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

A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder piston engine with cylinders arranged in a line along with a common crankshaft. Straight-twin engines are primarily used in motorcycles; other uses include marine vessels, snowmobiles, Jet Skis and all-terrain vehicles.

The term "parallel-twin", "vertical-twin," and "inline-twin" 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 straight-twin engines, the most common being 360 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees.

In the United Kingdom, the term "parallel-twin" 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).

"Vertical-twin" was used to describe engines with a crankshaft angle of 180 degrees, which causes the pistons to travel in opposite directions.
The terms "straight-twin" and "inline-twin" 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 4-Stroke 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

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Watch the video on Inline Engines:    • Different "Inline Engine" Configurati...  

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