Yamaha’s Bold Shift to V4 Engine: Simon Crafar Breaks Down the Game-Changing Decision

Three key aspects identified for Yamaha's shift to a V4 engine

Simon Crafar examines Yamaha's significant engine choice

Simon Crafar has examined the motives behind Yamaha's shift to a V4 engine.

The Japanese company announced before this weekend's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix that they are working on a V4 engine, marking a significant change in their direction.

Since the beginning of the MotoGP era, Yamaha has consistently utilized inline four-cylinder engines.

"When I initially heard it during the trial, I was in disbelief! However, its origin was quite credible," remarked Crafar from within the Misano paddock.

"I realized that Yamaha is actually going through with this."

"It's incredibly impressive, and I'm really excited to check out the bike. I'm happy they're being transparent and not keeping it under wraps. This is amazing!"

Yamaha is the sole MotoGP manufacturer presently competing without a V4 engine.

However, Crafar mentioned: "After all the research and discussions with engineers in my line of work, I've found that there's absolutely nothing wrong with an inline-four engine in terms of pure performance. There really isn't."

"Engineers explain the reasoning. The exhaust length on a V4 motorcycle can't be identical due to the bike's configuration. Although they aim to maintain uniform exhaust lengths for all cylinders, it's not achievable with a V4 engine."

"The length of the inlet varies due to their differing positions…"

"There are drawbacks related to the temperature of the rear cylinders in a V4 engine configuration."

Yamaha is evidently concentrating on the possible advantages of a V4 engine.

Crafar stated, "The main point for me is the narrowness of the V4 engine. It's just about the width of two and a half cylinders, making it significantly narrower, which means it displaces less air."

Aprilia informed us that the temperature increased from 82 to 90 degrees, which allows for a lower oil injection system and air box. Consequently, the rider's position and the screen are also lower.

"Not only are they narrower, but also shorter in height. They displace less air, which results in improved top speed and acceleration."

Crafar proposed the possible motivations behind Yamaha's decision to take this significant new approach.

“The narrow design of the chassis impacts both its structure and its maneuverability,” he explained.

Fabio Quartararo has expressed concerns regarding the weight of the machine.

"At the conclusion of the race in Mugello, I noticed that Alex Rins and Fabio were completely exhausted, particularly due to the numerous challenging chicanes."

"I believe that this is also a contributing factor."

"Their choice is influenced by the reduced front profile, the agility, and potentially the chassis structure."

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