360° vs 180° vs 270° Parallel Twin: Crankshaft Angles | Explained

A straighttwin engine, also known as an inlinetwin, verticaltwin, or paralleltwin, is a twocylinder piston engine with cylinders arranged in a line along with a common crankshaft. Straighttwin engines are primarily used in motorcycles; other uses include marine vessels, snowmobiles, Jet Skis and allterrain vehicles.

The term "paralleltwin", "verticaltwin," and "inlinetwin" originally had specific meanings relating to the crankshaft angle or engine orientation; however, they are often also used interchangeably.

Various crankshaft configurations have been used for straighttwin engines, the most common being 360 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees.

In the United Kingdom, the term "paralleltwin" is traditionally used for engines with a crankshaft angle of 360 degrees since the two pistons are in the same direction (i.e., parallel to each other).

"Verticaltwin" was used to describe engines with a crankshaft angle of 180 degrees, which causes the pistons to travel in opposite directions.
The terms "straighttwin" and "inlinetwin" were used more generically for any crankshaft angle.

So in this video, we are looking at different crankshaft configurations and how they are used in the automotive industry.

Time Stamp
00:00 Introduction
01:19 How does a 4Stroke Engine work?
02:10 Difference between Inline & Parallel Twin
03:02 360° Crankshaft Angle
04:52 180° Crankshaft Angle
07:35 270° Crankshaft Angle
10:59 Wrap Up

All images used in this video are under a creative commons license.

External Sources: Wikipedia Creative Common

Watch our video on Bike Engines:    • Every Engine in Motorcycle Explained ...  
Watch the video on Inline Engines:    • Different "Inline Engine" Configurati...  

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