According to a rumor reported in British weekly Motorcycle News, Yamaha’s forthcoming V-Max may feature a variable valve timing system on its V4 powerplant. According to the report, Yamaha has developed a system that is ‘far more advanced’ than the VTEC system used on Honda’s Interceptor (which is not really a variable valve timing system at all).
For more information on the possible benefits of variable valve timing on a motorcycle engine, check out the article I wrote last week entitled The Sportbike Engine of the Future: Camshaft Design.
In the past, Yamaha has been known to work closely with Japanese car manufacturer Toyota, who produce several cars with variable valve timing systems. If Yamaha can use something similar to Toyota’s systems, it would give the new V-Max more power throughout the entire rev range – an important selling point on a ‘muscle bike’ like the V-Max.
