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Single crank pin

15K views 55 replies 24 participants last post by  woodchucks800 
#1 ·
I've seen many people refer to the "single crank pin" on the VN2000. Everyone speaks about it in a very positive way and some have even said it was why they chose the bike. I'm confused about its advantages and why its so desirable. How does it differ from being a non-single crank pin?
 
#5 ·
petegtsv10 said:
Thanks, that was a very infomative link. Other than sound, what are the pros and cons of the one or two pin configurations?
For a given power from the engine, the dual crankpin should provide more power output than the single crankpin. Think about riding a bicycle. Your legs are the pistons and the pedals are the pins. In essence your bicycle pedal is dual crankpin. If you modified your bicycle pedal such that both pedals are on the same line – in essence becoming a single crankpin. With the modified bike, you have to pedal by pressing both legs at the same time rather than alternating like a regular bicycle. I think you get more power from the bicycle using a conventional pedal rather than the modified design.

Also, the dual pin can be design such that a less than 90 degree v-twin engine configulation can act like a 90 degree v-twin thus making the engine very smooth.
 
#6 ·
ppark said:
For a given power from the engine, the dual crankpin should provide more power output than the single crankpin. Think about riding a bicycle. Your legs are the pistons and the pedals are the pins. In essence your bicycle pedal is dual crankpin. If you modified your bicycle pedal such that both pedals are on the same line – in essence becoming a single crankpin. With the modified bike, you have to pedal by pressing both legs at the same time rather than alternating like a regular bicycle. I think you get more power from the bicycle using a conventional pedal rather than the modified design.

Also, the dual pin can be design such that a less than 90 degree v-twin engine configulation can act like a 90 degree v-twin thus making the engine very smooth.

Great explaination!!!

The bottom line is this...The single crank pin sounds better than the dual crank pin in most peoples opinion and with the use of a counter balancer and rubber mounting of the engine, vibration can be kept to a minimum.

Potato--Potato--Potato
 
#8 ·
dhdaniel said:
ok, then please tell me what the '04 1500 classic is? all greek to me.
Thank you
Dave
I think all Vulcan cruisers are single crankpin design. Otherwise, you may not like it.

Despite all the mechanical advantages of dual crankpin design, a lot of people don’t like it. The bottom line is how you feel about your bike.
 
#13 ·
ppark said:
For a given power from the engine, the dual crankpin should provide more power output than the single crankpin. Think about riding a bicycle. Your legs are the pistons and the pedals are the pins. In essence your bicycle pedal is dual crankpin. If you modified your bicycle pedal such that both pedals are on the same line – in essence becoming a single crankpin. With the modified bike, you have to pedal by pressing both legs at the same time rather than alternating like a regular bicycle. I think you get more power from the bicycle using a conventional pedal rather than the modified design.

Also, the dual pin can be design such that a less than 90 degree v-twin engine configulation can act like a 90 degree v-twin thus making the engine very smooth.
Great example, except you won't be pressing both pedals at the same time if it ain't a Harley. And of course, you'd have to use your arm and abdominal muscles more :grin:
 
#14 ·
The Honda Aero 1100 actually got sued by harley for patent infringement and Honda ended up stopping production on it (they might have continued production for a brief time with a modifed engine). If you've ever heard one of those Aero 1100's, they sound more Harley than a Harley. I think some of Harley's patents ran out on the common crank like 5 or 10 years ago and that's when the metric cruisers started started coming out with more of a Harley sound.
 
#16 ·
I decided to research my statement above about Harley sueing over patent infringement. In 1996, when Honda came out with the Honda Ace 1100, it had a single pin crank (like a Harley) and it produced enough of a "potato-potato" sound that Harley did file a lawsuit and they tried to trademark the sound of a Harley. Harley gave up on the lawsuit and ultimately was not able to trademark the Harley sound.

In 1998, the Honda Ace 1100 (looks like a Harley Dyna-Glide) was replaced by the Honda Aero 1100, a retro-styled classic cruiser designed in the vein of old police bikes. It used the same motor with the single-pin crank as the ACE. Ultimately, Honda felt the engine design was flawed because the single pin crank caused too much bike vibration and a loss of 10 horsepower. After using the single-pin crank from '98 - '00, Honda changed the engine to a dual pin which gave it more horsepower but it also lost the Harley sound.

The '98, '99 and '00 Aero 1100's are a coveted bike by Honda enthusiasts because of it's remarkable similarity in sound to a Harley.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have heard an Aero 1100 and it sounds just like a Harley but I have also heard a Kawasaki 1500 Drifter that sounded even more Harley than that Aero. In fact, I heard that Drifter start up alongside of four other Harleys and the Drifter sounded "more Harley" than the Harleys did, on startup and on takeoff :) For a Harley sound, I would choose that Drifter over any Harley I've heard.
 
#19 ·
Slicks said:
I decided to research my statement above about Harley sueing over patent infringement. In 1996, when Honda came out with the Honda Ace 1100, it had a single pin crank (like a Harley) and it produced enough of a "potato-potato" sound that Harley did file a lawsuit and they tried to trademark the sound of a Harley. Harley gave up on the lawsuit and ultimately was not able to trademark the Harley sound.

In 1998, the Honda Ace 1100 (looks like a Harley Dyna-Glide) was replaced by the Honda Aero 1100, a retro-styled classic cruiser designed in the vein of old police bikes. It used the same motor with the single-pin crank as the ACE. Ultimately, Honda felt the engine design was flawed because the single pin crank caused too much bike vibration and a loss of 10 horsepower. After using the single-pin crank from '98 - '00, Honda changed the engine to a dual pin which gave it more horsepower but it also lost the Harley sound.

The '98, '99 and '00 Aero 1100's are a coveted bike by Honda enthusiasts because of it's remarkable similarity in sound to a Harley.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have heard an Aero 1100 and it sounds just like a Harley but I have also heard a Kawasaki 1500 Drifter that sounded even more Harley than that Aero. In fact, I heard that Drifter start up alongside of four other Harleys and the Drifter sounded "more Harley" than the Harleys did, on startup and on takeoff :) For a Harley sound, I would choose that Drifter over any Harley I've heard.

Yea...I remember when Harley was trying to Trademark the Harley sound...I thought it was rediculas and I was aware that they never were able to get that trademark however many people believe that Harley Davidson do have a trademark on that sound.

I have started up my 1600 Mean Streak next to Harley's and I can't tell the difference and neither can they.

Single Crank Pin Rules!
 
#21 ·
my HD buddy really likes the sound of my1500 with the V&H pipes. His has a higher crack sound out of the pipes where mine is definately louder and more lower in tone. both bikes at WFO sound great but mine is louder.
 
#22 ·
ppark said:
I believe the VTX1800s are dual crank pin design and the VTX1300s are single pin design.
i would have to agree with that. the 1800 with pipes definitely does not sound like my nomad, it has an odd sound to it.
 
#24 ·
I don't recall anyone bashing a Harley Davidson for being inferior. In my opinion, they are of equal quality to the metric cruisers. Some metrics may be faster or handle better but that's not necessarily the benchmark of a quality bike depending on what you're looking for. If you take the logo off, the only appeal a Harley has over a metric, IMO, is the Harley sound, hence the discussion of how some metrics can top Harley's trump card. If there's any bashing to be done, it should be for the overly inflated price tag and the superiority complex of some of their owners.

Case in point. My $6000 VN800A is comparable to a $14,000 Softail. The Softail is a nice bike but I'd say $8000 is the price of the bike and $6000 is the price of the logo...and that's just re-dam-diculous.

Just my .02
 
#26 ·
Slicks said:
I don't recall anyone bashing a Harley Davidson for being inferior. In my opinion, they are of equal quality to the metric cruisers. Some metrics may be faster or handle better but that's not necessarily the benchmark of a quality bike depending on what you're looking for. If you take the logo off, the only appeal a Harley has over a metric, IMO, is the Harley sound, hence the discussion of how some metrics can top Harley's trump card. If there's any bashing to be done, it should be for the overly inflated price tag and the superiority complex of some of their owners.

Case in point. My $6000 VN800A is comparable to a $14,000 Softail. The Softail is a nice bike but I'd say $8000 is the price of the bike and $6000 is the price of the logo...and that's just re-dam-diculous.

Just my .02
Yeah I have to agree with most of the above, my bike (2005 VN 800 A with Vans and Hines exhaust) sounds great, even idles very, very, slightly rough, like a special cam in it, when I drive by the Billet Bar ( a biker bar hangout in downtown Scottsdale, AZ ), Harley people mostly, they check my bike out, cause of it's looks and sound, most Harley peeps I have met are very cool, but then I have a 2003 Cobra which is C5 level performance, lots of those guys are cool too but some are >>sholes, Doc. :wink:
 
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