Anyone that is interested in motorcycles or is planning to get a new one would want to know — “what does cc mean in a motorcycle?” Whether you’re in the market for a car or a bike, you will have heard the word CC, and you’re probably wondering what it means.
There is a lot of misinformation about what this term truly signifies. We’ve gone ahead and found a perfectly clear and detailed answer. CC refers to Cubic Centimeters. Keep reading to find out exactly what that means and how it applies to a motorcycle.
Does CC Matter?
Cubic Centimeters or CC matter a lot when you’re looking to get a new bike. CC is all about engine displacements, and it dictates how many pistons will move in one stroke. More CC signifies that more fuel is burned, which increases the motorcycle’s engine outputs and fuel per stroke. Essentially, more CC = more powerful engine.
Having a good fuel mixture will mean that your motorcycle has great fuel economy. If you’re not aware, good fuel efficiency allows you to save more money on gas. Considering the price of gas right now, this is definitely something to take into account.
However, fuel efficiency isn’t purely dependent on the CC. It depends on the size of the fuel tanks and how good of a fuel mixture your bike has as well.
While it isn’t directly related to the speed of the bike, a powerful engine will accelerate faster. So, when you are looking to get a bike, you should consider its engine CC and engine size.
How Many CCs Are Good?
Every bike has a different engine capacity. This means that the CC of a motorcycle will be different as well. While it usually depends on your preference, going for high CC bikes can be quite expensive. To help you get an understanding,dirt bikes usually have fewer CCs, but they are not meant for everyday use.
If you are new to motorcycles, people will often recommend that you get a bike in the 250-300 CC range. That bike has a good engine capacity and will be suitable for your first purchase. However, a bike with a low engine CC will have trouble maintaining speed on the highway.
At the same time, getting a bike with a lot of CCs will not help you out if it’s your first bike. You will have a difficult time controlling the bike and might end up crashing it. That’s why the 250-300 range is ideal for new riders. In the end, it depends on your riding style and what you prefer.
How Do Motorcycle Engines Work?
Now that we’ve established what CC means and what range you should get your first bike in, let’s go over how motorcycle engines work. If you know how cars work, then you shouldn’t have a hard time with this. Pistons are moved using a mixture of fuel and air that’s been ignited.
All of this happens inside the cylinders. A larger cylinder will generate more power. The higher CC your engine is, the more power, and the larger the cylinder will need to be. This is because the volume of air that passes through it needs to be greater, so a smaller cylinder will not do the job properly.
Horsepower and CC
Anyone that knows even a little about vehicles will have heard the word “horsepower.” The horsepower (HP) measures how fast your engine will work. If you use torque effectively, you’ll have increased horsepower. Any engine enthusiast out there is probably wondering how many CCs are in 1 HP.
The answer to that is quite simple — 1 HP has 15 CC. This means that a 150CC bike will have 10 horsepower, and so on.
Looking Past CC
When you are going to buy a bike, do not only look at the CC. You also have to keep the horsepower and torque in mind. Plus, the weight of the motorcycle also has a big influence. All of these things help determine the performance of the bike and the power of the engine.
The higher the horsepower a bike has, the better it will accelerate. At the same time, if another motorcycle with the same HP weighs less, it will go faster. Torque also plays an important part in this. It determines the strength your engine has to accelerate. HP and torque are interlinked, so you should consider them both.
A premium bike with a larger enginewill always outperform a smaller engine bike. The larger engine will naturally have more HP, more CCs, and more torque. However, don’t go overboard with the specifications, because the higher you go, the more costly it will become.
If you are looking to get your first bike, then getting such a heavy motorcycle will not be good. You’ll have a hard time riding it, so it’s better to get one that has decent specs.
Finally, your weight alsoplays a role in this. While it isn’t something that matters a lot, it can certainly increase or decrease the acceleration by a slight margin.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has answered the question — “what does CC mean in a motorcycle?” In short, more CC will increase the motorcycle’s power, giving you enhanced engine power output and a better fuel-air mixture. A 1000CC engine will always outperform an 800CC engine when it comes to engine power output.
You should keep that in mind when buying a motorcycle. However, the higher the CC, the more expensive a bike will be. While other factors also contribute to the cost, CC is one of the major ones. Remember that CC also isn’t the only thing to take into account. Factors such as torque and weight play a big role in the functioning of a motorcycle.
