It has been a long time coming, but finally, a Yamaha V4 MotoGP is in the works. The news was confirmed by Yamaha Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis in an interview with MotoGP.com.
“I can confirm that we are busy developing a V4 powerplant,” Jarvis said.
“It’s something that goes back a while, because when Suzuki was still here, there were two manufacturers running with the inline-4. And obviously the other competitors running with the V4. In the last years, however, we’ve seen many, many technical developments in this sport and of course Suzuki stepped out. So we’ve been the only manufacturer remaining with the inline-4.
“The inline-4, in our opinion, still has plenty of capacity to be developed and to be improved. But when you have all of your competitors using V4s and now as we look towards the 2027 regulations, it’s important for us to fully understand the potential of a V4 versus the inline-4.
“So based on that, some time ago we took the decision to start the project. The project is on schedule… The engine is already being bench-tested. We’ve not run it in a bike yet but when it is ready with its durability testing, then we’ll finally start to track test it.”
Jarvis also indicated that Yamaha still has an open mind on whether to use an inline or V4 engine for the new 850cc era.
“When [the V4 is] quicker than the inline-4, we’ll bring it in. So let’s see!”
Yamaha and Honda are under concessions in MotoGP, meaning they can run a revised or new engine anytime they wanted. Conversely, yhe other three manufacturers, namely Ducati, KTM, and Aprilia need to homologate at the beginning of the season and use the same engine throughout the season.
Yamaha factory rider, Fabio Quartararo was asked recently on the V4 rumours: “I think we have to consider all the options… I never rode a V4 but if we look at the bikes that are working, they are V4s. Okay, Honda is struggling, but we are the only ones with the Inline. Maybe it is something to consider.”
Yamaha can also count on its partnership with Marmotors, headed by ex-F1 designer Luca Marmorini, to aid in its V4 design. Marmorini previously contributed to Aprilia’s RS-GP V4 engine.
However, Honda’s ongoing struggles show that a V4 is unlikely to be a magic fix for Yamaha, whose M1 is also lacking in areas such as aerodynamics and electronics compared to the European machines. On the other hand, having more engine power helps the bike to push through aerodynamic drag, allowing engineers more leeway in introducing aerodynamic features.
