Cycle World Podcast

The inline-four has many qualities that made it the performance engine format of choice for decades. Ride with Kevin and Mark as they talk about the origins of the inline-four and how we have explored many other engine formats and firing orders/timings, and possibly a few side stories about other things!

We just want to light the fire, that's it! Kevin and Mark dive into all the different ways internal combustion engine builders have found to light the combustible air/fuel mixture. There has been spark, open flames(!), a thing called "hot tube" and more. Even compression can light off the charge, and we'll talk about that too. From magnetos to coil and points to fully electronic coil-on-plug ignitions with upward of 60,000 volts, we try to cover it all. Join us for the latest Cycle World podcast!

In the early days of internal combustion engines, pistons were typically made of steel, but it wasn't long before aluminum took over (thanks, W.O. Bentley). But steel pistons and even cylinder heads are coming back in special applications. Kevin and Mark dive in to 3D printed steel pistons, turbo housings, and steel cylinder heads in F1 and other racing. The guys take a deep dive into boost, piston temperature, lean burn, diesel, additive manufacturing and so much more.

"Don't want it to come loose!" This is true, but how many mangled fasteners and engine cases have you encountered? More than you'd like. So Kevin and Mark decided to talk torque, torque wrenches, lock nuts, fastener elasticity, sealing, and so much more. And what if you don't have a torque reference sheet for your bike? Learn fastener basics to help you have guidelines for fastener type and material, too. Lot's to talk about here. Grab your torque wrench and join us for the Cycle World podcast!

Kevin will start with atmospheric intake valves and someone from the 1800s, but for real we are talking about Overhead Cams here. Why has OHC become the standard for four-stroke-engine valve operation and what are its advantages. Also, you won't believe how old the technology is. Join Kevin and Mark for the bumpy world of cams above the head.