Single cylinder engine
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A single cylinder engine, colloquially known as a one-lunger or thumper, is an engine configuration consisting of just one cylinder, the simplest arrangement possible for an Otto or Diesel engine. The mounting can be standing, lying or angled.
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[edit] Pros and Cons
Compared to multi-cylinder engines, single cylinder engines have several advantages, primarily they are simple and economical in construction. Balance shafts and counterweights on the crankshaft must be used to balance the weight of reciprocating parts, and can be expensive and complicated due to the collective mass of multiple cylinders. However, components such as the crank have to be just as strong as in a four-cylinder engine of the same capacity per cylinder, meaning that some parts are effectively four times heavier than they need to be for the total displacement of the engine. This leads to the biggest downside of the single cylinder engine: it develops considerably lower power to weight ratios than a multi-cylinder of the same type.
[edit] Uses
Some early automobiles, such as the Cadillac 1906 Model K and 1907 Models L and M used single-cylinder engines [1]. Single cylinder engines were also popular at one time for marine uses (see external links, below). The first Moto Guzzi design used a horizontal single.
Today the most common configuration is the 50cc-two-stroke seen in so many bikes and scooters. These vehicles allowed the first mass-motorisation in many countries. Most engines used in small portable appliances, such as chainsaws, generators and domestic lawn mowers, usually have one cylinder. Also, the one-lunger is used in working vehicles, motorsports, airplanes, and as an industrial motor.
Suzuki has produced the Suzuki LS650 Savage, a 652cc single cylinder 4-stroke motorcycle, off and on from 1986 to the present, although the content has changed slightly and the motorcycle has been renamed the Suzuki Boulevard S40 [2].
[edit] The world’s largest single cylinder engine
The Guinness Book Of World Records has announced that the world’s largest single cylinder engine for a motorcycle is the 2000cc engine that was mounted into an old NSU Konsul motorcycle frame, and was built by Franz Langer, a retired engineer living in Germany.[3]
[edit] References
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