Patent ID: 6941918

Claim:
An internal combustion engine with at least one cylinder with a reciprocating piston coupled to a connecting rod for rotating a crankshaft, with an engageable gear that is comprised of a first gear shaft that is driven by the crankshaft through a belt-type stepless transmission and of a second gear shaft that is coupled to an intermediate shaft for rotating a drive shaft, and with a balancer shaft driven by the crankshaft, said crankshaft, first gear shaft, second gear shaft, intermediate shaft and balancer shaft being disposed in one common, multi-piece housing, wherein at least five shafts selected from the group consisting of the crankshaft, the first gear shaft, the second gear shaft, the intermediate shaft and the balancer shaft are disposed in a first parting plane of a first and a second housing piece of the housing and wherein a third housing piece is adjoined with the second housing piece, a second parting plane extending between the second and the third housing piece.