Torque and Horsepower Explained! | The Shop Manual
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Riders and gearheads love to talk about torque and horsepower, but the terms can be a bit confusing if you try to think of them as something more than a number. So what is torque, and what is horsepower? In this episode of The Shop Manual we give simple explanations for these often misunderstood terms that are such a fundamental part of motorcycling.
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@Lex4122
4 ай бұрын
Hey Team, thx for another awesome video :) Would it maybe possible to get a video from Ari´s Shop Manual, of him doing an upside-down fork rebuild? I know there is an video during his old MM times, but thats 8 years old and was about an right-side-up one. Greetings an have a good one folks
@lezzbmm
3 ай бұрын
i’m sure y’all have muted me but this video rly needs a rewrite if u want to avoid misinformation and actually elucidate the difference btwn torque and power for bikers who don’t know.. power = acceleration torque ≠ acceleration torque = where the power band is in the rpm power tells u how fast u can accelerate torque tells u what rpm range yr power band is at.. (a 200ftlb 100hp bike had a much lower redline than a 60 ftlb 100hp bike for example,, but w the perfect transmission they’ll have the same acceleration..)
This was the explanation i was looking for. I knew the diff...but only at a surface level. The crank motion animation & explanation with the two different motorcycles really helped.
@BS32768
4 ай бұрын
Yes - holding the piston-con rod and the crank pin made the difference for me too. Have seen many videos on hp vs torque and the force x distance equation but somehow that visual made it click.
@OrangeGenerator
4 ай бұрын
same was very helpful!
@yogeshavl
4 ай бұрын
Indeed
@sepg5084
4 ай бұрын
Torque is just a force. I think the concept of force is quite intuitive. Power is the one that is less intuitive. In layman's terms, a powerful muscle can exert a lot of force. But when you say a powerful engine can exert a lot of torque, it can get confusing because of the power and torque numbers/curves in the specs/dyno sheets. The torque can climb down while the power still goes up, but all is relative to the rpm. In describing engines, compared to describing muscles, the term Power is more technical. A force causing motion in the direction of that force, is producing work. The higher the rate that you can do that "work", the higher is your measured power. Torque is the rotational force produced by the engine's combustion, causing the crank to rotate (revolves). The rate of crank rotation is in revolutions per minute. The higher the torque that your engine is exerting at a certain rpm, then the higher the power will be at that rpm. Suddenly, the term "work" here is not specifically mentioned anymore. If your engine crank is rotating at a rate 6500 rpm with a force (torque) of 500 lb. ft. behind it, then it is producing 619 hp. The terms that are constantly there is the torque (force) and the revolutions (motion) per minute (rate). Power is kind of just a "calculated" result.
@chriscurlett4548
3 ай бұрын
“How rapidly the torque is applied” made a lot of sense to me.
A wise man once said "Horsepower is how fast you can crash into a wall and Torque is how many walls you take with you."
@ZacharyBraxton-kl5bs
Ай бұрын
Classic. Saying.
@doomman700
28 күн бұрын
Worst analogy ever.
@nogginbonker76
25 күн бұрын
😂😂😂😂 what an awesome analogy.
@nogginbonker76
25 күн бұрын
@@doomman700how’s it wrong? I’ll wait.
@doomman700
25 күн бұрын
@@nogginbonker76how is it wrong, start with torque is a twisting motion not push. Then the fact that momentum will be what carries that wall which means speed and Hp will push it farther. Need more?
The wrench into gear graphic was spectacular.
Of all the videos I've seen explaining torque and horsepower, this is the best one ! Way to go Revzilla, another great video!
I always knew what it was. But the analogy of the runner is a good one. The actual step pushing off the ground is the measure of torque, and HP measures the distance with multiple of those steps
@rigididiot
3 ай бұрын
It is a nice but completely useless analogy, because the torque as in the subject of this video is crankshaft torque, which is one of the most useless engine parameters, unless boasting and bragging are a virtue. Crankshaft torque cannot be compared to the runners "push-off" because bikes and cars, unlike runners, have gearboxes. Crankshaft torque is TOTALLY meaningless. At best, the SHAPE of the torque curve matters, but only a bit, and only for mediocre drivers that do not know how to use a gearbox (and I know that because I am one, hence my preference for older big twin sportsbikes like the 2-valve Duc's). The best practical example for the utter irrelevance of engine torque can be found in Moto Grand Prix racing in the 1960's and '70's: Despite fourstrokes being "torquey" and riderfriendly with a wide powerband, pulling like a freighttrain, opposed to twostrokes being peakey and high revving, narrow powerband and not all that much torque compared to the 4-strokes, without a single exception ALL manufacturers went with the 2-stroke for the simple reason that it is horsepower that wins races. Not torque. Even Soichiro Honda, who absolutely HATED twostrokes and tried to keep racing a fourstroke with the NR series, knew this (the NR was intended to extract 2-stroke horsepower from a 4-stroke engine). Honda had to cave and also changed to 2-stroke. Quite succesfully, I might add.
I always knew the difference in terms of applicability, but the actual physics behind it never clicked until now! They aren’t 2 different measurements, Torque is a variable within horsepower. You finally helped it click, thank you!
@rahulvinodpatil
4 ай бұрын
It's like money. USD 50000 is a nice amount but meaningless without time, is it per week, per month, per annum, over a lifetime? Similarly, torque is timeless, horsepower is torque over time.
@gorillamoto5329
4 ай бұрын
How did you know the difference in application, but not understand the physics? Cart before the horse.
@sawarebel
4 ай бұрын
Well,if you ride a v twin and a sportbike i would say its impossible not to feel the difference@@gorillamoto5329
@paulneedham9885
3 ай бұрын
@@gorillamoto5329easy, if someone tells you torque is strength and Horsepower is Power then you now know the difference in application but you still might not know the physics behind it. We all know what things do but don't know how many things do it.
@freebehindbars8654
3 ай бұрын
@@paulneedham9885torque is strength, Horsepower is power? 😂 Watch the video again. In simple terms, horsepower is torque over time.
Ari does such a great job of breaking it down for the viewers! Keep these awesome videos coming Revzilla!!!
Love the video, some great explanations, I do worry that some people will hear "torque equals stronger acceleration and horsepower means higher top speed" and miss the caveat that the transmission makes the torque somewhat irrelevant.
@pleasedontwatchthese9593
4 ай бұрын
Yeah that line is not true. A bike acclrates faster in its powerband, it's weight and gear says the same. The only think it change was the amount of horsepower that was created.
@joepelletier5381
4 ай бұрын
@@pleasedontwatchthese9593 I get the simplification he's going for and I'm positive he knows the intricacies. It's difficult to tell a KZread audience to integrate the horsepower chart across the range of the intended powerband to determine average acceleration. The sentence just seemed like a misleading sound bite when later people take it out of context.
@pleasedontwatchthese9593
4 ай бұрын
@@joepelletier5381 I agree with you. My main point is it should have been left out because as you point out it will be misleading
@LTVoyager
4 ай бұрын
True. Given perfect gearing, the engine that makes the most horsepower will also make the most torque. In real life though we have no perfect gearing so in many cases an engine that makes greater maximum torque is more useful.
@joepelletier5381
4 ай бұрын
@@LTVoyager I think my point is that this is only true (that we should compare just torques) if both bikes have the same redline and I'm afraid that wasn't clear in the video.
I've heard this explained so many ways over the years. This has got to be one of the cleanest descriptions. Good explanation and analogies. Nice job!
What clears up all the confusion (to me at least) is gearing. Using gearing (both the ratios in the transmission and the sprockets), we can change the torque to whatever we want it to be. 100 hp = 100 ft lb * 5252 rpm 100 hp = 200 ft lb * 2626 rpm 100 hp = 50 ft lb * 10504 rpm So say at 50 mph, both the Harley and the Kawasaki will have their rear wheel spin at the SAME rpm. Say that speed is 525.2 rpm for simplicity. At this point it’s clear that the Kawasaki is actually putting more WHEEL TORQUE to the ground than the Harley, regardless of what the crankshaft torque is. 116 hp = 1160 ft lb * 525.2 rpm 83 hp = 830 ft lb * 525.2 rpm
I think this is truly one of the best explanations on the Internet. I’ve watched a lot of videos on horsepower versus torque and I’ve never understood it until now.
I've seen several vids on youtube which trying to explain the difference between torque and horsepower... this one is by far THE BEST explanation ever! Thanks Ari!
This has got to be the clearest explanation I've ever heard. Thank you man. You are a treasure
Best torque/horsepower explanation I've seen, thanks!
Awesome explainer. Useful to me and I've been riding over a decade and driving cars for longer.
Thanks man. Cleared a lot of things for me!!
I absolutely love these knowledgable vids, keep them coming
That break down with the different runners is the best explanation I have seen for this. I am mad that I never made such a simple connection for explaining this to other people. lol
Amazing explanation, please keep such videos coming ! 😊
Thank you. I have just spent 40 minutes over breakfast flicking through rubbish videos suggested by KZread only to give up and see if my favourite channel has posted anything new. Yes! Sanity returned, I can now enjoy the rest of my day suitably educated and knowing there are some great videos on KZread, just that most of them are from Revzilla.
Well explained, Ari! LOVE the Shop Manual!
wow, great video, especially the last bit talking about the transmission, that was the best explanation i have ever seen
Watched this topic a hundred times. I still enjoyed your presentation. Nice work!
I can say that it's the one of the best video educating with simple and easy examples for torque and horse power, thanks 😊
This was the explanation I was looking for and the best explanation so far, now I've better understanding of Power and Torque and their relation.
Torque is just a number used to compute horsepower and is a static number, having no value in time. We exist in time so we want to know how much work will occur in time. Horsepower is what we use for that. Doesn’t have to be peak horsepower, but horsepower below the curve or wherever in the rpm range.
@Wintersdark
4 ай бұрын
Yes! God, yes. I wish Ari would just say this. Torque on its own is basically a useless number that doesn't tell us anything. The whole HP curve is what matters, because it's the *power output of the engine*. Torque = strength and HP = speed works in many cases as a simple explanation but is very misleading and leads to misunderstandings.
@markbrooks11
4 ай бұрын
@@Wintersdarkand make sure the hp and tq graph cross at 5252 which is used in the computation. I’ve seen graphs published where this did not occur.
This is the best explanation I have heard of the difference. And how they relate to each other.
I love your videos they are easily understood for such complex topics don’t ever stop.
This is by far the best explanation and showcase I've ever seen.
Very easy and straightforward explanation!
Nice. Been checking a few explanations and this one is pretty damn good. Thank you.
Another banger from The Shop Manual, thanks for everything you do brother🫡
Thanks Ari 👍 Perfectly explained and illustrated
This is the best explanation video i have ever seen regarding torque and horsepower.
GREAT explanation Ari!! I am digging the Shop Manual.
Thank you Ary, finally someone make a video about this 🙏🙏🙏
This is a great video, thank you
Exemplary. Clear. Concise. Perfect. Thank you so much.
best explanation i have ever heard or seen on the internet.
This is an amazing explanation. Clear, concise, and easy understand.
Excellent explanation which nothing can beat. Thanks for this video
Excellent explanation. Thanks very much 💪🏼
Hey man Great seeing you doing well i have watching ur videos for a long time and also long before you had a little accident. I don’t know if you will see this message but still felt happy seeing u do well 😊
THANK YOU!! It super clear to me now
Great video. Awesome explanation.
Hey, that was really good! Very clear and great examples!
perfect and simple, thank you!
Thanks man. I was struggling to understand this but you saved me ❤
Great job, this is explained sooo well! :D
Another youtube torque vs. horsepower video? And yet this is a clear and entertaining explanation.
This is probably the best explanation of torque and horsepower I've ever watched. Kudos 🎉
Killer video, great job my dude
It was one of the best video on yt which explains everything so simply. I knew the formula, but always had a doubt between these 2 terms. And now I get it, why people say cruiser are torque master. And also that gear explanation with animation was also good, initial gears are big, large radius, hence generating more torque / power to move your vehicle. But, at higher speed your vehicle is already moving, u don't need torque, u need fast rotation, hence gears became shorter for high rpm.
Torque is how many revs you need to go fast, accelerate fast, pull a load etc. (do work). Power is how much work you can do. For acceleration, more power yields more acceleration, nit necessarily torque. Power is energy output of the engine per unit time. To accelerate faster, you need to add more kinetic energy per unit time, thus you need more power, nit necessarily torque. Half the torque at four times the rpm accelerates the vehicle twice as fast at a given speed (i.e. adjusting gearing to maintain the same speed in both scenarios), because wheel power is double. Wheel torque is also double, as the transmission ratio differs by a factor of 4 while engine torque only differs by a factor 0,5.
Great explanation - thanks!
Top-notch video. Good content and engaging graphics.
Best explanation I've heard.
You answered a lot of my questions here thanks a lot for that
Great explanation Ari! Thanks you
Well done, thank you - great explanation
Great explanation. Very easy to understand and always good to understand these things.
Never seen such a good explanation video ever.❤
What a great explanation - thanks!
I didn't realize I could understand this topic so clearly. I used to think I kinda got it, but with your explanation, no doubt. Thanks very much 👍
Good job on the explanation.
Thank you for keeping teaching us great stuff.
Best Moto channel on KZread.
Excellent introduction to mechanical functions of power. Well done.❤
Good demonstration of these two very fundamental concepts.
A very much needed video.
Top notch explanation. Really informative 👌🏽
This is the best explanation available on KZread right now!
Made it look easy to explain. Thank you.
Well-explained, thanks.
WELL EXPLAINED!
As a scientist who rides every day, Ari using freedom units - ONE POUND OF FORCE - actually hurts my brain. I guess Ryan F9 (whos also a physicist) would agree, great video as always, tho!
That was the best explanation ever!
Great video, thank you!
That was very well done!
Many thanks, great explanation 👌
such a great way to explain this. im using that transmission one cause that is the hardest part about teaching someone besides the clutch.
Excellent video with both a simple explanation and easy to understand terms. Thanks!
Neat and simple! Very well explained sir
Very nice explanation, thanks.
this is the best explanation I've ever seen of this
I've seen 10+ videos on torque and hp and this has literally the best explanation.
Nice video👍. Now i get to know exactly about HP and Torque.
Very excellent explanation. Thank you.
Clear explanations❤
The best explanation ever on a seemingly simple but complex concept to explain.
Just an excellent explanation of a topic that seems simple but can actually be quite tricky to understand. The young man speaks clearly at a moderate speed, gives a clear explanation, and doesn’t see the need for loud, pounding music playing while he talks. And the video is not overly long. At last, I understand why an engine with a longer stroke makes more torque, other things being equal, than an engine with a shorter stroke.
Good explanation thankyou 👍
Good explanation. Keep up.
one of the best explanation so far. Thanks @Revzilla
The best explanation I have seen! Thank you
@muhammadbilalshah9869
2 ай бұрын
Also, Can you explain why some bigger engines produce less torque and horsepower? Would be a great help.
@fastcars514
2 ай бұрын
@muhammadbilalshah9869 a good example of dodge 5.7 v8 has less power than ford 5.0 v8
best video explaining this concept
Thanks for this
Great explanation 👍
Very nicely explained. Passing it to my son. Thanks