A Legendary Italian Motorcycle Brand Is Working on a Bike Design That’s Unlike Anything on the Market

MV Agusta has unveiled an ambitious five-cylinder promising incredible power and a unique soundtrack at a remarkably low weight.

Close-up of red and silver MV Agusta motorcycle fairing with visible rear tire and suspension.

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By Gray Van Dyke

Published 1 hour ago

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Between the immense cost of R&D and the added complexity and expense of production, you’ll find that most motorcycle brands tend to field one or two engine configurations (i.e., V-twin, inline-four, parallel twin, etc. ) of ranging displacements in their lineups.

After all, doing so not only takes advantage of economies of scale but also ensures that proven products are making their way out onto the road. Moreover, for brands like Harley-Davidson, uniformity is an integral part of their identity.

Close-up of a silver and red Cinque Cilindri engine with visible intake trumpets and exhaust pipes. — MV Agusta’s five-cylinder engine promises to truly break the mold.

Occasionally, however, a manufacturer is prepared to truly break the mold. Nowadays, most of such releases tend to be fueled by techy electric startups, but this ambitious project actually hails from one of Italy’s most legendary brands: MV Agusta.

MV Agusta’s mic drop

It’s all the more exciting because it’s an engine, and not just any engine, but an all-new five-cylinder design that’s set to be the basis of MV Agusta’s “quadrato” platform.

Despite its compact footprint, this five-cylinder engine has the potential to make some serious power numbers.

MV Agusta

If that sounds like an odd number, it’s because it is (no pun intended). While you’ll find plenty of triples, fours and even sixes of various configurations, it’s rare to see an engine with this many pistons — especially in the world of two wheels.

That’s because the few bikes that have featured five-cylinder power have tended to be race-ready steeds like Honda’s championship-winning RC211V MotoGP mount.

Silver and red Cinque Cilindri engine displayed on a black cloth-covered pedestal against a black background. — It’s narrower than an inline-four and also shorter than a V4.

However, MV has stated that its design will “redefine expectations across multiple segments – from Supersport to Naked and Touring.” In other words, the engine is slated to make its way into a range of road-going production bikes, ensuring it will be far more accessible to the general riding population than Honda’s.

Moreover, whereas the Big Red arranged its five-cylinder in a V layout, MV Agusta will instead opt for a ‘square’ design. It’s an unusual choice, as Ariel introduced the configuration in the 1930s, and it last saw widespread implementation during the two-stroke era.

Silver motorcycle engine with red accents mounted on a black stand against a black background. — MV Agusta will be building its five-cylinder in a range of sizes from 850cc to 1,150cc.

In any case, beyond the configuration’s novelty, it’s set to bring some real performance benefits. Though still in the early stages of development, MV Agusta has hinted at the potential, and it sounds wild.

An Italian geometry lesson

For starters it’s slated to be incredibly powerful, and it’ll rev to the moon. MV Agusta claims that the platform is capable of delivering over 240 horsepower at more than 16,000 rpm and just under 100 lb-ft of torque at 8,500 rpm.

MV Agusta clearly isn’t afraid to buck convention to make compelling motorcycles.

MV Agusta

Arguably more impressive, though, is how compact the engine is in form factor.

Even with an electric water pump and an electric oil pump, it tips the scale at less than 132 pounds. What’s more, it’s narrower than an inline-four and shorter than a V4, so it promises to be far more versatile in its potential applications.

To that end, MV Agusta has announced that its five-cylinder engine will be available in a range of sizes, with displacements spanning 850cc to 1,150cc.

Black and silver sport motorcycle with rider in black gear on a racetrack with red and white markings. — The brand has built triples and fours, but it has yet to come out with a square-five design.

That’s still not all. As part of the architecture’s unique five-cylinder firing order, MV says that it achieves “outstanding torque delivery and rideability without the need for variable valve timing.” On the road, this promises the best of both worlds — low-end usability with maximum output.

Add to that a U-shaped crankshaft and a unique cranktrain layout that promise “remarkable smoothness and reduced vibrations,” and what you have is an engine that certainly seems poised to shake up the motorcycle industry. Let’s hope the brand can deliver.

Red and silver MV Agusta sport motorcycle with large front tire in a reflective showroom. — The F4 resurrected the MV Agusta brand for the modern era, and it would make for a fitting nameplate to introduce such a revolutionary powertrain.

More to come

At this stage, MV Agusta hasn’t announced a timeline for production. However, the brand has stated that “the debut of the five-cylinder engine is planned for a highly anticipated model that is currently no longer in the line-up, which will be unveiled in the coming years.”

While MV could pull one of several models from its back catalog, the F4 is a bike that fits those criteria to the letter. The brand discontinued its stunning Tamburini-designed sportbike back in 2018, and fans have been yearning for a replacement ever since.

Red and silver MV Agusta F4 motorcycle with rider in red and white gear giving a thumbs-up on a racetrack. — The brand discontinued its stunning Tamburini-designed sportbike in 2018, and fans have lusted for its return ever since.

Moreso, because the F4 is the bike that resurrected MV Agusta from the dead in 1999, it’s as good a nameplate as any to carry an engine of these implications.

Of course, until that time comes, we can only speculate. Besides, could it even still be considered an ‘F4’ if it’s packing five-cylinder power?

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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