Courtesy of Pat Holmes
POWERED BY A ROTARY ENGINE
The rotary engine is completely different from other types of internal combustion engines used in motorcycles.
Rather than moving pistons up and down, rotary engines use a
triangular rotor that spins in an oval housing.
Rotary engines have fewer moving parts and spin at lower speeds than piston engines.
Although they are rarely used in automobiles or motorcycles, rotary engines are common in aircraft.
This Suzuki RE-5 motorcycle has a 497cc rotary engine that performs much like a 1000cc conventional engine.
It's rotary engine has no pistons, valves, or camshaft. This motorcycle was only in production for 2 years.
