V4 250cc - is there such a thing?

Would a v4 250cc-engined bike be more efficient/powerful/faster than
say, a standard vtwin 250cc?

Does such a bike exist?

The closest I can think of are the Jap-only VFR/RVF400s that used to be
popular-ish greys.

 

All things being equal a multi cylinder engine of the same capacity will
have more HP than a single or dual cylinder engine. Noting however that
bore and stroke make a big difference to peak power, torque and power
band characteristics.

I don't know of any V4 250s that were imported to Oz of the top of my
head. There were a couple of inline 4's - all of which are good bikes -
the very popular CBR250RR, ZXR250, Suzuki Across, Bandit 250 (same motor
different frame), Hornet 250 (grey market - CBR250RR engine in a
Hornet 600 frame). Zeal 250. FZR250. I think there was a Jap market
GSXR250 but I've never seen one as a grey market.

JL

 

There were a few Honda v4's around the 250 mark in unzud on the circuit
quite some years ago although I don't remember any seeing actual daily use .

 

I can't recall a V4 250 (either road or race) but there was a straight-6 250
GP bike
http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike Directories/Honda Bikes/images/Honda-RC166-250-6-1966.jpg
and a couple of straight 4 road 250s.
http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike Directories/Benelli Bikes/images/Benelli-254-1980s(3).jpg
http://classicdepartment.com/shop/images/042025.jpg
(Sssh; they bloody ARE different bikes!!)

 

I sit corrected.
Yamaha had both 250 and 125 V4 GP bikes in the 60s.
http://www.sweetmarias.com/thompsonowen/moto/racers/yam125cc-4.jpg
http://www.classic-motorrad.de/galerie/albums/userpics/10001/Yamaha-RR08A-1.jpg

 

400cc is, I suppose, at least of the same order of magnitude as 250cc.

Honda didn't really start building four-stroke vee engines until the
early 80's, and the smallest the early V-fours went was 500cc (VF500)
in, what, 1984 or 1985?

From memory, The VFR400 first appeared with the conventional swingarm
in, ummm, 1987.

If the bikes you're thinking of were indeed V-fours, chances are they
were VFR400's.

As for four-cylinder 250's, shit, throw a rock.

Without resorting to obscure Euro-trash with a production run of eleven
bikes, in something approaching chronological order:

Suzuki GF250 (1984)
Honda CBR250R (1988) and CBR250RR (1991)
Yamaha FZR250 (1987) and FZR250RR (1990)
Kawasaki ZXR250 (1989)
Suzuki GSX-R250 (1989)
Suzuki GSX250F Across (1992)
Honda CB250F Hornet (1994)
Kawasaki ZR250 Balius (1996)
Suzuki GSF250 Bandit (1996)
Yamaha FZX250 Zeal (1997)

All gone now; too complicated to manufacture given their market price
points. A 250 single or twin can sell for bugger-all less, but its
manufacturing costs are much lower.

*sigh* feeling kinda privileged to have started riding on a bike which
revved to 19,000rpm... better milk it before 600's grow the 2500rpm of
rev range they currently need to match that... should happen sometime
around 2010.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:29:33 GMT

And a 5 cyl 125 I believe.

I recall an interview with Warren Willing where he said rejetting it
for each circuit was Too Hard, so they just had a pantech full of
motors with different jetting, the first one that pulled cleanly to
20k was the one they raced.

Zebee

 

Yup, using the same pistons as the 50cc twin of the same era. Unfortunately
they were banned because they were quicker than anyone else. We still have
the rules from that banning, restricing sub 500 GP bikes to 2 cylinders.

I witnessed Mike Hailwood at Brands on a 300-6 in 1967.

Theo

 

I was rather fond of Benelli 250 4's, they were sort of... cute



G-S

 

Weren't they a scaled down copy of a Honda 350-4?.

Theo
Never wanted to cuddle one.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:44:33 +1100

Did you ever ride one?

I rode Bill Martin's, which wore a Guzzi badge.

The bars were low, and the pegs forward, meaning a sore back. The
seat was typical Italian marble, but was square edged so it was like
riding a *sharp* rock.

The instruments were invisible to the rider who liked to keep their
hands on the bars.

Bill blew his up trying to stay with a 900SS in the Adelaide Hills. A
circlip came loose from a gudgeon pin at about 15,000rpm and you can
imagine the rest.

Zebee

 

My wife's first bike was a Guzzi-badged Benelli 250 2-smoke twin, the 250TS.

Theo

 

Not even the ones with Guzzi badges?

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Naahh. Ted Stolarski had a new one in his shop at one stage.

Theo

 

And the 125's to being a single cylinder.

JL

 

Yep Hailwood rode it I believe.

 

50s/80s too but that came a fair while later (1987-ish). The twins rule
would've been about a quarter-century earlier.

 

No... I wish I'd had the chance though!

Lucky you

Well yes... but if you wanted comfortable you could always buy a Honda 4 ;-)


G-S

 

Sorry; my maths is crap.
Make that "15 years earlier".

 

You were wrong? Again?

Theo
Beer Mate.
<waves stubby in Clem's direction>