MotoGP engine types

Evolución del motor de MotoGP

Cuando se lanzó MotoGP en 2002, había una amplia variedad de configuraciones de motor: desde los 500 que todavía se utilizaban en la primera temporada de MotoGP, hasta las nuevas motos que surgieron bajo las nuevas regulaciones del Campeonato Mundial.

En la primera campaña, la parrilla se dividió en dos familias de configuraciones de motor : motores en V y motores en línea. Los más destacados del primer grupo fueron la Honda RC211V V5, la Suzuki GSV-R V4 (también adoptada por Ducati al incorporarse al campeonato al año siguiente) y la Proton KR3 V3. Por su parte, la Yamaha YZR M1 o la Kawasaki de cuatro cilindros en línea, el motor de producción propia de WCM (basado en el Yamaha) y la Aprilia RS3 de tres cilindros en línea conformaron el segundo grupo de fabricantes en el inicio de una nueva era en el motociclismo.

Hubo motos de diferentes fabricantes que, amparadas por una normativa más abierta, emplearon otras alternativas, como la exótica Blata V6 , una moto que nunca se materializó en la primera era de MotoGP, cuando la cilindrada estaba limitada a 990 cc , o el motor de tres cilindros en línea que BMW desarrolló con el apoyo de Oral Engineering para la categoría de MotoGP 800. ¿Y cómo olvidar la Ilmor V4? Una moto de MotoGP (800 cc) de segunda generación, que nunca llegó a disputar la primera carrera en 2007, tras haber recorrido cientos de kilómetros entrenando para el Gran Premio de Catar .

La evolución de la normativa a lo largo del tiempo ha hecho que la configuración del motor se oriente principalmente hacia el motor V4 , presente en cuatro de los seis fabricantes que participaron en MotoGP en 2022: Honda , Ducati, Aprilia y KTM. Tanto Yamaha como Suzuki optaron por el motor de cuatro cilindros en línea, una configuración que Yamaha ha utilizado desde la primera temporada.

Looking back over the championship, since it was launched in 2002, both the V4 and inline-four configurations have won the same number of titles, nine each. Honda’s V4 has won on seven occasions (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019), alongside Ducati’s two V4 triumphs (2007 and 2022). Yamaha’s inline four has won eight titles (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2021), and one from Suzuki (2020). In addition, the other winning configuration was Honda’s V5, which won in 2002, 2003, and 2006.

Which is the best configuration: V4 or inline?

It is difficult to say which is the most appropriate MotoGP engine configuration, as they all have their pros and cons. Since the introduction of the 1,000 cc displacement in 2012, the regulations state that engines must have a maximum of four cylinders, with a maximum bore of 81 mm. All manufacturers have opted for four-cylinder engines, given that a two- or three-cylinder engine would mean a longer stroke—the movement made by the piston inside the cylinder—which would result in response loss at high revs.

The V4 engine is more compact, allowing for better mass centering, and lowering the center of gravity, which is an advantage, but it is also a much more complex design. The V4 has lower mechanical losses as the crankshaft has fewer supports, and requires a smaller crankcase, which also helps to reduce weight. It generates a lot of vibrations, and if the V angle is very wide, then a balancing shaft is needed, making it wider. But precisely because of this smaller number of losses, it offers better performance and more power, although the response is sharper. But this is a minor inconvenience for the rider, as no matter how much horsepower an engine has, it will never be enough.

The in-line four is a wider and heavier engine; the crankshaft is longer and needs more support, which reduces its performance as it suffers greater mechanical losses, resulting in lower power output compared to the V4. Meanwhile, it offers a much smoother ride, which is always highly appreciated by riders. In general, inline four engines trail behind V4s in terms of speed, but the their smooth response is something that riders know how to really exploit in certain situations, and as we’ve seen throughout the history of MotoGP, this in no way reduces their chances of success.

The V4 and inline-four engines have been equally successful since the MotoGP class was introduced in the World Championship, but in 2023, there will be 20 V4 engines on the grid and only two inline-fours. Will the majority win? What is clear is that one of the two configurations will come out on top, and whichever wins will become the most successful engine in the history of MotoGP.