Motorcycle Engine Cooling System – Air Cooling VS Liquid Cooling

VS Oil Cooling
Motorcycle Engine Cooling System

You know a motorcycle engine burns the fuel in support of air and produces power
to derive the motorcycle on the road. Therefore air & fuel mixture that compressed
in the combustion chamber inside the motorcycle engine and then it burns and
produces the power. That power drives the engine parts and finally delivered to the
wheel and a motorcycle moves.

Whatsoever in this combustion process the engine also generates huge amount of
temperature besides producing power. Here actually a standard temperature
condition is needed for the efficient combustion therefore operating the motorcycle
engine. But at the running the engine produces huge & access heat over the
standard limit and that is wastage. And this access heat is unnecessary which
harmful for an engine. Hence motorcycle engine cooling system works here to
control the temperature within the standard limit cutting off the access heat.
Motorcycle Engine Cooling System

You know a motorcycle engine burns the fuel in support of air and produces power
to derive the motorcycle on the road. Therefore air & fuel mixture that compressed
in the combustion chamber inside the motorcycle engine and then it burns and
produces the power. That power drives the engine parts and finally delivered to the
wheel and a motorcycle moves.

Whatsoever in this combustion process the engine also generates huge amount of
temperature besides producing power. Here actually a standard temperature
condition is needed for the efficient combustion therefore operating the motorcycle
engine. But at the running the engine produces huge & access heat over the
standard limit and that is wastage. And this access heat is unnecessary which
harmful for an engine. Hence motorcycle engine cooling system works here to
control the temperature within the standard limit cutting off the access heat.
Hence commonly there are two basic cooling system is very frequent in
motorcycle engine cooling system. The air cooling and liquid cooling is very well
known cooling feature for motorcycle engine. Beside these two types of cooling
there one more type of cooling system also available that is oil cooling system.
Hence here in our discussion we will discuss the each type of cooling system of
motorcycle engine.

Motorcycle Engine Cooling System – Air Cooled Engine

Air cooled engine therefore air cooling is very frequent and popular as motorcycle
engine cooling system. Air cooling system is very simple in construction and very
much cost effective. So lower capacity and simple construction motorcycle very
widely uses air cooling feature.

In air cooled engine the engine construction is much uncomplicated in terms of

cooling feature. Here the hotter area of the engine remains faced on the way of
high air flow line. Moreover the hotter areas like the engine cylinder block and
cylinder head constructed with thin metal fins. This metal fins carry the access heat
from the engine block and air flow cuts off the heat and makes them cool. Hence in
such way air cooled engine temperature controlled by air.

Air Cooled Motorcycle Engine Features

Air cooled engine allows some additional features for a motorcycle. It allows light
weight and low cost of motorcycle. Air cooled engine needed no periodic
maintenance for its cooling system. It’s the better solution for cold weather area
where no need for anti-freeze treatment and cold start issue solved effort free.

On counter air cooling system in motorcycle have some limitations. Most of the
situation air cooled engines are single cylinder, low capacity and low powered
engine. Commonly they comes with low rev, lower compression ratio
characteristics. Higher compression ratio or high rev is possible here but cooling
fins can increase engine size and weight.

Hence you can see air cooled V-twin engines are so heavy and big in size.
Moreover the air cooled engine needed frequent flow of air, so aerodynamic fairing
avoided in air cooled engine motorcycles.

Motorcycle Engine Cooling System – Liquid Cooled Engine

Liquid cooled engine sometime known as water cooled engine. Most of the
situation water based cooling liquid used for this type of cooling system. So often
it called as water cooled engine.

In liquid cooled motorcycle engine the engine block or cylinder head have no
metal fin like air cooled engine. It comes with straight and solid construction from
outside. But it has water tunnel around the cylinder block and cylinder head.

That tunnel is connected with a liquid coolant reservoir and cooling radiator. The
radiator is attached facing the high airflow line and also have an additional cooling
fan to make the liquid forcefully cool inside the radiator.

Motorcycle Liquid Cooling System – How It Works

In the liquid cooled motorcycle engine there is a close loop of liquid coolant. There
also attached a mechanical pump which circulates the liquid coolant within the
loop. The pump circulates the liquid toward the engine block, then to the cooling
radiator and then the reservoir and aging toward the engine. Thus the cycle
continues.
Here in this system the liquid coolant absorbs the access heat when flowing
through cylinder block or head and releases that heat when passing trough the
cooling radiator. Thus it cools the engine and controls the temperature.

Here in case of over heat situation the attached thermostat relays the signal to
ECU. Accordingly the coolant pump circulates the cooling liquid faster or if
needed the radiator cooling fan start to work to get the hot liquid of the radiator
cool faster. So you can see how precisely the liquid cooling system works.

Liquid Cooled Engine – Advantage and Disadvantage

Liquid cooling system is very frequent in higher capacity and high performance
motorcycle engines. This type of cooling allows better cooling for multiple
cylinder engines. Therefore higher compression ratio, high rev character easily can
be achieved as the engine temperature precisely controlled here.

But in counter there are some disadvantages of liquid cooling system. Liquid
cooling is quit expensive feature. It makes the engine construction complex. It
increases engine size & weight. And it need frequent periodic maintenance of the
cooling system. Moreover in low temperature country liquid cooling system need
extra care as the liquid coolant freezing point is an issue.

So you can see the weaknesses of liquid cooling system in motorcycle engine. But
it sure for the high performance and big size engine liquid cooling is the best
solution as motorcycle engine cooling system.

Motorcycle Engine Cooling System – Oil Cooled Engine

In motorcycle engine cooling system oil cooling is another type of cooling system
which is not used in typical type of motorcycles. Many motorcycle manufacturer
uses oil cooling system for their motorcycle for various reason.

Actually it depends on related area weather condition as oil boiling and freezing
point is different and far wider than water. Moreover engine size and design is
another issue adopting oil cooling system for motorcycle engine. And most of the
high capacity luxurious motorcycle manufacturer uses this type of cooling system
for their giant motorcycles.

In oil cooled motorcycle engine the engine oil used as coolant which circulates
inside the engine for lubrication. You know in any type of motorcycle the engine
oil simultaneously works as lubricant and also as coolant.

Motorcycle Oil Cooling System – How It Works

In the oil cooled engine the oil circulated in wider range inside the engine. It
absorbs the access heat and releases the same through cooling radiator. So it also
derived through quite same type of cooling radiator and oil pump. Here the engine
sump serves as oil reservoir. Hence for the cooling system and channel circulation
it needs additional volume of oil.

Typically in oil cooled motorcycle engine the cylinder block and cylinder head
assembly remains air cooled and it constructed quite same like air cooled engine.
Therefore the cylinder block & head constructed with quite same type of thin metal
fins for air cooling feature.
In addition there also a cooling radiator is attached outside the engine like the
liquid cooled engine. But here the radiator size and dimension is different. The
radiator set here same way facing the high airflow line and it cools the hot oil by
the flow of air.

Oil Cooled Engine – Advantage and Disadvantage

Oil cooled motorcycle engine featured for different purpose we already mentioned
earlier. This system better suits for low temperature areas and also in extreme hot
weather condition. As the water and water based liquid coolant freezing point and
boiling point is not suitable for low temperature area and no even for deserts, so oil
cooling is the only cooling solution for such places.

Whereas oil cooling system is adopted in motorcycle engine to deal some extreme
situations so it also has some disadvantages. Oil cooled engine construction &
design is little more complex. As engine oil splash cools down the hotter parts
inside the engine so its oil circulation channels are quite different than other
engine.
Due to cooling system it need larger volume of engine oil. Hence here the oil
capacity increased and sump size also increased. So accordingly the engine size
and weight also increased. Moreover this oil cooling system also need frequent
periodic maintenance and it’s also quite more costly.

Air Cooled VS Liquid Cooled VS Oil Cooled – Which is Better

So after our discussion on motorcycle engine cooling system you may ask as which
cooling system is better option for a motorcycle engine. Here the answer is not
quite easy and not has any straight answer.

Here both the air cooling and water cooling is standard for motorcycle engine
where oil cooling has different purpose. But in answer we can say manufacturers
choose the best cooling system for their motorcycle engine which suits best with
their specification and features. They determine it doing lot of research on the
specific model of motorcycle engine through their R&D.

So we need not to bother for the cooling system much as a user. Hence we have to
be sure about the craftsmanship of the manufacturer whether they are dedicated or
reputed in their motorcycle design and manufacturing or not; that’s it.

So readers here are all about our today’s discussion on Motorcycle Engine Cooling
System – Air Cooling VS Liquid Cooling VS Oil Cooling. Hope you have enjoyed
the discussion and enhanced your concept. Therefore feel free to add your
feedback in comments bellow and stay connected with us. Again thank you all.

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1711.html
What is the air-fuel ratio in a petrol engine?

For proper burning/combustion of fuel(petrol) engine require oxygen, and this

oxygen is supplied to engine by atmospheric air. The ratio of mass of air sucked by
engine to mass of fuel injected is air-fuel ratio. If exactly enough air is provided to
completely burn all of the fuel, the ratio is known as the Stoichiometric mixture or
Stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. Stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for petrol(SI engine)is
14.5:1 . A/F ratio less than 14.5 means rich mixture and A/F ratio greater than 14.5
means lean mixture.

For cold starting (simply when your engine parts are not warmed)- 9:1 (rich of
fuel)

For Idling(when you stop at signal without turning off engine)- 12:1 (rich mixture)

for cruising (when you run engine at constant medium/economy speed)- 16:1(lean
mixture)

When you accelerate bike/car - 13:1 (Rich mixture but require less fuel than idling)

Air fuel Mixture is simply the ratio of Air and Fuel required in region where
atomisation takes place. It is the ratio required for combustion to take place.

For Petrol engines, the stoichiometric ratio of A/F is 14.7:1.

For a engine ( if we are using an ECU) it is contrlloed by ECU.

We make a Fuel map ( by Dyno test) that much what should be A/F ratio at what
rpm for optimum performance. then for a peak power we adjust the A/F ratio, that
is called Tuning.

Usualy at lower Rpm the A/F is Rich. i.e, the More Quantity of air than fuel at
higher RPM, the A/F mixture is lean