A straight-three engine (also called an inline-triple or inline-three) is a three-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. Less common than straight-four engines, straight-three engines have nonetheless been used in various motorcycles, cars and agricultural machinery.

What is wrong with 3 cylinder engine?

That reciprocatory feature leads to the lack of smoothness in power delivery and large amounts of vibration that three-cylinder engines are notorious for. The rough-running engine behaviour will be emphasised at lower engine speeds especially, due to the lack of power strokes occurring.

Is a 3 cylinder engine reliable?

Three-cylinder engines have had their issues, but modern examples are far more powerful and reliable. In short, the engine's reputation hasn't caught up to its reinvention. Some critics of the straight-three offer the valid argument that getting enough power out of a three-cylinder engine requires over-engineering.