The 10 best motorcycle engines ... ever!
You can’t have a motorbike without a motor, and over the decades there’s been some truly glorious bike engines. This is our Top10 list of the greatest, most important and most innovative bike engines ever made, as we pay homage to horsepower.
It’s one of the best feelings in the world. You grab a big handful of throttle and the bike instantly surges forward, torrents of power blasting you towards the horizon. It never fails to make you smile, this is why you got into bikes in the first place. But what separates a good bike engine from a truly great one?
Power, obviously. But how it makes that power, what it powers, and that model’s impact on motorcycling are all part of the equation. Over the years there have been some extraordinary, ground-breaking bike engines, but these are our Top 10 of the finest, fastest or most important engines ever made. We argued long and hard and this is our list. See if yours is on here…
Discuss this story
Good to see that this was not all about max horsepower and nothing else. Don't see how a Harley engine can be in the top 10 but anyway. Very pleased to see the C90 and the GSXR1100 in there though. Good stuff.
Posted: 15/03/2010 at 16:20
C90 is the most produced engine ever (I think) I have number 4 - GSXR1100 it's a superb engine!!!
Posted: 17/03/2010 at 11:45
some great engines in there. how about the 1100cc honda 4 (blackbird, x11)?
Posted: 12/07/2010 at 13:56
The Harley engine was posted for several reasons 1. It brought HD out of the slump created by AMF 2. Say what you will about the engine, it was far more reliable than it's predecessors, along with increased power to boot. 3. With that engine Harley asked the powers that be to remove the +750cc tariff that was meant to protect them. The brand succeeded on it's own terms, so historically it is significant enough to warrant inclusion in this article.
Posted: 12/07/2010 at 17:18
A provocative subject and even with a top 50 it would be hard not to leave out some good ones. However, devoting almost half of them to the usual across the frame 4s, which while undoubtedly are popular for the reason that they work well, they are not that dissimilar from each other. It is a pretty easy jump from Z1 to GSX-R to R1 to 675 (Not exactly like developing a rotary) and this leaves precious little room for some truly great engines. Seems like the list was more drawn up to make the current generation of readers feel their bikes are the ones that count, when in reality most of the great ideas and configurations had already been tried before the second world war and while many were not reliable, in the context of their day, some were truly great (JAP in the Brough Superior for example) and became the new benchmark. I think this list will not stand up to the test of time. Obviously there are some future engines worthy of being added, but I can't see a 675 engine or an R1 engine being considered particularly notworthy in 20 years or so and being in an all time top 10 (instead of the 2010 perspective top ten) The NR should definitely have been here because it was and possibly still is at the pinnacle of the greatest motorcycle manufacturer's technological capability and I am sure they would be dismayed that the C90 or even the NSR500, for all their successes, be included but the NR not.
Posted: 20/07/2010 at 15:31
The Harley Evo engine was significant in that it was good enough to save the company from extinction. I would agree that if that's the criteria for selecting a great engine you might consider one or more BMW boxer engines. And now for my $.02. Why not reference the latest version of the KTM LC-4 engine? 65 honest horsepower from a 654 cc. single is record breaking, as is the counterbalancer, the six speed transmission, and the low overall weight and bulk. I suppose this engine will never be "significant" as it's so advanced that it's being banned from competition. Dakar being the latest sanctioning body to cave in to the demands of lesser manufacturers. The Honda alternative makes all of 39 horsepower. Otherwise, the LC-4 broken in and installed in an '08, '09, or '10 Duke 690 certainly meets the criteria for launching the bike towards the horizon whenever the rider twists the right grip.
Posted: 30/07/2010 at 21:15
Such small number & so many could have made it into this list BUT this list is stonking!! Well chosen, well ridden! Overall, the inclusion of triples (2T & 4T) is refreshing. I can't get enough of triples, followed by twins, V's and finally straight 4's. I've never ridden a straight 6, sadly, or ever ride a Z1/Z900, but if a ZX9, or ZX12 is anything to go by... they are still blinding!
Posted: 10/08/2010 at 19:06
Ooo, Ooo! Ahem, on the subject of triples, did I miss the Triumph Trident? Also, the XS750/850 - they were floored, but still deserve a mention because Yamaha were brave enough to try to palm...sorry, attempt to sell us a 'new' design at a time when 4's & twin 4T's were the norm. Anyone for a reversed crank 900 triple?
Posted: 11/08/2010 at 18:21
MV Agusta V-8, RD 350 that won Daytona, little 125's that spawned a new Life for the ISDT and all the FIA MotoCross variants of big singles ? Street fighters abound, boxers, vertical twins, v Twins, etc. No mention of Economics of the Industry, Honda 350 was cheap, powerful and afforable and brought the Future to Honda, 750 was a good choice ! Cylinder Head design was a milestone for Ducatti. Bike engines generally were ahead of the Formula 1 Shops, they all loved to write a deal with Yamaha for consulting on various ideas. Still Do !
Posted: 14/06/2011 at 06:40
I was kind of surprised to see that the Kawasaki GPz900r engine wasn’t mentioned. As for the Harley, although it was the engine that launched a thousand chops I don’t think it can claim anything else but being in the top 10 for just style and street posing.
But there are a lot of land mark engines that didn’t get a mention so it makes you wonder if the people who wrote the piece knew much about the history of motorcycle engines and how they changed the market of the day when released.
Posted: 17/09/2011 at 23:34
I'd toss the R1 out for sure. Maybe (actually definitely) I'm biased to Suzuki, but the TL really makes it on my list. Not only because of its vicious and wonderful character, but because of its evolution into DL and SV further on.
But what really places it on the list is the sound! :>
Posted: 02/04/2012 at 21:36
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