By adjusting the linkage to allow a power stroke that is longer than the compression stroke, the engine can achieve greater efficiency than with the Otto cycle engine.

Otto built the practical four-stroke internal combustion engine called the "Otto Cycle Engine, " and as soon as he had completed his engine, he built it into a motorcycle.

While a modified Otto cycle engine using the "Atkinson cycle" provides good fuel economy, it is at the expense of a lower power-per-displacement as compared to a traditional four-stroke engine.