My first dumb question here - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

zenn68 · 07-03-2007, 10:27 AM

And many more to come,
What does CC mean. I understand it has to do somehow with power. From a bit of reading I gather that 250cc is a good entry level bike, able to achieve highway speeds. 500-600cc more power, more speed. On up to 1000cc 1100 1300 and so on, larger heavier bikes, much faster, way more HP. But how does CC translate into power and performance for someone whos not a mechanic, and know nada about engines. Why does it go from 250cc to 500cc. Are there 300,350,400cc bikes?

**Clint** · 07-03-2007, 10:35 AM

Cubic centimeters of engine displacement (bore x stroke). Displacement has a rough correlation with power output and a fairly linear relationship with bike size and weight.

You can find engine sizes covering the whole range, but since streetbikes below 500cc don't sell well in this country, not many are sold here. You will find scooters and off-road bikes in that size range, though.

ChicsterMG · 07-03-2007, 11:44 AM

Don't get confused on speed either. More cc's doesn't alway mean more speed. More power yes, but a 1000cc cruiser may have a max speed of 110mph when a a 1000cc sport bike has a max speed of 180 mph.

Different bikes have different types of torque and like Rowdy said, power to weight ratio. This should be a factor in selecting your first bike as well.

You are well on your way to doing the right thing. Ask first and ride safe rather than ride first and pay the hospital bill. Good luck.

zenn68 · 07-03-2007, 01:13 PM

The Honda Rebel is 234cc
The Yamaha Virago is 249cc
Then the Suzuki S40 is 40ci
what gives here

palanon · 07-03-2007, 01:34 PM

Compared to the large selection of mid range and higher liter bikes, there aren't a lot of selections in the 250cc range. There's the Ninja 250 for the sport fan also.

CC's are a good indicator of power and torque within a given class but, can be misleading when comparing dissimilar bikes. A 250 - 600cc sport bike ( R ) is going to be scary fast and less forgiving than a cruiser of similar displacement.

What type of bike would you like to ride ? With that info, we could suggest some bikes for you to check out.

ChicsterMG · 07-03-2007, 01:35 PM

As to the first two, most, well all companies round out to something easier to remember, like the Rebel 250 when it's actually 234.

As for the S40, 40ci is in Cubic Inches, which rounds out to about 652cc.

**Clint** · 07-03-2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenn68

The Honda Rebel is 234cc
The Yamaha Virago is 249cc
Then the Suzuki S40 is 40ci
what gives here

What's the question, exactly?

ORBrit · 07-03-2007, 02:49 PM

maybe he's asking why a Japanese (metric) company would be selling a bike with imperial name designation.

The Boulevard name came about in 2005 - and in the US the Intruder 800 became the S50, the Intruder 1400 became the S83, the Savage became the S40, the Marauder 800 became the M50, the Volusia 800 became the C50....

I'm not sure if the new names are used in countries that adopt metric measurements. Maybe it's just a US thing.

EDIT:
In Australia they have the Intruder 250 LC then everything else is a Boulevard - with the same names they use over here - but without the S series.

oh and not all 800cc bikes are created equal....
there's a whole other discussion right there.

then there's the 600cc R bike vs. a 600cc cruiser discussion....

**Clint** · 07-03-2007, 02:51 PM

Probably. Frikkin' English units. Base twelve? What the hell is that?

LCA_koolaid37 · 07-03-2007, 02:53 PM

Or maybe he is inquiring why Suzuki doesn't have a smaller displacement, introductory ride? I don't really know, but I thought the smallest engine they carried was the 40 ci.

ORBrit · 07-03-2007, 02:55 PM

Suzuki has the GZ250

ORBrit · 07-03-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Probably. Frikkin' English units. Base twelve? What the hell is that?

LOL
It is confusing over there - especially if you are in the military.

All our military maps and navigation is done in kilometers, our calibers are in milimetres, but you drive in mph, but your gas is sold in liters, so miles per gallon makes no sense.
Height is measured in feet and inches and weight in Kilos. Or if you're old school, stones and pounds (1 stone = 14 lbs).
I just hope they never get to the point of having to order a 1/2 litre of beer.

I'm in the generation that was educated in Metric, but the real world was still working in Imperial.
I guess it works well for me as I can convert back and forth fairly easily whereas a lot of people over here have no idea what a kilogram, metre, litre or cubic centimetre is!

**inspiron** · 07-03-2007, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenn68

The Honda Rebel is 234cc
The Yamaha Virago is 249cc
Then the Suzuki S40 is 40ci
what gives here

40 cubic inch = 655.48256 cubic centimeter

So the S40 is a 650 ...

DR-Z125L · 07-03-2007, 04:31 PM

Yeah I think he wsa confused by seeing cc, cc and ci

zenn68 · 07-03-2007, 07:18 PM

Hey thanks for all the info
Yes I was confused by seeing every bike in cc then came across the S40 in ci.
40ci = 650cc got it. Im just getting the concept of cc and trying to relate that to how powerful a bike is then Suzuki comes along and screws me all up.

MOTOHOLIC! · 07-03-2007, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Cubic centimeters of engine displacement (bore x stroke). Displacement has a rough correlation with power output and a fairly linear relationship with bike size and weight.

You can find engine sizes covering the whole range, but since streetbikes below 500cc don't sell well in this country, not many are sold here. You will find scooters and off-road bikes in that size range, though.

Couldn't say it better.

wookie · 07-03-2007, 07:30 PM

Let

d = bore of the cylinder in mm
s = stroke of the piston travel in mm
n = number of cylinder
pi = 3.1415926535......

Total engine displacement (in cc) = n * pi * d * d * s / 4000

Warputer · 07-03-2007, 09:21 PM

Good questions Zenn !! I bet alot of others have wondered what a "cc" is and were afraid to ask .

07-03-2007, 10:27 AM	#1 (permalink)
zenn68 Clunked into first gear Joined: Jul 2007 Bike: GS500e Location: New York Posts: 236	My first dumb question here And many more to come, What does CC mean. I understand it has to do somehow with power. From a bit of reading I gather that 250cc is a good entry level bike, able to achieve highway speeds. 500-600cc more power, more speed. On up to 1000cc 1100 1300 and so on, larger heavier bikes, much faster, way more HP. But how does CC translate into power and performance for someone whos not a mechanic, and know nada about engines. Why does it go from 250cc to 500cc. Are there 300,350,400cc bikes?

07-03-2007, 11:44 AM	#3 (permalink)
ChicsterMG Refrigerator Magnet Test Engineer Joined: May 2005 Bike: Boulevard C50 Location: Afghanistan Posts: 3,508	Don't get confused on speed either. More cc's doesn't alway mean more speed. More power yes, but a 1000cc cruiser may have a max speed of 110mph when a a 1000cc sport bike has a max speed of 180 mph. Different bikes have different types of torque and like Rowdy said, power to weight ratio. This should be a factor in selecting your first bike as well. You are well on your way to doing the right thing. Ask first and ride safe rather than ride first and pay the hospital bill. Good luck. __________________ Sometimes you need to ask yourself, "WWGD?"...Just be awesome, that's all! GUT-CUT 2007: 177 LBS. 160 LBS.

07-03-2007, 01:34 PM	#5 (permalink)
palanon No Significant Other Joined: Apr 2006 Bike: 2003 Bandit 1200S Location: Newmarket, NH Posts: 2,326	Compared to the large selection of mid range and higher liter bikes, there aren't a lot of selections in the 250cc range. There's the Ninja 250 for the sport fan also. CC's are a good indicator of power and torque within a given class but, can be misleading when comparing dissimilar bikes. A 250 - 600cc sport bike ( R ) is going to be scary fast and less forgiving than a cruiser of similar displacement. What type of bike would you like to ride ? With that info, we could suggest some bikes for you to check out. __________________ " In the name of the Speedo, the Tach and the Holy Throttle, amen. "

07-03-2007, 01:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
ChicsterMG Refrigerator Magnet Test Engineer Joined: May 2005 Bike: Boulevard C50 Location: Afghanistan Posts: 3,508	As to the first two, most, well all companies round out to something easier to remember, like the Rebel 250 when it's actually 234. As for the S40, 40ci is in Cubic Inches, which rounds out to about 652cc. __________________ Sometimes you need to ask yourself, "WWGD?"...Just be awesome, that's all! GUT-CUT 2007: 177 LBS. 160 LBS.

07-03-2007, 02:49 PM	#8 (permalink)
ORBrit U.B's LoveChild Joined: Oct 2006 Bike: 2007 Suzuki Boulevard S50, 2007 Suzuki Bandit 1250S Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 1,242	maybe he's asking why a Japanese (metric) company would be selling a bike with imperial name designation. The Boulevard name came about in 2005 - and in the US the Intruder 800 became the S50, the Intruder 1400 became the S83, the Savage became the S40, the Marauder 800 became the M50, the Volusia 800 became the C50.... I'm not sure if the new names are used in countries that adopt metric measurements. Maybe it's just a US thing. EDIT: In Australia they have the Intruder 250 LC then everything else is a Boulevard - with the same names they use over here - but without the S series. oh and not all 800cc bikes are created equal.... there's a whole other discussion right there. then there's the 600cc R bike vs. a 600cc cruiser discussion.... __________________ Last edited by ORBrit; 07-03-2007 at 02:53 PM.

07-03-2007, 01:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
zenn68 Clunked into first gear Joined: Jul 2007 Bike: GS500e Location: New York Posts: 236	The Honda Rebel is 234cc The Yamaha Virago is 249cc Then the Suzuki S40 is 40ci what gives here

07-03-2007, 02:53 PM	#10 (permalink)
LCA_koolaid37 Eternal Vigilante Joined: Sep 2006 Bike: 2001 VZ800 Location: MO Posts: 1,279	Or maybe he is inquiring why Suzuki doesn't have a smaller displacement, introductory ride? I don't really know, but I thought the smallest engine they carried was the 40 ci. __________________

07-03-2007, 02:55 PM	#11 (permalink)
ORBrit U.B's LoveChild Joined: Oct 2006 Bike: 2007 Suzuki Boulevard S50, 2007 Suzuki Bandit 1250S Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 1,242	Suzuki has the GZ250 __________________

07-03-2007, 04:31 PM	#14 (permalink)
DR-Z125L Special/Abusive Title Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,364	Yeah I think he wsa confused by seeing cc, cc and ci

07-03-2007, 07:18 PM	#15 (permalink)
zenn68 Clunked into first gear Joined: Jul 2007 Bike: GS500e Location: New York Posts: 236	Hey thanks for all the info Yes I was confused by seeing every bike in cc then came across the S40 in ci. 40ci = 650cc got it. Im just getting the concept of cc and trying to relate that to how powerful a bike is then Suzuki comes along and screws me all up.

07-03-2007, 07:30 PM	#17 (permalink)
wookie U.B's LoveChild Joined: Apr 2005 Bike: '05 SV650S; '05 GSX-R600;'04 749S Location: 20 Miles East of LA Posts: 1,257	Let d = bore of the cylinder in mm s = stroke of the piston travel in mm n = number of cylinder pi = 3.1415926535...... Total engine displacement (in cc) = n * pi * d * d * s / 4000 __________________ "Don't wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pigs love it." "Don't argue with idiots. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." "The Universe is a contest between engineers making things idiot-proof and God making bigger idiots. So far, God is winning by a wide margin." Last edited by wookie; 07-04-2007 at 12:02 PM.

07-03-2007, 09:21 PM	#18 (permalink)
Warputer Kickstand Operator Joined: Jan 2007 Bike: 05 Busa-GSX1300R Location: Lake Murray South Carolina Posts: 253	Good questions Zenn !! I bet alot of others have wondered what a "cc" is and were afraid to ask . __________________ Chris

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