Originally Posted By: blupupher
I love V4 bikes. Different sound and amazing handling compared to regular inline 4.
different sound? any engine architecture can be designed, via crank phasing and firing sequence, to have any desired sound. most modern V4s (Aprilia V4, D16RR, RC45, Interceptor 800, VFR1200) are all V4s and all have different sounds. The same can be said for parallel twins: think a classic British twin (360 crank), classic small-displacement Japanese twin (180 crank), and late-generation Japanese twins (FZ7, Super Tenere 1200, Africa Twin) with their 270-degree cranks..... see a pattern here?
as for the magical V4 handling, see my previous post......
V4 are interesting and "different" (more exotic than more common I4s)... superior? in some ways yes, in some ways inferior..... it's all about compromise and designing/building to meet particular end goals....