Arguably, even the pneumatic pistons that open the tire cradles could be considered a gimmick. Are they necessary? No. Do they make it easier to load bikes? Absolutely. Basically, you push the ...

featuring pistons with a pill-shaped profile Different than Honda’s 1980s oval-piston GP bike engines, which had their long sides parallel to the crankshaft The design could reduce engine length ...

In the late 1970s Honda created a V4 with true oval pistons for its NR500 race bike in an attempt to build a four-stroke that could keep up with two strokes. In that case the pistons were arranged ...