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BMW R60/2

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The R60 and R60/2 are 600 cc boxer-twin that were manufactured from 1956 to 1969 in Munich , Germany , by BMW .

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104-490: Some 20,133 of these 600 cc shaft-drive, opposed twin R60 (1956–1960, 28 hp or 21 kW), R60/2 (1960–1969, 30 hp or 22 kW), and R60US (1968–1969, 30 hp) were built. These models, except for those with the "US" designation, were designed primarily as rugged motorcycles to pull sidecars (mounting points were built in) and had duplex tubular steel frames. Simultaneously manufactured were related models, including

208-433: A carburetor or fuel injection as port injection or direct injection . Most SI engines have a single spark plug per cylinder but some have 2 . A head gasket prevents the gas from leaking between the cylinder head and the engine block. The opening and closing of the valves is controlled by one or several camshafts and springs—or in some engines—a desmodromic mechanism that uses no springs. The camshaft may press directly

312-409: A deflector head . Pistons are open at the bottom and hollow except for an integral reinforcement structure (the piston web). When an engine is working, the gas pressure in the combustion chamber exerts a force on the piston crown which is transferred through its web to a gudgeon pin . Each piston has rings fitted around its circumference that mostly prevent the gases from leaking into the crankcase or

416-428: A gas engine . Also in 1794, Robert Street patented an internal combustion engine, which was also the first to use liquid fuel , and built an engine around that time. In 1798, John Stevens built the first American internal combustion engine. In 1807, French engineers Nicéphore Niépce (who went on to invent photography ) and Claude Niépce ran a prototype internal combustion engine, using controlled dust explosions,

520-470: A locomotive operated by electricity.) In boating, an internal combustion engine that is installed in the hull is referred to as an engine, but the engines that sit on the transom are referred to as motors. Reciprocating piston engines are by far the most common power source for land and water vehicles , including automobiles , motorcycles , ships and to a lesser extent, locomotives (some are electrical but most use diesel engines ). Rotary engines of

624-458: A rocking couple , due to the offset distance between the pistons along the crankshaft. A commonly used ignition system is wasted spark , which is a simple ignition system using a double-ended coil firing both spark plugs on each revolution (i.e. during both the compression and exhaust strokes). This system is distributorless and requires only a single contact breaker and coil for the engine. The boxer-twin configuration can cause pressuring of

728-410: A rotor (Wankel engine) , or a nozzle ( jet engine ). This force moves the component over a distance. This process transforms chemical energy into kinetic energy which is used to propel, move or power whatever the engine is attached to. The first commercially successful internal combustion engine was created by Étienne Lenoir around 1860, and the first modern internal combustion engine, known as

832-594: A battery and charging system; nevertheless, this system is secondary and is added by manufacturers as a luxury for the ease of starting, turning fuel on and off (which can also be done via a switch or mechanical apparatus), and for running auxiliary electrical components and accessories. Most new engines rely on electrical and electronic engine control units (ECU) that also adjust the combustion process to increase efficiency and reduce emissions. Surfaces in contact and relative motion to other surfaces require lubrication to reduce wear, noise and increase efficiency by reducing

936-404: A carefully timed high-voltage to the proper cylinder. This spark, via the spark plug, ignites the air-fuel mixture in the engine's cylinders. While gasoline internal combustion engines are much easier to start in cold weather than diesel engines, they can still have cold weather starting problems under extreme conditions. For years, the solution was to park the car in heated areas. In some parts of

1040-499: A common power source for lawnmowers , string trimmers , chain saws , leafblowers , pressure washers , snowmobiles , jet skis , outboard motors , mopeds , and motorcycles . There are several possible ways to classify internal combustion engines. By number of strokes: By type of ignition: By mechanical/thermodynamic cycle (these cycles are infrequently used but are commonly found in hybrid vehicles , along with other vehicles manufactured for fuel efficiency ): The base of

1144-483: A cross brace. Those sold elsewhere came with low, Euro handlebars. A variety of saddle styles were available for these motorcycles. Those delivered in the U. S. typically were supplied with a single "dual" or bench saddle, either the standard size or a wide version that came with chrome rear-quarter passenger handles. Alternatives available included a Denfeld ( not "Denfield") or Pagusa solo driver's saddle, or individual driver and passenger saddles. BMW motorcycles of

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1248-568: A diesel version of its existing 688 cc petrol flat-twin in 1932, and went on to produce flat-twin diesel and petrol engines for a variety of industrial and marine uses into the 1950s. Two-stroke flat-twins were often used as outboard motors for boats, as they were smoother than single-cylinder engines. In the 1940s, they were largely replaced by straight-twin two-stroke engines, which were easier to start and no longer had excessive amounts of vibration. Internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine ( ICE or IC engine )

1352-452: A hand crank. Larger engines typically power their starting motors and ignition systems using the electrical energy stored in a lead–acid battery . The battery's charged state is maintained by an automotive alternator or (previously) a generator which uses engine power to create electrical energy storage. The battery supplies electrical power for starting when the engine has a starting motor system, and supplies electrical power when

1456-635: A hobbyist inventor. This engine used the unusual design of a single shared crank pin and double acting pistons. In 1908, the French company Dutheil-Chalmers began production of flat-twin aircraft engines, which used two counter-rotating crankshafts. The Dutheil-Chlamers engine was used by the 1907 Santos-Dumont Demoiselle No. 20 experimental airplane, with later versions of this airplane being produced with flat-twin engines from Darracq and Clément-Bayard . Most piston-engined aircraft used more than two cylinders, however other flat-twin aircraft engines from

1560-407: A partial vacuum inside the crankcase, in order to reduce oil leaks when an oil seal malfunctions. This was achieved by using a one-way valve (a leather or rubber flap over a hole in the crankcase), to let air escape the crankcase but not enter it. The beginnings of the flat-twin engine were in 1896, when Karl Benz obtained a patent for the design. A year later, his company Benz & Cie unveiled

1664-408: A problem would occur as the compression ratio increased as the fuel was igniting due to the rise in temperature that resulted. Charles Kettering developed a lead additive which allowed higher compression ratios, which was progressively abandoned for automotive use from the 1970s onward, partly due to lead poisoning concerns. The fuel mixture is ignited at different progressions of the piston in

1768-651: A pulley on the rear wheel via a chain. Manufacture of the Fairy was taken over by the Douglas Engineering Company , one of Light Motors' suppliers, when the Light Motors Company folded in 1907. Later in 1907, Douglas changed the drivetrain from the chain and pulley design to a belt-drive system driven directly from the engine. Later developments of the Douglas motorcycle were made with the cylinders in line with

1872-731: A reciprocating internal combustion engine is the engine block , which is typically made of cast iron (due to its good wear resistance and low cost) or aluminum . In the latter case, the cylinder liners are made of cast iron or steel, or a coating such as nikasil or alusil . The engine block contains the cylinders . In engines with more than one cylinder they are usually arranged either in 1 row ( straight engine ) or 2 rows ( boxer engine or V engine ); 3 or 4 rows are occasionally used ( W engine ) in contemporary engines, and other engine configurations are possible and have been used. Single-cylinder engines (or thumpers ) are common for motorcycles and other small engines found in light machinery. On

1976-470: A second edition published in 2004. In the book " Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ", John and Sylvia Sutherland accompany Robert Pirsig , the author, and his son Chris, on a 1968 road trip from Minnesota to San Francisco, riding a BMW R60. Throughout the book Pirsig contrasts his passion and care in taking care of his bike to John's fear of technology: "The BMW is famous for not giving mechanical problems on

2080-422: A separate ICE as an auxiliary power unit . Wankel engines are fitted to many unmanned aerial vehicles . ICEs drive large electric generators that power electrical grids. They are found in the form of combustion turbines with a typical electrical output in the range of some 100 MW. Combined cycle power plants use the high temperature exhaust to boil and superheat water steam to run a steam turbine . Thus,

2184-475: A separate blower avoids many of the shortcomings of crankcase scavenging, at the expense of increased complexity which means a higher cost and an increase in maintenance requirement. An engine of this type uses ports or valves for intake and valves for exhaust, except opposed piston engines , which may also use ports for exhaust. The blower is usually of the Roots-type but other types have been used too. This design

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2288-416: A separate crankcase ventilation system. The cylinder head is attached to the engine block by numerous bolts or studs . It has several functions. The cylinder head seals the cylinders on the side opposite to the pistons; it contains short ducts (the ports ) for intake and exhaust and the associated intake valves that open to let the cylinder be filled with fresh air and exhaust valves that open to allow

2392-503: A single-cylinder or V-twin engine, however this arrangement would result in an excessively long wheelbase for flat-twin engines. Solutions to this problem included using a countershaft below the engine (as used by the Douglas Fairy), or a gearbox located above the engine, although in some cases the cylinders were short enough to use the gearbox in the traditional location behind the engine. In 1916, most flat-twin motorcycles still used

2496-847: A transversely-mounted engine. The European models at this time included the Bradbury 3.5 hp (2.6 kW), the Brough HB , the Douglas 2.75 hp (2.05 kW) and 4 hp (3.0 kW) models, the Humber 3.5 hp and 6 hp (4.5 kW) models, the Matchless 6 hp, the Montgomery 6 hp, Williamson Flat Twin 8 hp (6.0 kW), and the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke Helios (the predecessor to BMW's first motorcycle). Models produced in

2600-460: Is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high- temperature and high- pressure gases produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine. The force is typically applied to pistons ( piston engine ), turbine blades ( gas turbine ),

2704-405: Is a fly-back system, using interruption of electrical primary system current through some type of synchronized interrupter. The interrupter can be either contact points or a power transistor. The problem with this type of ignition is that as RPM increases the availability of electrical energy decreases. This is especially a problem, since the amount of energy needed to ignite a more dense fuel mixture

2808-421: Is also why diesel and HCCI engines are more susceptible to cold-starting issues, although they run just as well in cold weather once started. Light duty diesel engines with indirect injection in automobiles and light trucks employ glowplugs (or other pre-heating: see Cummins ISB#6BT ) that pre-heat the combustion chamber just before starting to reduce no-start conditions in cold weather. Most diesels also have

2912-497: Is commonplace in CI engines, and has been occasionally used in SI engines. CI engines that use a blower typically use uniflow scavenging . In this design the cylinder wall contains several intake ports placed uniformly spaced along the circumference just above the position that the piston crown reaches when at BDC. An exhaust valve or several like that of 4-stroke engines is used. The final part of

3016-529: Is driven downward with power, it first uncovers the exhaust port where the burned fuel is expelled under high pressure and then the intake port where the process has been completed and will keep repeating. Later engines used a type of porting devised by the Deutz company to improve performance. It was called the Schnurle Reverse Flow system. DKW licensed this design for all their motorcycles. Their DKW RT 125

3120-415: Is held in place relative to the engine block by main bearings , which allow it to rotate. Bulkheads in the crankcase form a half of every main bearing; the other half is a detachable cap. In some cases a single main bearing deck is used rather than several smaller caps. A connecting rod is connected to offset sections of the crankshaft (the crankpins ) in one end and to the piston in the other end through

3224-406: Is higher. The result was often a high RPM misfire. Capacitor discharge ignition was developed. It produces a rising voltage that is sent to the spark plug. CD system voltages can reach 60,000 volts. CD ignitions use step-up transformers . The step-up transformer uses energy stored in a capacitance to generate electric spark . With either system, a mechanical or electrical control system provides

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3328-445: Is not possible to dedicate a stroke exclusively for each of them. Starting at TDC the cycle consists of: While a 4-stroke engine uses the piston as a positive displacement pump to accomplish scavenging taking 2 of the 4 strokes, a 2-stroke engine uses the last part of the power stroke and the first part of the compression stroke for combined intake and exhaust. The work required to displace the charge and exhaust gases comes from either

3432-422: Is technically incorrect. Not all of them, as seen above, have the "/2" designation. Perhaps the most famous BMW rider of the 1960s was Danny Liska, who took R60 models from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in one trip, and from Europe's North Cape to South Africa's Cape of Good Hope in a second journey. His book about the first trip, Two Wheels to Adventure (Alaska to Argentina by Motorcycle) , was published in 1989 with

3536-504: Is the Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged 2-stroke diesel, used in large container ships. It is the most efficient and powerful reciprocating internal combustion engine in the world with a thermal efficiency over 50%. For comparison, the most efficient small four-stroke engines are around 43% thermally-efficient (SAE 900648); size is an advantage for efficiency due to the increase in the ratio of volume to surface area. See

3640-462: Is the boxer-twin engine , where both pistons move inwards and outwards at the same time. The flat-twin design was patented by Karl Benz in 1896 and the first production flat-twin engine was used in the Lanchester 8 hp Phaeton car released in 1900. The flat-twin engine was used in several other cars since, however a more common usage is in motorcycles; early models oriented the cylinders in line with

3744-603: The Otto engine , was created in 1876 by Nicolaus Otto . The term internal combustion engine usually refers to an engine in which combustion is intermittent , such as the more familiar two-stroke and four-stroke piston engines, along with variants, such as the six-stroke piston engine and the Wankel rotary engine . A second class of internal combustion engines use continuous combustion: gas turbines , jet engines and most rocket engines , each of which are internal combustion engines on

3848-604: The Pyréolophore , which was granted a patent by Napoleon Bonaparte . This engine powered a boat on the Saône river in France. In the same year, Swiss engineer François Isaac de Rivaz invented a hydrogen-based internal combustion engine and powered the engine by electric spark. In 1808, De Rivaz fitted his invention to a primitive working vehicle – "the world's first internal combustion powered automobile". In 1823, Samuel Brown patented

3952-967: The Riedel firm in Germany designed and manufactured a two-stroke flat-twin engine as jet engine starter motors for the Junkers Jumo 004, BMW 003 and Heinkel HeS 011 jet engines The Maytag 'Model 72' flat-twin engines— produced from 1937 until some time between 1952 and 1960— were used in various applications including clothes washing machines. Electrical generators using flat-twin engines were built by Norman Engineering Company from 1932 to 1968 and by Douglas during World War II. Enfield Industrial Engines (part of Royal Enfield ) produced flat-twin two-stroke petrol engines during World War II which were used for generators and other military uses. After 1945, Enfield produced flat-twin diesel engines, with applications including farm and marine use. Coventry Victor introduced

4056-537: The clutch was dry, there were seals at the rear of the crankshaft, at both ends of the transmission, at the rear of the driveshaft, and at the front and rear of the rear drive unit: many seals developed leaks. The front brakes were double leading shoes, and the rear had a single leading shoe. By modern standards, they were not good brakes. Tires, front and rear, were interchangeable in 3.50 inch by 18 inch size. Motorcycles sold in America had high handlebars with

4160-418: The crankcase during each inward piston stroke and de-pressurisation during each outward piston stroke, since both pistons are moving inwards or outwards at the same time. This crankcase pumping effect (also found on single-cylinder engines and 360° parallel-twin engines) is usually addressed by means of a crankcase breather. The Citroën 2CV boxer-twin engine took advantage of this pumping effect to maintain

4264-410: The crankshaft and are therefore called "boxer-twin" engines. In a boxer-twin engine, the 180° crankshaft moves the pistons in phase with each other, therefore the forces generated by one piston are cancelled out by the other, resulting in excellent primary balance. The evenly spaced firing order also assists in reducing vibration. The equal and opposite forces in a boxer-twin engine do however generate

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4368-473: The external links for an in-cylinder combustion video in a 2-stroke, optically accessible motorcycle engine. Dugald Clerk developed the first two-cycle engine in 1879. It used a separate cylinder which functioned as a pump in order to transfer the fuel mixture to the cylinder. In 1899 John Day simplified Clerk's design into the type of 2 cycle engine that is very widely used today. Day cycle engines are crankcase scavenged and port timed. The crankcase and

4472-620: The 1920s and 1930s include the American Aeronca E-107 and Aeronca E-113 , the British Bristol Cherub , and the Czechoslovakian Praga B2 . The HKS 700E is an oil-cooled flat twin for ultralight aircraft that is currently in production. In larger aircraft, flat-twin engines have been used in auxiliary power units (APUs). A notable example was made by ABC Motors in the 1920s and 1930s. During World War II,

4576-523: The 1957-1975 Puch 500 , the 1957-1959 BMW 600 and the 1959-1965 BMW 700 . The Brazilian manufacturer Gurgel Motores used an in-house developed water-cooled boxer-twin engine (Enertron engine) and the Volkswagen air-cooled boxer-four in several models from 1988 to 1994. The Toyota U engine was an air-cooled flat-twin engine produced from 1961 to 1976. Introduced in the Toyota Publica subcompact car,

4680-615: The 1960s were noted as long-distance touring motorcycles . However, none came standard with fairings or luggage; these items were provided by aftermarket vendors. Fairings included the Wixom Ranger handlebar-mounted fairing made in Illinois, and Avon. There were numerous manufacturers of saddle bags and top cases for BMW twins in the 1960s including Wixom, British-made Craven, and leather saddlebags imported by Butler and Smith, who also offered several styles of luggage carriers for mounting behinds

4784-406: The 1960s, very few motorcycles were available with shaft final drive. BMW's were the most common. The driveshaft rode in an enclosed oil bath within the right swingarm , unlike BMW's previous models, and drove the rear wheel through an internally splined cup that meshes with a coupler crown gear keyed to the drive pinion. This meant that leaking seals could become a problem for the owners. Because

4888-693: The 500 cc R50 (1955–1960, 26 hp or 19 kW), the R50/2 (1960–1969, 26 hp), the R50 S (1960–1962, 35 hp or 26 kW), the R50US (1968–1969, 26 hp), and the 600 cc sport-oriented R69 (1955–1960, 35 hp), R69S (1960–1969, 42 hp or 31 kW), and R69US (1968–1969, 42 hp). In the United States, all these Earles-fork and US-fork (i.e., telescopic fork) models from 1955 to 1969 are often lumped together as "Slash-2" BMWs, even though that

4992-599: The Earles fork gave the old Beemer a steady and reassuring ride. In 1968, BMW introduced telescopic forks on some of its slash-2 models, and they were continued into the 1969 model year. Modified, they became the front forks on the slash-5 models introduced for the 1970 model year. The photo of the red R60US to the right was taken at a BMW dealership in 1968 and shows a brand-new motorcycle waiting for its first buyer. Earles fork and telescopic fork models both were manufactured for these two years and were available to customers. During

5096-520: The U engine was also used in the Toyota MiniAce small commercial vehicle and the Toyota Sports 800 sports car. The benefits of using a flat-twin engine mounted with the crankshaft running perpendicular to the frame (therefore the cylinders being in line with the frame) are a low centre of gravity and that a belt-drive or chain-drive system can be used to transmit drive to the rear wheel. However,

5200-522: The United States included the Indian Model O and the Harley-Davidson Model W . The main benefit of mounting a flat-twin engine with the crankshaft in line with the frame (therefore the cylinders sitting sideways in the frame) is that an air-cooled engine receives the same amount of cooling for each cylinder. The Harley-Davidson XA , which used a flat-twin engine with the cylinders across

5304-615: The Wankel design are used in some automobiles, aircraft and motorcycles. These are collectively known as internal-combustion-engine vehicles (ICEV). Where high power-to-weight ratios are required, internal combustion engines appear in the form of combustion turbines , or sometimes Wankel engines. Powered aircraft typically use an ICE which may be a reciprocating engine. Airplanes can instead use jet engines and helicopters can instead employ turboshafts ; both of which are types of turbines. In addition to providing propulsion, aircraft may employ

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5408-489: The associated process. While an engine is in operation, the crankshaft rotates continuously at a nearly constant speed . In a 4-stroke ICE, each piston experiences 2 strokes per crankshaft revolution in the following order. Starting the description at TDC, these are: The defining characteristic of this kind of engine is that each piston completes a cycle every crankshaft revolution. The 4 processes of intake, compression, power and exhaust take place in only 2 strokes so that it

5512-619: The combustion gases to escape. The valves are often poppet valves but they can also be rotary valves or sleeve valves . However, 2-stroke crankcase scavenged engines connect the gas ports directly to the cylinder wall without poppet valves; the piston controls their opening and occlusion instead. The cylinder head also holds the spark plug in the case of spark ignition engines and the injector for engines that use direct injection. All CI (compression ignition) engines use fuel injection, usually direct injection but some engines instead use indirect injection . SI (spark ignition) engines can use

5616-455: The compressed air and combustion products and slide continuously within it while the engine is in operation. In smaller engines, the pistons are made of aluminum; while in larger applications, they are typically made of cast iron. In performance applications, pistons can also be titanium or forged steel for greater strength. The top surface of the piston is called its crown and is typically flat or concave. Some two-stroke engines use pistons with

5720-432: The compressed charge, four-cycle engine. In 1879, Karl Benz patented a reliable two-stroke gasoline engine. Later, in 1886, Benz began the first commercial production of motor vehicles with an internal combustion engine, in which a three-wheeled, four-cycle engine and chassis formed a single unit. In 1892, Rudolf Diesel developed the first compressed charge, compression ignition engine. In 1926, Robert Goddard launched

5824-410: The corresponding ports. The intake manifold connects to the air filter directly, or to a carburetor when one is present, which is then connected to the air filter . It distributes the air incoming from these devices to the individual cylinders. The exhaust manifold is the first component in the exhaust system . It collects the exhaust gases from the cylinders and drives it to the following component in

5928-400: The crankcase or a separate blower. For scavenging, expulsion of burned gas and entry of fresh mix, two main approaches are described: Loop scavenging, and Uniflow scavenging. SAE news published in the 2010s that 'Loop Scavenging' is better under any circumstance than Uniflow Scavenging. Some SI engines are crankcase scavenged and do not use poppet valves. Instead, the crankcase and the part of

6032-401: The crankcase pressure is slightly below intake pressure, to let it be filled with a new charge; this happens when the piston is moving upwards. When the piston is moving downwards the pressure in the crankcase increases and the reed valve closes promptly, then the charge in the crankcase is compressed. When the piston is moving downwards, it also uncovers the exhaust port and the transfer port and

6136-413: The crankcase to the port in the cylinder to provide for intake and another from the exhaust port to the exhaust pipe. The height of the port in relationship to the length of the cylinder is called the "port timing". On the first upstroke of the engine there would be no fuel inducted into the cylinder as the crankcase was empty. On the downstroke, the piston now compresses the fuel mix, which has lubricated

6240-431: The cylinder below the piston is used as a pump. The intake port is connected to the crankcase through a reed valve or a rotary disk valve driven by the engine. For each cylinder, a transfer port connects in one end to the crankcase and in the other end to the cylinder wall. The exhaust port is connected directly to the cylinder wall. The transfer and exhaust port are opened and closed by the piston. The reed valve opens when

6344-411: The cylinder block has fins protruding away from it to cool the engine by directly transferring heat to the air. The cylinder walls are usually finished by honing to obtain a cross hatch , which is able to retain more oil. A too rough surface would quickly harm the engine by excessive wear on the piston. The pistons are short cylindrical parts which seal one end of the cylinder from the high pressure of

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6448-407: The cylinder. Because there is no obstruction in the cylinder of the fuel to move directly out of the exhaust port prior to the piston rising far enough to close the port, early engines used a high domed piston to slow down the flow of fuel. Later the fuel was "resonated" back into the cylinder using an expansion chamber design. When the piston rose close to TDC, a spark ignited the fuel. As the piston

6552-414: The cylinder. At low rpm, the spark is timed to occur close to the piston achieving top dead center. In order to produce more power, as rpm rises the spark is advanced sooner during piston movement. The spark occurs while the fuel is still being compressed progressively more as rpm rises. The necessary high voltage, typically 10,000 volts, is supplied by an induction coil or transformer. The induction coil

6656-545: The downsides are uneven heat distribution (the front cylinder is more heavily cooled than the rear cylinder) and a longer wheelbase is often required due to the length of the engine. The first flat-twin motorcycle engine was built in 1905 by the Light Motors Company in the United Kingdom. Originally named the Fée (renamed "Fairy" soon after its introduction), it was designed as a "bicycle engine system" which transmitted power to

6760-413: The early engines which used Hot Tube ignition. When Bosch developed the magneto it became the primary system for producing electricity to energize a spark plug. Many small engines still use magneto ignition. Small engines are started by hand cranking using a recoil starter or hand crank. Prior to Charles F. Kettering of Delco's development of the automotive starter all gasoline engined automobiles used

6864-453: The efficiency is higher because more energy is extracted from the fuel than what could be extracted by the combustion engine alone. Combined cycle power plants achieve efficiencies in the range of 50–60%. In a smaller scale, stationary engines like gas engines or diesel generators are used for backup or for providing electrical power to areas not connected to an electric grid . Small engines (usually 2‐stroke gasoline/petrol engines) are

6968-482: The ends of the handlebars showing light both forward and back. The standard fuel tank held 17 L (3.7 imp gal; 4.5 US gal), though a commonly purchased option was a more bulbous 25 L (5.5 imp gal; 6.6 US gal) tank. Also available as options were sport tanks of 26 L (5.7 imp gal; 6.9 US gal) and 30 L (6.6 imp gal; 7.9 US gal) capacities. An oval shaped safety bar (photo right)

7072-543: The engine is off. The battery also supplies electrical power during rare run conditions where the alternator cannot maintain more than 13.8 volts (for a common 12 V automotive electrical system). As alternator voltage falls below 13.8 volts, the lead-acid storage battery increasingly picks up electrical load. During virtually all running conditions, including normal idle conditions, the alternator supplies primary electrical power. Some systems disable alternator field (rotor) power during wide-open throttle conditions. Disabling

7176-435: The field reduces alternator pulley mechanical loading to nearly zero, maximizing crankshaft power. In this case, the battery supplies all primary electrical power. Gasoline engines take in a mixture of air and gasoline and compress it by the movement of the piston from bottom dead center to top dead center when the fuel is at maximum compression. The reduction in the size of the swept area of the cylinder and taking into account

7280-494: The first flat-twin engine, a boxer design called the "contra engine". In 1900, The Lanchester Engine Company began production of the Lanchester 8 hp Phaeton , which used a flat-twin engine. This engine had an unusual design of two counter-rotating crankshafts, with each piston attached to its crankshaft by a thick connecting rod. Each piston was also connected to the other crankshaft by two thinner connecting rods, causing

7384-648: The first internal combustion engine to be applied industrially. In 1854, in the UK, the Italian inventors Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci obtained the certification: "Obtaining Motive Power by the Explosion of Gases". In 1857 the Great Seal Patent Office conceded them patent No.1655 for the invention of an "Improved Apparatus for Obtaining Motive Power from Gases". Barsanti and Matteucci obtained other patents for

7488-589: The first liquid-fueled rocket. In 1939, the Heinkel He 178 became the world's first jet aircraft . At one time, the word engine (via Old French , from Latin ingenium , "ability") meant any piece of machinery —a sense that persists in expressions such as siege engine . A "motor" (from Latin motor , "mover") is any machine that produces mechanical power . Traditionally, electric motors are not referred to as "engines"; however, combustion engines are often referred to as "motors". (An electric engine refers to

7592-601: The following conditions: The main advantage of 2-stroke engines of this type is mechanical simplicity and a higher power-to-weight ratio than their 4-stroke counterparts. Despite having twice as many power strokes per cycle, less than twice the power of a comparable 4-stroke engine is attainable in practice. In the US, 2-stroke engines were banned for road vehicles due to the pollution. Off-road only motorcycles are still often 2-stroke but are rarely road legal. However, many thousands of 2-stroke lawn maintenance engines are in use. Using

7696-555: The frame until the Second World War. Other early flat-twin motorcycles used a similar layout, with their cylinders aligned along the frame and therefore with the crankshaft running transverse to the frame. In 1914 the main supplier of rear-hub gearboxes, Sturmey-Archer , introduced a 3-speed countershaft gearbox with integral kick-starter, which posed a design problem for motorcycles with transversely-mounted flat-twin engines. This gearbox could be relatively easily located behind

7800-401: The frame, however later models switched to the cylinders being perpendicular to the frame to provide even cooling across both cylinders. Flat-twin engines were also used in several aircraft up until the 1930s and in various stationary applications from the 1930s to the 1960s. The Australian lawnmower manufacturer Victa also produced a flat-twin engine push mower from August 1975 to 1980 dubbed

7904-422: The frame, maintained an oil temperature 100 °F (56 °C) cooler than a Harley-Davidson WLA with a V-twin with the cylinders in line with the frame. A side benefit is that the cylinders provide protection to the rider in the event of a collision or fall, and keeps their feet warm in cold weather. The downsides are that the engine cannot be mounted as close to the ground (otherwise the cylinders can scrape

8008-468: The ground during cornering) and that it exposes the cylinders and valve covers to the danger of collision damage. Longitudinal mounting also means that the torque reaction will twist the motorcycle to one side (such as on sharp acceleration/deceleration or when opening the throttle in neutral) instead of shifting the weight balance between the front and rear wheels. However, many modern motorcycles reduce this effect by rotating flywheels or alternators in

8112-517: The gudgeon pin and thus transfers the force and translates the reciprocating motion of the pistons to the circular motion of the crankshaft. The end of the connecting rod attached to the gudgeon pin is called its small end, and the other end, where it is connected to the crankshaft, the big end. The big end has a detachable half to allow assembly around the crankshaft. It is kept together to the connecting rod by removable bolts. The cylinder head has an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold attached to

8216-505: The high temperature and pressure created by the engine in its compression process. The compression level that occurs is usually twice or more than a gasoline engine. Diesel engines take in air only, and shortly before peak compression, spray a small quantity of diesel fuel into the cylinder via a fuel injector that allows the fuel to instantly ignite. HCCI type engines take in both air and fuel, but continue to rely on an unaided auto-combustion process, due to higher pressures and temperature. This

8320-416: The higher pressure of the charge in the crankcase makes it enter the cylinder through the transfer port, blowing the exhaust gases. Lubrication is accomplished by adding two-stroke oil to the fuel in small ratios. Petroil refers to the mix of gasoline with the aforesaid oil. This kind of 2-stroke engine has a lower efficiency than comparable 4-strokes engines and releases more polluting exhaust gases for

8424-451: The highest thermal efficiencies among internal combustion engines of any kind. Some diesel–electric locomotive engines operate on the 2-stroke cycle. The most powerful of them have a brake power of around 4.5  MW or 6,000  HP . The EMD SD90MAC class of locomotives are an example of such. The comparable class GE AC6000CW , whose prime mover has almost the same brake power, uses a 4-stroke engine. An example of this type of engine

8528-419: The intake manifold is an air sleeve that feeds the intake ports. The intake ports are placed at a horizontal angle to the cylinder wall (I.e: they are in plane of the piston crown) to give a swirl to the incoming charge to improve combustion. The largest reciprocating IC are low speed CI engines of this type; they are used for marine propulsion (see marine diesel engine ) or electric power generation and achieve

8632-429: The inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolf Diesel , was using peanut oil to run his engines. Renewable fuels are commonly blended with fossil fuels. Hydrogen , which is rarely used, can be obtained from either fossil fuels or renewable energy. Various scientists and engineers contributed to the development of internal combustion engines. In 1791, John Barber developed the gas turbine . In 1794 Thomas Mead patented

8736-407: The oil into the combustion chamber. A ventilation system drives the small amount of gas that escapes past the pistons during normal operation (the blow-by gases) out of the crankcase so that it does not accumulate contaminating the oil and creating corrosion. In two-stroke gasoline engines the crankcase is part of the air–fuel path and due to the continuous flow of it, two-stroke engines do not need

8840-508: The opposite direction to that of the crankshaft. One of the first motorcycles with a longitudinally-mounted flat-twin engine was the 1916 ABC , which was built in the United Kingdom. To accommodate chain drive, the ABC used a bevel drive at the gearbox to change the direction of the drive through ninety degrees. BMW's first motorcycle, the 1923 BMW R 32 was another early example of a longitudinally-mounted flat-twin engine, although it this case

8944-402: The outer side of the cylinder, passages that contain cooling fluid are cast into the engine block whereas, in some heavy duty engines, the passages are the types of removable cylinder sleeves which can be replaceable. Water-cooled engines contain passages in the engine block where cooling fluid circulates (the water jacket ). Some small engines are air-cooled, and instead of having a water jacket

9048-457: The part of the cylinder below the exhaust port is used as a pump. The operation of the Day cycle engine begins when the crankshaft is turned so that the piston moves from BDC upward (toward the head) creating a vacuum in the crankcase/cylinder area. The carburetor then feeds the fuel mixture into the crankcase through a reed valve or a rotary disk valve (driven by the engine). There are cast in ducts from

9152-465: The passenger saddle. It also offered several styles of windshields, safety bars, a spotlight, metric tool kits, and a mechanical tachometer. U.S. motorcycles came standard with a narrow dual saddle, though wide dual saddles with chrome rear handles could be ordered. Solo saddles made by Pagusa or Denfeld for driver and passenger were also available. All motorcycles came with a tool kit. Hella turn signals were optional (photo below left), and were mounted at

9256-427: The path. The exhaust system of an ICE may also include a catalytic converter and muffler . The final section in the path of the exhaust gases is the tailpipe . The top dead center (TDC) of a piston is the position where it is nearest to the valves; bottom dead center (BDC) is the opposite position where it is furthest from them. A stroke is the movement of a piston from TDC to BDC or vice versa, together with

9360-412: The piston in the cylinder and the bearings due to the fuel mix having oil added to it. As the piston moves downward it first uncovers the exhaust, but on the first stroke there is no burnt fuel to exhaust. As the piston moves downward further, it uncovers the intake port which has a duct that runs to the crankcase. Since the fuel mix in the crankcase is under pressure, the mix moves through the duct and into

9464-453: The power was transmitted to the rear wheel via a shaft drive. Over time, longitudinal mounting became more common for flat-twin engines. BMW has a long history of flat-twin engine motorcycles, as do Ural (Russia) and Dnepr (Ukraine). In 1902, the Pearse monoplane (which would later become one of the first aircraft to achieve flight) was powered by a flat-twin engine built on a farm by

9568-409: The power wasting in overcoming friction , or to make the mechanism work at all. Also, the lubricant used can reduce excess heat and provide additional cooling to components. At the very least, an engine requires lubrication in the following parts: In 2-stroke crankcase scavenged engines, the interior of the crankcase, and therefore the crankshaft, connecting rod and bottom of the pistons are sprayed by

9672-403: The primary power supply for vehicles such as cars , aircraft and boats . ICEs are typically powered by hydrocarbon -based fuels like natural gas , gasoline , diesel fuel , or ethanol . Renewable fuels like biodiesel are used in compression ignition (CI) engines and bioethanol or ETBE (ethyl tert-butyl ether) produced from bioethanol in spark ignition (SI) engines. As early as 1900

9776-431: The road and that's what he is counting on." Though BMW first used oil-damped telescopic front forks in the 1930s, it chose to use Earles forks on these models. The triangular front Earles fork, named after its designer, Englishman Ernest Earles, precluded any front-end dive during heavy front braking, which is common with telescopic front forks. It also worked well in sidecar duty. Though heavy and ponderous in turning,

9880-452: The same invention in France, Belgium and Piedmont between 1857 and 1859. In 1860, Belgian engineer Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir produced a gas-fired internal combustion engine. In 1864, Nicolaus Otto patented the first atmospheric gas engine. In 1872, American George Brayton invented the first commercial liquid-fueled internal combustion engine. In 1876, Nicolaus Otto began working with Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach , patented

9984-684: The same principle as previously described. ( Firearms are also a form of internal combustion engine, though of a type so specialized that they are commonly treated as a separate category, along with weaponry such as mortars and anti-aircraft cannons.) In contrast, in external combustion engines , such as steam or Stirling engines , energy is delivered to a working fluid not consisting of, mixed with, or contaminated by combustion products. Working fluids for external combustion engines include air, hot water, pressurized water or even boiler -heated liquid sodium . While there are many stationary applications, most ICEs are used in mobile applications and are

10088-400: The stem of the valve or may act upon a rocker arm , again, either directly or through a pushrod . The crankcase is sealed at the bottom with a sump that collects the falling oil during normal operation to be cycled again. The cavity created between the cylinder block and the sump houses a crankshaft that converts the reciprocating motion of the pistons to rotational motion. The crankshaft

10192-461: The two pistons to move on the same axis. It also had the torque reaction of one crankshaft cancel the torque reaction of the other, cancelling torque reaction in the engine. Lanchester used this engine design until 1904. Other early uses of flat-twin engines were 1903-04 Ford Model A , the 1904-1905 Ford Model C , the 1905-1906 Ford Model F . and several Jowett Cars models from 1910 to 1937. The Citroën 2CV , produced from 1948 to 1990,

10296-423: The volume of the combustion chamber is described by a ratio. Early engines had compression ratios of 6 to 1. As compression ratios were increased, the efficiency of the engine increased as well. With early induction and ignition systems the compression ratios had to be kept low. With advances in fuel technology and combustion management, high-performance engines can run reliably at 12:1 ratio. With low octane fuel,

10400-549: The world, the oil was actually drained and heated overnight and returned to the engine for cold starts. In the early 1950s, the gasoline Gasifier unit was developed, where, on cold weather starts, raw gasoline was diverted to the unit where part of the fuel was burned causing the other part to become a hot vapor sent directly to the intake valve manifold. This unit was quite popular until electric engine block heaters became standard on gasoline engines sold in cold climates. For ignition, diesel, PPC and HCCI engines rely solely on

10504-511: The ‘Twin 500’, and later the ‘Supreme’. These engines were manufactured in Canada. They are very sought after as only small numbers were produced, most likely due to ignition- and fuel-related problems in early models. In the Supreme (the later model) all these problems were fixed with a rear-domed piston, crankcase mixers and refined ignition system . Most flat-twin engines use a boxer configuration for

10608-479: Was available for all 1955–69 BMW motorcycles from the American importer, Butler and Smith, New York. Engine Numbers Engine Power Transmission Electrical System Suspension Dimensions and Weights Performance Flat-twin engine A flat-twin engine is a two-cylinder internal combustion engine with the cylinders on opposite sides of the crankshaft. The most common type of flat-twin engine

10712-674: Was one of the first front-wheel drive cars to use a flat engine. The 2CV was powered by an air-cooled boxer-twin engine. Also in 1948, the Panhard Dyna X was released with front-wheel drive and an air-cooled boxer-twin engine. Other cars following World War II using boxer-twin engines were the 1945-1954 Jowett Bradford van, , the 1961-1976 DAF Daffodil , the 1961-1978 Toyota Publica , the 1965-1969 Toyota Sports 800 sportscar and several front-wheel drive models from Citroën and Panhard . Several rear-engined cars were also produced with boxer-twin engines originally designed for motorcycles, such as

10816-405: Was one of the first motor vehicles to achieve over 100 mpg as a result. Internal combustion engines require ignition of the mixture, either by spark ignition (SI) or compression ignition (CI) . Before the invention of reliable electrical methods, hot tube and flame methods were used. Experimental engines with laser ignition have been built. The spark-ignition engine was a refinement of

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