What's your favourite engine?

[Drago]

The Toyota family1KR-FE, particularly the early non fly by wire versions.

Very light, compact, sufficiently powerful for its size, revvy and willing, economical, uber reliable, and capable of big mileages if cared for. A practical, clean, and characterful unit.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Steam turbines using water heated in small-scale thorium/nuclear waste-powered reactors. Substantial reduction in nuclear danger by reducing the toxicity of existing waste stocks, very low nuclear danger when using new thorium fuel, climate independent, no credible path to weapons creation. Perhaps something the government should get behind.

 

[Hover Fly]

Steam turbines using water heated in small-scale thorium/nuclear waste-powered reactors. Substantial reduction in nuclear danger by reducing the toxicity of existing waste stocks, very low nuclear danger when using new thorium fuel, climate independent, no credible path to weapons creation. Perhaps something the government should get behind.

Yeah, but what do they sound like? Do they make a roar like a thousand Randy lions? Do they vibrate the ground until a man’s knees turn to jelly?

 

[Salad Dodger]

A Rolls Royce Merlin (or preferably two being slung across the sky in a Mosquito).

Or a classic trials bike, either two stroke or four stroke single, being ridden slowly in a trials section where balance is much more important than power or speed. A bike being "pootled"......

 

[Drago]

The original Honda 750/4 engine.

Smooth like nothing before.

Startlingly powerful.

And what's this? An electric starter!

And the crankcase joints were rotated 90° from the prevailing vertical used by British bike engines, thus keeping the oil inside where it belonged.

It was very reliable, and failed to quickly explode as the British bike traditionalists had predicted.

It was, in short, the future.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Audi used to have a five cylinder engine in the 80s. I suspect it was a bit of a gimmick, but it made them different. They also introduced four wheel drive in road cars. You could say that was a bit of a gimmick too, but they worked. Before the Audi Quatro and the Audi 80 with the 5 cylinder engine, I, for one, had not heard of Audi. Afterwards Audi were up there with BMW and Mercedes Benz.

 

[figbat]

Audi used to have a five cylinder engine in the 80s. I suspect it was a bit of a gimmick, but it made them different. They also introduced four wheel drive in road cars. You could say that was a bit of a gimmick too, but they worked. Before the Audi Quatro and the Audi 80 with the 5 cylinder engine, I, for one, had not heard of Audi. Afterwards Audi were up there with BMW and Mercedes Benz.

They may have popularised four wheel drive, but they didn’t introduce it. The Jenson FF was the first non-all-terrain four wheel drive.

 

[slowmotion]

High octane exhaust fumes, shrieking engines ( and TV commentators ) get to be a bit wearing after a while. You should try steam and the gentle smell of engineering grease: a Cornish beam engine. This one's at the Levant tin mine in west Cornwall. Go there and see it. It's great fun.

[media]
]View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tvkC42NaPo[/media]

 

[raleighnut]

The original Honda 750/4 engine.

Smooth like nothing before.

Startlingly powerful.

And what's this? An electric starter!

And the crankcase joints were rotated 90° from the prevailing vertical used by British bike engines, thus keeping the oil inside where it belonged.

It was very reliable, and failed to quickly explode as the British bike traditionalists had predicted.

It was, in short, the future.

Shame the SOHC engines ate Camshaft and Tappet faces for breakfast unless the oil was changed very regularly and often ( every 1,500 miles)

 

[Drago]

They may have popularised four wheel drive, but they didn’t introduce it. The Jenson FF was the first non-all-terrain four wheel drive.

Indeed. And the Subaru Leone, a road car, goes back to 1971.

Audi were pretty late to the game.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Shame the SOHC engines ate Camshaft and Tappet faces for breakfast unless the oil was changed very regularly and often ( every 1,500 miles)

Oil changes at those intervals were pretty much the norm back then when mineral oils were used. I seem to remember having a Honda which recommended an oil and filter change at about1200 miles.

 

[Drago]

Shame the SOHC engines ate Camshaft and Tappet faces for breakfast unless the oil was changed very regularly and often ( every 1,500 miles)

Show us a more reliable British bike engine from that year.

 

[raleighnut]

Show us a more reliable British bike engine from that year.

I always rated the BSA Rocket 3/Triumph Trident, styling was a bit 'iffy' but nothing a big ally tank, single seat, 3 into 1 exhaust with clip ons and rearsets wouldn't solve. As for me I was into Italian bikes back then from the Morini 3 1/2 to the Laverda SF and the Ducati 350 Desmo.
Honda did one good thing though by launching the 750, it made Kawasaki go back and look at their 750 4 stroke which led to the monumental Z1

 

[Paulus]

The 5 bearing Ford Kent engine in either the 998 or the 1198cc version. These were fitted to the earlier Cortina MK1 and Corsair, and then the Ford Anglia 105E and the 123E.
This engine also had a 1300, 1500 and a 1600cc versions.
A very strong balanced engine and very easy to work on.

 

[Fastpedaller]

The 5 bearing Ford Kent engine in either the 998 or the 1198cc version. These were fitted to the earlier Cortina MK1 and Corsair, and then the Ford Anglia 105E and the 123E.
This engine also had a 1300, 1500 and a 1600cc versions.
A very strong balanced engine and very easy to work on.

I have a brand new, never fitted, crossflow inlet manifold if you need one!