Hi Folks!
I know some of you here are a lot more techincally inclined then I am regarding engines and stuff, but I am always trying to learn!
I was just curious about something I've noticed between my car and my bike. My Car has a 2.5L i4 in it, and my Rocket has a 2.3L i3 in int. When I drive my car, which weighs a huge amount compared to my bike, why is it able to cruise at a lot lower RPM then my bike?
For example... The car Idles at 500RPM, but my Honda Motorcycle with a V4 has to idle at 1100rpm, and the rocket at 800... why Can't they idle lower? Is it something to do with heat or fuel consumption?
Second example is on my Rocket in 5th gear at 80kph I am doing 2000rpm, but my car does 1400-1500rpm in 5th gear at the same speed. With the car being heavier, wouldnt it require a higher RPM To keep it from being in such a low power band?
I guess the question I Am really asking is why do engines of a similar size (2.3 vs 2.5) and weights between my bikes 750lbs vs my cars 2500+lbs why does the car have a much lower RPM to cruise and idle vs a motorcycle? I know that an Inline 4 can rev higher and faster but in this case, it has the same amount of gears but can cruise at a much, much lower RPM then my bike with the same size motor.
Hope that makes sense