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

[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.