Originally Posted by craig123
The Guzzi on the other hand is a 90 degree v-twin and it is perfectly balanced internally for a MUCH SMOOTHER overall power band with greatly reduced torque pulses...……….. this is true and I can never understand why JAP did not keep to this angle

I think there were probably two reasons why most V twin motorcycle engines were narrow angle Vs. When they were developed the power and RPM were much lower so the vibration was not felt so much, also a narrow V gives a more compact engine. Don't forget that people were generally smaller than today and without some clever design a 90° V twin would have required a longer frame. The first motorcycles were really based on beefed up bicycle style frames with an engine in the middle. Many of the very first even had pedals like a moped that were used mainly to get the engine started but also so that one could use "light pedal assistance" on the hills smile

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1913 Peugeot


Peter

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