Are Side-by-Side Engines more Reliable than V-Twins?

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XB08 · #11 Post by **XB08** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:00 am

If you talking old BSA or old harley out of the same same year, say 1967. I would say no and if you say a new honda V-twin and a new triumph , the v-twin will have it now to water cool over head cams. I think they are all about the same if all are maint well old bike are like old cars they break down, the new ones can too. you can buy the one that is rated the best and get a monday bike(lemon). you take care of your bike no matter what it is and it will take care of you.

PeterTrocewicz · #12 Post by **PeterTrocewicz** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 12:14 pm

Reliability wise, they are equal. The big disadvantage of a vtwin is that the rear cylinder does ttend to run hotter due to a lack of airflow, but materials and designs overcome that. The new HD touring bikes have electronics that shut off the rear cylinder at a stop to keep things cooler.

king robb · #13 Post by **king robb** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 12:55 pm

PeterTrocewicz wrote:Reliability wise, they are equal. The big disadvantage of a vtwin is that the rear cylinder does ttend to run hotter due to a lack of airflow, but materials and designs overcome that. The new HD touring bikes have electronics that shut off the rear cylinder at a stop to keep things cooler.

And hopefully they will discontinue that feature before I am ready to buy a new one.

Gummiente · #14 Post by **Gummiente** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:04 pm

king robb wrote:
PeterTrocewicz wrote:Reliability wise, they are equal. The big disadvantage of a vtwin is that the rear cylinder does ttend to run hotter due to a lack of airflow, but materials and designs overcome that. The new HD touring bikes have electronics that shut off the rear cylinder at a stop to keep things cooler.
And hopefully they will discontinue that feature before I am ready to buy a new one.

There is a software download available at the dealers that eliminates this feature. Had it done to my '07 just in case, although I never spend enough time at slow speeds to activate it, anyway.

HYPERR · #15 Post by **HYPERR** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:08 pm

Considering that Harley could build a much better functional and reliable V-Twin if they wanted to(but would not have that Harley feel and sound) and the V-Twin they build has lots of inherent compromises and limitations, it is pretty amazing how reliable they are overall.

Gummiente · #16 Post by **Gummiente** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:15 pm

HYPERR wrote:and the V-Twin they build has lots of inherent compromises and limitations

Such as...?

king robb · #17 Post by **king robb** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:32 pm

Gummiente wrote:
HYPERR wrote:and the V-Twin they build has lots of inherent compromises and limitations
Such as...?

Get the Blasphemer Gummi....

oh wait he's right.

Start with the cams being on the bottom and the air cooledness.

Gummiente · #18 Post by **Gummiente** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:39 pm

king robb wrote:Get the Blasphemer Gummi....

Not going after a "Blasphemiser", I just want to hear what he considers to be inherent limitations and why - that's all. Don't make mountains out of molehills, m'kay?

#19 Post by **storysunfolding** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:41 pm

Gummiente · #20 Post by **Gummiente** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 5:27 pm

storysunfolding wrote:

There ain't gonna be no show for you. I don't fight over foreign bikes.