Technology used by only a small number of manufacturers

[cheb]

Is there something that only one manufacturer has used? There's a few that come to mind:

Honda and their oval pistons. I suspect this is the only one off, but it's a shape thing more than anything.
Ducati and desmodromic valves.
Sunbeam and the worm drive on the S7 and S8.
Buell and the rim mounted caliper.

Any others, there must be more?

[cheb]

Combined kickstart and gear levers, beloved of the East Europeans.
Dynastarters, a dynamo that also functioned as an electric start. If you were lucky from what I've read.

[KungFooBob]

BMW, three button indicators

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Dynastarters, a dynamo that also functioned as an electric start. If you were lucky from what I've read.

They worked on the bikes I had with them, Suzuki GT185 and GT200X5, and seemed to work on my mates RD200, bloody pointless and heavy though.

I'll add my tuppence worth - oil cooled engines, only Suzuki did this, though in reality it's an air cooled engine with a massive oil cooler and very high oil flow.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I believe Mercedes did Desmo cars a long long time ago.

Yamaha 5v heads? Pretty common in VWs and a few Ferraris, but no other bikes?

BMW do/did (partly) oil cooled engines.

[cheb]

Is there something that only one manufacturer has used? There's a few that come to mind:

Honda and their oval pistons. I suspect this is the only one off, but it's a shape thing more than anything.
Ducati and desmodromic valves.
Sunbeam and the worm drive on the S7 and S8.
Buell and the rim mounted caliper.

Any others, there must be more?

The last two sound like the dullest children's books ever.

[Mr Moofo]

buell and a pull mounted rear shock ( it didn't work well)
Buell and full in the frame - didn't work well as if the bike fell over ( as they were prone on walking when on the side stand when switched on) it wrote the bike off ...

[cheb]

I believe Mercedes did Desmo cars a long long time ago.

Yamaha 5v heads? Pretty common in VWs and a few Ferraris, but no other bikes?

BMW do/did (partly) oil cooled engines.

That's just the number of valves though, same as the Honda piston shape.

Any bikes with sleeve valves or rotary cone valves?*

Opposed pistons but no cylinder heads?


*Yes: http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/POWE ... alveIC.htm

I may be some time in here: http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/museum.htm

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I believe Mercedes did Desmo cars a long long time ago.

Yamaha 5v heads? Pretty common in VWs and a few Ferraris, but no other bikes?

BMW do/did (partly) oil cooled engines.

Aprillia used 5V engines made by Rotax

[Mr. Dazzle]

buell and a pull mounted rear shock ( it didn't work well)
Buell and full in the frame - didn't work well as if the bike fell over ( as they were prone on walking when on the side stand when switched on) it wrote the bike off ...

If you're talking shocks...Suzuki rotary dampers?

[Nidge]

I still only associate EXUP with Yamaha - do any other manufacturers have something similar?

[Horse]

BMW, three button indicators

IIRC, Harley had two button indicators at one time, possibly needing to be held 'on'?

[Ditchfinder]

Dynastarters, a dynamo that also functioned as an electric start. If you were lucky from what I've read.

They worked on the bikes I had with them, Suzuki GT185 and GT200X5, and seemed to work on my mates RD200, bloody pointless and heavy though.

I'll add my tuppence worth - oil cooled engines, only Suzuki did this, though in reality it's an air cooled engine with a massive oil cooler and very high oil flow.

There's a bloody big oil cooler on the side of my Griso too

[Skub]

The ZZR1100 C1 was the first production motorcycle with ram air induction.

Kawasaki H2 first proddy bike with a supercharger.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I still only associate EXUP with Yamaha - do any other manufacturers have something similar?

Early noughties Fireblades have HTEV which is the same sort of thing. Doesn't roll of the tongue in quite the same way though.

Huh tev?
Hoooohtv?

[KungFooBob]

Loads of bikes have exhaust valves. First that springs to mind is the Multistrada.

[Rockburner]

Is there something that only one manufacturer has used? There's a few that come to mind:

Honda and their oval pistons. I suspect this is the only one off, but it's a shape thing more than anything.
Ducati and desmodromic valves.
Sunbeam and the worm drive on the S7 and S8.
Buell and the rim mounted caliper.

Any others, there must be more?

Desmo valve gear was also used on (IIRC) German WW2 aircraft engines, I seem to remember the ME109 engine used them. (as well as mechanical fuel injection and high pressure water injection!)

Or - as Dazzle pointed out - pre-war Mercs.

[Rockburner]

Dynastarters, a dynamo that also functioned as an electric start. If you were lucky from what I've read.

They worked on the bikes I had with them, Suzuki GT185 and GT200X5, and seemed to work on my mates RD200, bloody pointless and heavy though.

I'll add my tuppence worth - oil cooled engines, only Suzuki did this, though in reality it's an air cooled engine with a massive oil cooler and very high oil flow.

BMW R259 engines (1100, 1150 series) are "oil-cooled". (but yes - it's high flow oil with air-cooling and oil radiators).

[Rockburner]

BMW, three button indicators

IIRC, Harley had two button indicators at one time, possibly needing to be held 'on'?

On Harleys each button is an 'on/off' toggle, I think they have a timer as well.

[Yorick]

I still only associate EXUP with Yamaha - do any other manufacturers have something similar?

GSXRs have a valve flap thingy in the downpipes.