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Ready for the Dumb Question of The Day? Heeeeere we go:
Why are there cooling fins on the cylinders of liquid-cooled V-twin cruiser engines? Is this just an exercise in faux styling? Or do these have some secondary cooling function?

strictly appearance.

dieziege wrote:strictly appearance.

They may be there for appearance, but they still have some effect on the engine temp. I bet they help a lot at higher speeds.

It's purely decorative. In fact, on some cheaper V-twin bikes, the fins are plastic and can be hex-bolted off. Doing so reveals a cool looking in-line sportbike like smooth surface.

Ex: 2002 Honda Shadow A.C.E.