The typical set-up for most FSAE cars now is either an inline-4 600cc sport bike engine or a 450cc single, but I was wondering about twins.
The main problem I see with a twin is that there aren't very many of them. There's the Aprilia, but it seems like everyone avoids that like the plague. Other than that, the only one I can think of that isn't 250cc or two stroke is a 400 made by Suzuki, but it is on a bike that is only on the Japan market.
Anyhow, the reason I was bringing twins up was that I was wondering if they are a good medium between the sporty, thirsty 4s and the frugal singles. Do they produce more competitive power and more competitive fuel economy than the other two configurations can do on their own?
The only twin I see as good though is the Aprilia because it comes as either a 450 or a 550, so it isn't too small to be underpowered or too big to offset the economy. An answer I know I'll inevitably get is that the engine is only good if the car is set up for it. As BigBird might say you wouldn't want a parfait with steak instead of strawberries, but I also think you can assess an engine beforehand to see if it is a good place to start.
Thanks for any and every reply.