What engine does Yamaha use in MotoGP?

Yamaha has been a well-known name in the cycling scene for decades. Since the Mt. Fuji Ascent Race in 1955, the motorcycle company has secured a place among the track champions and the most renowned motorcycle manufacturers in the world. Among the best motorcycles of all time is the YZR-M1, a heavyweight that made Yamaha a top Grand Prix contender in the 2000s and 2010s. Although the YZR-M1 is an impressive machine, one of the main reasons for its success in MotoGP is its powerful engine, which Yamaha replaces.

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Although the YZR-M1 was officially introduced to racing in 2002, it wasn’t until two years later that it made a name for itself with Valentino Rossi at the helm. The 2003 version of the bike had a number of issues that Yamaha was keen to address. However, it also had excellent handling and a very good chassis, which was also carried over to the following year’s motorcycle. The 2004 YZR-M1 carried over the previous year’s chassis and great handling, as well as an all-new 990cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC inline-4 engine. But in 2012, Yamaha replaced the engine with a new one: the liquid-cooled 1000 cc inline four-cylinder with a cross-plane crankshaft that produces over 270 hp.

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The latest YZR-M1 features an inline four-cylinder engine. This four-stroke internal combustion engine uses four piston strokes (intake, compression, power and exhaust) to achieve one duty cycle. The inline four-cylinder YZR-M1 features a crossplane crankshaft (introduced in 2004), which reduces moment of inertia and improves the motorcycle’s stability and handling. The motorcycle’s transmission is a six-speed cassette gearbox with alternative ratios and the control unit is from Marelli.

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While the inline-four has made a name for itself over the last two decades with the YZR-M1 and Yamaha, motorcycles with V4 engines have also been coming to the racetrack in recent years, which has led to Yamaha opting for it in its MotoGP motorcycles decided on a V4. The confirmation came in September 2024, when the company announced its major shift away from the inline-four engines that had brought it so many victories.

The main reason for such a drastic shift is that the inline four-cylinder has an excellent cornering speed advantage thanks to its longer crankshaft that stabilizes the motorcycle, while the V4 engines have more horsepower thanks to stiffer crankshafts that allow for greater power at high rpm. In-line fours used to have a chance against these hideous engines. However, downforce aerodynamics changed everything, so V4 bikes that previously struggled with cornering had virtually none of these problems.

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Yamaha has had decades to perfect its craft, as evidenced by the impeccable development of its motorcycles. The company already had a 500cc V4 racing bike in use in 1980, so building V4 engines is familiar territory.