plenty of power - it just felt so blah!

The only bike I've had that I felt the engine was not suitable for my purposes was an old SECA.  And that was purely because I did not ride it for the purpose it was intended.  I rode it as a big heavy dirt bike when it was purely street.

There have been others.  I have never had a sport V-Twin, but I had a large displacement cruiser.  It was a great road engine.  You did not have to worry about switching gears on elevation changes, or if you slowed a good bit for traffic.  It was just a very friendly engine to ride around town.  Being mine did not have an overdrive gear, it was less freindly for highway use as MPG would plummet when cruising along at 80-85.

I had an old CB750C I put well over 100,000 miles on that I loved.  Just felt good and right.  

My BMWLT, that was my previous ride, was a great total package.  I would have wished for a bit more in the engine department - more along the lines of the power of the new LT or the slightly older sportier K12's but they had tuned it for better midrange.  It was a little gear happy in the mountains.

I absolutely love my current oilhead.  It has an honesty.  It's perky, naked jugs sticking out have a utilitarian and natural sexiness that I like.  The engine is not covered with a plastic outfit, nor is it festooned with the chrome equivalent of "pasties".  The power delivery is nice - somewhere between my old V-Twin and the LT's engine in torqueiness and Top end fell wise.  Crappy first gear of course.  But I like looking down and seeing the heads, tubes, wires, etc.  It's a comforting feeling that I see and know what is going on inside the engine.    It feels like a motorcycle to me - I like that it is not glass smooth.  

[Geoff]

'07 Tiger 1050: IMO, one of the most versatile powerplants ever stuffed in motorcycle chassis.
                     It's Triple-licious!! How can you say anything negative about a mill that will pull like
                     locomotive from 2000 rpm to redline in 6th gear?

'81 SR500:  Simplicity and torque. 36mm Mukini and a 'Trapp reverse cone pipe make the otherwise
                 stock engine a stud. A very precise tool for the twistys.

'79 SR500:  Simplicity and TORQUE! 38mm Mikuni, 'Trapp reverse cone pipe and Megacycle off-road cam.
                 A very effective "blunt instrument" for pounding the back roads into submission.

The bestest motorcycles have an odd number of cylinders!


I'll have to get back to you on the dislikes, nothing comes to mind at the moment.


Rex

I used to have an SR500. I forgot the year. I sold it to a guy who turned it into an ice racer. He wanted the bike because of its low end torque and light weight.

[ragtoplvr]

Honda 400 4  4 100CC cylinders that just want to rev with the slightest tingle of vibration, 4 into 1 exhaust sweet tone, not powerful, not fast, but just feels and sounds right!

CBX  Sounds and feels even better.

ANY 2 stroke, and Castor oil is even better.  Ring ding ding ding.

VRF750F Sabre, worst POS ever.  Nothing good here, move along.

Oilhead beemer, quiet exhaust, no engine heat, easy to tune and maintain, much faster than it feels, smooth as glass in the sweet spot, rattles like a can of marbles, just ruins the experience.  Never understood how an engine could have so many different awful sounding taps and rattles, sound like it will fly apart and hang together so long.  BMW should find the cam tensioner engineers and managers and fire them, with real fire.  Same for the final drive bozos, the 5 speed transmission program managers that ignored gertrag's designers, the fool who thought up the throttle cables and divider boxes, the idiot that left out the drain hole in the clutch housing and Clutch slave cylinder, the fools that STILL will not put the transmission input shaft all the way thru the fragile clutch splines, and just for good measure the entire quality control team, with extra hot fire and smoke for who ever thought up the brittle plastic gas line quick (and random) disconnects .  Otherwise the bike is perfect.  I think I just fired about half the arrogant engineers and managers at BMW.  Good riddance.  If we hired BMW enemies to ruin the Motorcycle division they could not do a better job.   Guess who owns a Beemer?

HD twin cam, 96  Nothing but nothing sounds better.  Stock pipes, straight pipes or in between.  simple, more hot rod parts than a small block Chevy, and very low vibration, and the vibration is the good kind.  Give me some acceleration and lean angle, mid pegs and we have a sale.

I rode a Concours 14, that has to be the most perfect I4 that ever existed.

rod

[blackbuell]

CBR1100XX: Legendary smoothness, more power and torque than I ever need, wonderful for long rides, reliable as hell, just a bit weak down low. However.....there is that "lack of soul" issue, which is a very real issue to me, especially since I sold the bike below.

Buell S3: Say what you want about Buells, but the ancient, air-cooled, push-rod 1200 is just plain fun: ample power, exceptional torque, and very easy to control. Negatives: when riding this after the bike above, the rev-limiter kicks in too frequently. Then there is that reliability issue.....which is why it is no longer in my garage. I sure miss it, though

I'm still on the lookout for a project bike to fill the void. If I had the $, I'd buy a new Buell.

Jon

[Rad1]

I've had singles, twins and 4's, never a triple.

My fav, my v4's. What I like most; I love the utter smoothness, yet they retain the constant feeling of underling grunt that oozes through the entire bike even when you ride it easy.

What don't I like about my current v4? The complexity of the valve adjustments and the vtec trickery, I had to do a couple of simple modifications to the engine to eliminate the somewhat annoying transition point.

[black hills]

I liked my V-4 ('90VFR) However I wished it had just a bit more grunt.

I love my I-4 ('03CBR954) It has decent low end, great midrange plus pulls hard in the higher revs. It is pretty happy to run at any RPM you choose. the only real complaint I can find with it is that it is a little buzzy around 6000rpm.


The 2-stoke ('00 KTM300exc) is fantastic!! Probably the best engine one could put into a woods bike. It will hang with about anything if you keep it on the pipe, yet if you lug it it pulls like crazy. You can even go up 2 gears in really snotty stuff and it will pull itself without spinning. The perfect woods machine IMO

450 single 4stroke ('07 YZF450) this is a friends that we raced in the 3 hour 2man hare scamble last weekend. It is fantastically powerfull, but more tractable than other 450's I've ridden, great for the hare scambles (with good traction) but just to much for a mere mortal to handle in the woods.

[2RR2NV]

and here i thought this was thread just about current rides.    

[black hills]

and here i thought this was thread just about current rides.    

Had to theow in the old VFR as I really liked the V-4

[DCLXVI]

What's not to like about a Suzuki SACS engine?

[pmax]

Best engine experienced by far: V-Max 1198CC V-4.

The motor in my '89 sounds unbelievable, growls with rediculous torque, and increasing acceleration as v-boost kicks in.  Just awesome.  

Negatives? For the motor... none that I can think of other than it is heavy.

+1 for the Max motor.  Awesome power.  Great sound.

[Busy Little Whiner]

I love my V4... it's best of all the current motorcycle engines rolled into one... the power of an 4 cylinder
and the grunt of a V2... nothing but smooth linear power like a V2 without a hint of buzz of the I4...
starting with the crank shaft the V4 is narrow as a narrow and light as a feather when compared to the
I4 or V2... what I don't like is the misconception that it cost more to produce than a I4 or V2... because
if made in sufficient numbers the cost would be palatable... people make the mistake of basing V4 cost
on the new Ducati V4 or the Honda's RC45 but the problem with that assumption is Ducati only made
1500 Desmosedicis and Honda only made 1,056 RC45s... so like any bike made in low numbers the price is high...

Soichiro Honda said the V4 is the perfect motorcycle engine...

Rossi stated that the V4 is best for MotoGp...

Not to mention STN's own poll pick the V4 as the winner...

[stevent]

I'm very happy with the 96 incher in my new Harley, it's got tons of grunt and smooth as silk above idle, the fuel injection is spot on and it sounds like nothing else. Starting it gives me a woody, a momentary whirrr then BLAM it's chugging away.. sounds like a Wright Cyclone turning over...

I liked the I-4 in my Bandit as well, specially with the Holeshot can on there, at 6 or 7k it just howled like a banshee...gives ya' goosebumps..

My T100 with the TORS on it sounded cool too blatting away..

Way back when I used to MotoCross the sound of my 380 CZ coming on the pipe and pulling like a freight train was like music as well

I guess I've never heard an engine I didn't like except maybe a Japanese cruiser with drag pipes, to me they sound like shit.  

[doug06z]

I don't have a very large variety to compare to but I will break it down from my experiences.

Z750- My current ride and my only experience with an I-4. Torque everywhere, likes the slab as much   as it does the twisties, can become very fast very quick. It does vibe a bit though.

97' HD Dyna Wide Glide- I liked this bike alot. Loved the engine, lots of torque. Just the sound put a smile on my face. Passing power lacked.

95' Honda CR250- Over the years I owned nearly a dozen MX 2 strokers and this one had the best motor by far. Smooth consistent power throughout rpm range, predictable powerband.

[Specter]

88 Concours:

Likes: Jekyl and Hyde performance - Smooth and torquey low, with growling "on the pipe" thrust above 6k

Dislike: The "Buzz" - mine's at about 4500 rpm

[Powder Addict]

I loved the 955 triple in my Sprint, what a fantastic, flexible engine.  I'm amazed at the gas mileage I got in it.

Add me to the "Fans of the Ninja 650r powerplant" club!  I was flat out floored the first time I rode it.  I was expecting much, much less.  It is geared perfectly, and just matches the bike.  It's not the greatest track bike, it's not the greatest for hauling an extra person and a bunch of gear, but if you need a low cost bike that is practical, well designed and FUN, this one will not dissappoint.  I was worried I would really miss the Sprint, and I do to a degree, but the 650r and it's fantastic engine has me glad I made the decision I did.