Single vs Twin NEWBIE milage question

I am planning to get a motorcycle soon. I am about 5'11", 235#. I have no
riding experience, so I am thinking about getting something around a 600
which I hope will not be too small, yet big enough that I won't grow out of
it in less than a year. (Any suggestions on this are welcome).

The Suzuki 600 has a single engine, the Honda 600 has a twin. If both bikes
have the same miles on them, has the single engine worked twice as hard? Is
this something that should be considered, or is it purely academic?

 

No.

 

The decision which motorbike to buy should be more practical than
academic. If you're really really interested in the subject, you can
study things like bore to stroke ratio and piston speed later...

If one of the motorbikes was owned by an adult who cared for it with a
passion bordering on mania and drove it reasonably, and the other
motorbike was owned by a nutcase who left it sit out in the rain, rode
it without ever bothering to check the oil, tire pressure, lube the
chain or clean the air filter, and rode it like a madman, the one owned
by the adult is the one I'd choose...

So far as the design of singles versus twins is concerned, the single
will typical have a longer stroke and operate at lower maximum RPM than
the twin, which will have a lower piston speed at a higher RPM than the
single...

It was once thought that 4500 RPM was the maximum survivable piston
speed for an engine, but some racing Ducatis are now exceeding 5000
feet per minute piston speed. The engines only last about 30 hours...

By comparison, my old GSXR 750 only reaches a piston speed of about
3500 feet per minute, because it has a very short stroke...

 

You know nothing of engines.

 

Innit just? We haven't had one of these for ages.

 

Well, if that's the case, please explain why the single engine has
worked tweice as hard to produce the same mileage?

<Taps foot impatiently>

 

I will keep this in mind. I plan to take my written test for the permit this
week, then take the rider training sometime in the next couple of weeks.
They provide the bikes there, so I will be able to get an idea of what fits
me. Then I'll go shopping. In the mean time I am looking at ads, dealer's
online inventory, and ebay to see what the different bikes go for, etc.

All of this is interesting, but far beyond me. As I said, I've no riding
experience. But I'll learn.

Thanks a lot for the response!

Richard

 

The decision between single and twin should not be
primarily a question of mechanical endurance. As others
have pointed out, that is more determined by the level
of maintenance (if the bike model you consider is not a
known failure). Most bikes are not worn out but are
taken out of service for other reasons like lack of
spares or crashing. The Yamaha XT600 I sold last
autumn had 97 000 km on the clock and is still
sounding and working really well (I spoke to the new
owner tonight).

By all means, try a single. Many riders (like me) love them
but no matter how high tech they get you pay a price -
vibration. The advantages I experience are mostly
subjective except for the compact engine and relative
ease of maintenance.