How Does a Motorcycle Work?

How does a motorcycle work? What exactly makes it tick? If you own a motorcycle or are interesting in owning one, these are important questions to have answers to. We all know that motorcycles can be quite powerful. We know that just by listening to them.

Here are some motorcycle basics that you can take a look at:

• We know that motorcycles usually consist of two wheels. There are some that have two back wheels. The truth is that anything with less than four wheels can be considered a motorcycle.
• The modern motorcycle’s layout was established in 1914. Not much as really changed. Just like the engine in a car, the motorcycle engine consumes gasoline and converts piston motion into rotary motion.
• The two hand levers on the handle bars enable the driver to operate the clutch and the brake. There are also two foot pedals that enable the driver to shift gears and to operate the rear brake.
• A motorcycle engine consists of one to six cylinders. The four-cylinder is the most popular choice nowadays.

That seems simple enough, right? However, there is a bit more to know about motorcycle transmission.

Motorcycle Transmission

Motorcycle transmission directs the power to the rear wheel through a series of movements that involve the clutch, the drive system, and the gearset. The clutch engages and disengages power from the engine’s crankshaft to the transmission. The clutch is important because the only way to stop the wheels from rotating would be to turn off the engine.

The gearset is important because it is the gears that are used to take a driver from a complete stop to cruising speed. Motorcycle transmissions usually consist of two to six of these gears and they are engaged by shifting a lever, which causes shifting forks to move inside the transmission.