Huge 2004 Motorcycles Will Break the 2000cc Barrier

Huge 2004 Motorcycles Will Break the 2000cc Barrier
Triumph will show its big three-cylinder motorcycle, rumored to be almost 2400cc, in August. Kawasaki reportedly has a 2000cc-plus V-twin on the way, and we expect to see a bigger full-production version of the Honda Valkyrie. By When Honda rolled out its first VTX1800 motorcycle at the end of 2000, it said that bike's 1795cc V-twin engine was about as big as a V-twin engine for a motorcycle could practically be. Though Honda didn't define its criteria for practical success, the VTX 1800's reign as the biggest production V-twin motorcycle and the Honda Rune/Gold Wing 1832cc motor's position as the largest proprietary motorcycle engine are apparently about to be eclipsed as new production motorcycles roll out this fall with engine displacements considerably more substantial than any seen to date.

Although S&S Cycle has been pumping out Harley-pattern V-twin engines for 45 years and is now building a 145-cubic-inch limited-edition engine to celebrate that fact and Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary, those limited-production big engines were built separately from the motorcycles, which are assembled using the S&S motors by other companies and individual customizers. And, if the popular rumor that Triumph's new flagship motorcycle will displace 2371cc is true, then the British motorcycle will have achieved displacement parity with the "big-engine" company, although it will apparently do it with three cylinders. For sheer engine displacement, however, the Chevrolet-powered Boss Hoss motorcycles and similar V-8 powered bikes will remain king.