Engine for small vehicle

An engine, comprising:

• an engine body having a crankcase and a cylinder head;
• a plurality of valves;
• a plurality of camshafts, each being rotatably supported by said cylinder head, and each having driven sprockets provided at a first end thereof;
• a crankshaft rotatably supported by said crankcase and having a driving sprocket provided thereon;
• a plurality of hydraulic valve-operation mode changing mechanisms for changing operation modes of said plurality of valves;
• an endless chain wound around said driving sprocket and said driven sprockets;
• and
• a valve-moving hydraulic pressure control device, controlling hydraulic pressure applied to said hydraulic valve-operation mode changing mechanisms,
• wherein said valve-moving hydraulic pressure control device is mounted on a side surface of said engine body which is opposite to said endless chain, in the axial direction of said camshafts,
• wherein said engine body further comprises
• a cylinder block connected to said crankcase, said cylinder head being mounted on said cylinder block opposite said crankcase, and
• a recess formed in a side surface of said cylinder head which is opposite to said endless chain, in the axial direction of said camshafts, said recess being recessed inwardly from a coupling surface of said cylinder block and said cylinder head, and
• wherein said valve-moving hydraulic pressure control device is mounted on the side surface of said cylinder head such that a part of said valve-moving hydraulic pressure control device is received in said recess.