By 1993, Harley engines were in their fifth generation.
Harley Davidsons, legendary in the motorcycling world, have an iconic look and a rumbling sound that is often heard before the bike's seen. Since the company's humble beginnings in 1903, Harleys have been ridden by die-hard bikers and sought after by avid collectors as well. By 1993, Harley engines were in their fifth generation, all of which were named after their engine's appearance: Flathead, Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead and Blockhead. The Blockhead engine is also called Evolution -- or Evo, for short.
The Harley Engine
All 1993 Harleys had four-stroke, air-cooled, V-twin engines. Four-stroke describes how the gasoline is converted into motion within the cylinders by the pistons, crankshaft and spark plugs. V-twin means that the two cylinders form the shape of a V, and in the case of Harley engines, they lie at 45 degrees from one another. Most V-twins are found in cruiser bikes, but Harley uses them on their Sportsters as well. V-Twin engines are light, fairly simple to work on and have high torque throughout the RPM range, meaning good access to the power. On the downside, they have less horsepower than bikes with more cylinders and they vibrate more, especially when arranged at 45 degrees, which gives Harleys their characteristic rumbling sound. Harley only used four different engines in all its 1993 bikes; an 883cc, a 1200cc and two 1340ccs.
883 Engine
The 883cc was only used in three bikes: the XL 883 Sportster, XL 883 Sportster Deluxe and the XL 883 Sportster Hugger. It had 42 horsepower at 5,600 RPM and 43 pounds-feet of torque at 4,400 RPM. The cylinders had a 76.2 mm bore and a 98.82 stroke, with a 9:1 engine compression ratio. All three weighed about 470 lbs., had a power to weight ratio of .17 horsepower per kilogram and could do 0 to 60 in about eight seconds. All had single, front and rear disc brakes, twin shocks, swing arm suspension, a five-speed transmission, belt drive and an electric starter.
1200 Engine
The 1200 cc engine was only used on two bikes; the XL Sportster 1200 and the XL Sportster 1200 Anniversary edition. The engine had 50 horsepower at 5,200 RPM and 55 pounds-feet of torque at 3,600 RPM. The cylinders had a bore of 88 mm and a stroke of 96 mm. They weighed about 475 pounds, had a high power to weight ratio of .21 horsepower per kilogram and could do 0 to 60 in about six seconds. They were chain-driven and had front and rear, single, disc brakes, a five-speed transmission and twin shock, swing arm suspension.
F-Series 1340cc Engine
All Harley models begin with one or two letters, which describes the type of engine. F and FL were used in 1993 for 1340cc engines. These engines were used in more 1993 Harleys than either of the other two. All Dyna-series and most Softails had F-series engines. These engines had 48 horsepower at 4,900 RPM and 63 pounds-feet of torque at 2,400 RPM. The cylinders had a bore of 88.8 mm and a stroke of 108 mm, with an 8.5:1 engine compression ratio. Most weighed between 600 and 650 lbs, with a power to weight ratio of about .15 horsepower per kilogram and could do 0 to 60 in about 9 seconds. All models had a five-speed transmission and twin shock, swing arm suspension, a belt drive with single rear disc brakes and single or dual front discs.
FL-Series 1340cc Engine
The second type of 1340cc engine was the FL-series. This was used in all touring bikes such as Electra and Ultra Glides. These engines had 60 horsepower at 5,000 RPM and 69 pounds-feet of torque at 3,600 RPM. The cylinders had a bore of 88.8 mm and a stroke of 108 mm, with an 8.5:1 engine compression ratio. The bikes weighed between 700 and 775 pounds and had a power to weight ratio of about .14 to .18 horsepower per kilogram and a top speed of about 95 MPH. All were belt-driven, with a five-speed transmission, single shock, swing arm suspension, single front disc brakes and dual rear discs.
Tags: bore stroke, cylinders bore, cylinders bore stroke, disc brakes, five-speed transmission
