MV Agusta Unveils Concept Five-Cylinder Motorcycle Engine
The company MV Agusta has shown the world a conceptual five-cylinder engine for motorcycles. This power unit is capable of revving up to 16,000 revolutions per minute and producing up to 240 horsepower. Its unique U-shaped layout makes it shorter than a V4 and narrower than an inline-four.
Non-Standard Design
The world of motorcycle engines is very diverse, but the five-cylinder configuration is extremely rare. The new development from MV Agusta is not an inline-five like the Audi RS3, nor a descendant of Volkswagen’s VR5. It is something much more unusual — a compact trapezoidal design where two cylinders are located at the top and three at the bottom.
This engine is not just a demonstration of engineering prowess. It offers serious performance.
Power and Specifications
The concept was unveiled in early November at the EICMA exhibition in Italy. According to the manufacturer, the engine displacement can vary from 850 to 1150 cubic centimeters, allowing it to develop up to 240 hp and 135 Nm of torque at 8500 rpm.
For comparison, the current king of superbikes, the Ducati Panigale V4 R, produces a maximum of 218 hp and 114.5 Nm of torque.
High Revs and Low Weight
Particularly impressive is the ability of the engine, which MV calls Cinque Cilindri, to rev up to an incredible 16,000 rpm, which is characteristic of smaller four-cylinder engines from competitors. At the same time, the entire structure weighs less than 60 kg, which is an outstanding figure for a unit of such power. MV Agusta notes that the firing order plays a key role in the engine’s character, providing strong and linear torque without using variable valve timing systems.
Layout Advantages
The engine layout is also impressive. It is narrower than a conventional inline-four-cylinder engine and shorter than a V4. The engine has an unusual configuration: a three-cylinder crankshaft is located at the front, and a separate two-cylinder one is behind it.
This design is not a repeat of Volkswagen’s VR5. Instead, MV Agusta engineers took the concept of a “square four” as a basis and added a fifth cylinder, creating something absolutely unique that resembles a mechanical trapezoid.
When to Expect a Production Model?
For now, the engine is presented only as a concept, but it won’t remain one for long. MV Agusta has confirmed that the power unit will hit the market as part of a “long-awaited” new model, the presentation of which will take place in the coming years.
The specific appearance of the future motorcycle has not yet been revealed, but the company states that the engine was developed with consideration for use in various segments: from supersport to naked and touring motorcycles.
The emergence of such an engine could become a real technological revolution in the world of motorcycles. On one hand, it combines the high revs and sound characteristic of multi-cylinder sports engines; on the other — it offers the compactness usually inherent in smaller units. The success of this development will depend not only on technical characteristics but also on how successfully the engineers manage to integrate such a complex design into a production motorcycle while maintaining acceptable weight, center of mass, and overall ergonomics. This is a bold step that could open up new possibilities for the entire motorcycle industry.