To V4 or not to V4 are Yamaha considering a radical change?

Yamaha explores the V4 advantages because MotoGP is the battle of engine architects...


Couldn't read the full article behind the wall, but off the top of my head, it seems to make sense.

They have such a surfeit of power these days they can trade a little off the top against the weight penalty and benefits down low (I would guess). Not an expert but had some Honda V4 and V2 sport bikes in the past so understand a little (not like I got an RC45 or anything...) :)

I don't follow MotoGP much any more but I did catch part of the San Marino race recently. Such an awesome sport.
 
Ohh boy! This is great! We just had a knock down, drag out discussion about V-4 vs I-4 vs V-max vs whatever... I hope this discussion settles this debate once and for all.

Yamaha needs to stick to making pianos :)
 
when suzuki leave motogp at the end of 2022, yamaha will remain the only ones with inline 4 engines. and yet they have won last year and they are on their way to win again this year. suzuki won in 2020. highest top speed ever recorded is this year was with a ducati v4. 363.6 kph at the italian moto gp. yamaha engineers are supposed to give an interview at 18pm tonight to explain where yamaha might be heading with moto gp engines. the best i could find is an article in french.

 
Ohh boy! This is great! We just had a knock down, drag out discussion about V-4 vs I-4 vs V-max vs whatever... I hope this discussion settles this debate once and for all.

Yamaha needs to stick to making pianos :)

The debate was settled among the engineers but not among the I4 fans...
 
I currently ride a V4.


CAN YOU GUESS?




2016 Honda VFR1200X

It is the smoothest, widest power-band I have ever ridden. It has low end torque and high end HP. It is a phenomenal power plant.



Screen Shot 2022-09-15 at 11.04.54 PM.jpg
 
I predicted last year yamaha had no chance of retaining the championship considering how good ducati had become.
Easy to ride, powerful engine and generally occupy the top 6! And where is yam??
In my view engine is not the only area but ducati electronis are far superior it can turn a wilde pony with lots of power into a bike that can corner as good as the yam
 
I currently ride a V4.


CAN YOU GUESS?




2016 Honda VFR1200X

It is the smoothest, widest power-band I have ever ridden. It has low end torque and high end HP. It is a phenomenal power plant.



View attachment 117172

and the wonderful powerband is due to a myriad of technical parameters, none of which include the way the cylinders are grouped together... There does not exist a second set of laws of physics for V4s, despite what some heretics would have you believe...

Nice ride BTW
 
and the wonderful powerband is due to a myriad of technical parameters, none of which include the way the cylinders are grouped together... There does not exist a second set of laws of physics for V4s, despite what some heretics would have you believe...
Cylinder grouping is why Yamaha sees the longer and heavier I4 crankshaft as a disadvantage and why they are
interested in the shorter and lighter V4 crank because under the laws of physics it sports more advantages than a I4...

Yamaha spun the crankshaft backwards to offset the long I4
crankshafts gyroscopic procession and it's resistance to turning...
something the short forward spinning crank V4 does naturally...

1809685574_3e4bfbb461_o.jpg


Quote Julian Ryder:
A V4 has obvious advantages compared to the in-line four- low frontal
area, reduced width, shorter and therefore stiffer crankshaft"

Quote Neil Splading
1)Short V4 crankshaft weights less than an I4...
1807229586_977bff5b13_o.jpg


2)Short V4 crankshaft has less distance to travel and thus takes
physical effort to change direction than I4...
1589869246_b33d07bd76_o.jpg
 
They tested next years engine last week...and Fabio is happy. Didn't sound like Fabio or Franco were holding back any secret about engine design change.
Fabio is happy with the 2023 engine updates and is ready for a new chassis as well but will the gains be enough to keep pace in the never ending HP wars??? this is what the engineers are talking candidly to the press about...


Quote Matt Oxley
"The problem, of course, is that an Inline-4 engine like the YZR-Ml's
will never make as much power as a V4 engine as used by Ducati, Honda,
KTM, and Aprilia, because V 4s have shorter, stiffer crankshafts and
camshafts, so they can be tuned more aggressively."
 
How relevant is any of this when street motorcycles are facing going electric too? One of the criticisms of motorsports is irrelevance. Seems as if Yamaha is going to pour a bunch of money into a new racing engine for little return.
 
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