The up-down movement of an engine’s piston(s)
is driven by the rotation of the crankshaft.
In a conventional inline 4-cylinder engine,
the outer and inner pistons have
the same up-down motion.
Looking at the crankshaft from the side,
the pairs of pistons overlap at 180°.
With a crossplane crankshaft,
the four crankpins are set at 90° intervals,
producing torque with a shorter interval.
This results in a clearer feeling
of torque from the engine.
It also brings good response when cornering, etc.,
when finer throttle inputs are needed
and delivers performance advantages with
sport bikes using high-revving engines in particular.
