Motorcycle engineering

[andrew7]

I love looking at how machinery works. I thought you would like to see what a decade old bike engine looks like inside. No, this isn't my R1 engine but was looking at how complicated a rebuild for me would be in the future. It might be easier to buy another engine than to R&R it.

 

You can see the multi-plate clutch but on the other side is the starter/generator combo, Yamaha combined both units together.

Edited March 28, 2009 by andrew7
starter motor is separate but integated with the generator

[andrew7]

I'll add replies to keep the pictures in order. Does this qualify for as a Hemi? Three intake and two exhaust and spark plug in the middle.

[andrew7]

The bottom of the engine, left of the motor filter is the round coolant cooled oil cooler(say that 5x fast). Looking below it through the openings are the main caps hiding. You can see the oil pump but the water pump is integrated into it. The output shaft is under the coolant tube.

[andrew7]

The lower case is removed to find the crank and the first stack of 3 gears. The clutch is removed and where the sprocket is, the drive shaft adapter goes. The top left is the crank position sensor plate and cam chain.

[andrew7]

The crank was removed and you can see the little sequential six speed. Some of you know I don't share my 7, this engine is the reason why...one little piece and everything is affected. Second gear jumping to neutral is a problem and I'd have to replace those forks and get those dogs ground square. If you have to fix the transmission may as well pull the pistons and get new rings. The manual I have, all the con rods and main bolts need replaced because they cannot be re-torqued, They also use a tightening angle method, a certain torque plus so many degrees. I've rebuilt other engines but this one is up a notch.

 

I Hope you enjoyed Show and Tell this Friday night.

[Mondo]

Yikes! Your a better man than me.

I've worked on 2 strokes years ago but valves & cams... forget about it. And the tolerances nowadays...

[slngsht]

I had taken a few Kawasaki 600cc engines apart before. Those bike engines are definitely a work of art

[11Budlite]

They sure do pack a lot of machinery in a small space. Very impressive, thanks for sharing!

[Birkin42]

I love working on motorcycle engines. I use to do all my own work when I raced and rebuilt/modified may of them. The last bike I raced was a 96 GSXR750. After new cams, head work, piston, rods and many other mods, it made 142 rear wheel hp, which was pretty good in the day for a 750. Valve to piston clearance was ridiculously tight at around 0.030" on the intake and a bit more on the exhaust side, if I remember correct.

 

Yamaha would always frustrate me though side they would stick one fastener from the crankcase up to the head so if you wanted to that the head or cylinders off, you had to split the cases and take everything apart. Never figured out why they always did that.

 

With how impressive motorcycle engines are compared to automotive engines, it still blows me away how much more specific output an F1 engine has, particularly when you consider their much bigger volume per cylinder.