There are many misconceptions about the Bike’s CC to people who are planning to buy new bikes. Some think that higher CC will give them higher speed. Many people don’t actually know what this actually means. Here in this article, we will briefly describe Bike’s CC and its impact on speed.
What is the Bike’s CC?
The Bike’s CC is the Engine displacement measurement. Here, the displacement is measured in Cubic Centimeters unit. It is measured by multiplying the Number of Cylinders by the Cylinder Volume. This matrix determines the engine’s power output and overall performance.
So, Engine Displacement= Number of Cylinders×Cylinder Volume
Let’s make it easier. The Honda CB150R is a 149cc bike. The bike has one cylinder. So, it means, the cylinder of the bike has a volume of 149 cubic centimeters (cc). The Kawasaki Ninja 300 is a 296CC bike. The bike has two cylinders. So, each cylinder of the bike has a volume of 296/2=148 cubic centimeters (cc). This is how the Engine displacement of Bike’s CC is measured.
Does Bike’s CC have any relationship with Bike’s Top Speed?
No, there is no relationship between a bike’s CC and top speed. For example, The Yamaha R15 is a 150cc bike. The bike can achieve a top speed of 150+ km/h. On the other hand, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is a 349cc bike. It can achieve only the top speed of 110 km/h. So, the extra 200 cc in the Royal Enfield won’t give you any speed advantage.
But, you will get more power, and comfort in a higher CC bike, we will talk about them in the following section.
So, What is responsible for Bike’s Top Speed?
Bike’s top speed depends on many factors, like the design and aerodynamics, weight, quality of the tire, horsepower and torque. Horsepower of an engine determines how smoothly the bike achieves the top speed, and the torque indicates how rapid the initial acceleration is.
Both the Bullet and the Kawasaki Ninja 300 are 300 CC bikes. The bullet has a max power of 20.2 bhp@ 6100 rpm and torque of 27 Nm @ 4000 rpm, while the Ninja 300 has a max power of 38.88 bhp@ 11000 rpm and torque of 26.1 Nm@10000 rpm. This allows the Ninja to achieve a massive acceleration at initial throttling and 182 km/h of top speed.
What are the advantages of Higher CC Bikes?
Achieving a higher top speed is not the main advantage of a bike. You should remember that over speeding often causes life threatening accidents. There are many advantages of a high CC bike. Like:
- You will get increased power output from these bikes. As a result, you will be able to easily overtake while riding on the highway.
- The riding experience is so smooth in higher CC bikes.
- You will love the stability.
- Higher CC bikes come with better tires, and advanced safety features.
- The braking is always top notch.
Are there any disadvantages?
Yes, there are some disadvantages which will discourage you to buy a higher CC bike. Firstly, the cost is very high. They are not suitable for city commuting. You will often face problems for the weight and the riding position. The engines will consume more fuel, which will decrease the mileage. The average mileage of a 300-350cc bike is only 20-25. The insurance and maintenance cost is also high. So, if you are thinking of taking a higher CC bike in near future, you should keep these things in mind.
