6 cylinder engine for new Busa?

[Heimdall Einherjar]

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/29march06_busa.htm

Or such is the rumor.

Strangely enough, just this past month I was musing over how Yamaha needs to get in on the hyper-touring game using R6 technology in something maybe 1.6L, and with 6 cylinders.

However, someone clarify for me, wouldn't more cylinders mean less torque therefore power off the line?

[scan]

I just checked around on the net, and there are a lot of rumors, but just that - rumors, so no way to be sure. The 6 cylinder is a great engine for a bike, but usually too big. They balance nicely and from what I hear you don't lose torque in this arrangement. One of the engineering brains here might be willing to offer a guess on a 1400 (what one rumour said) in-line 6 would offer as a benefit. I know it would be smooth.

[Heimdall Einherjar]

I can only imagine the new Hayabusa will have at least 1.4 liters to stay competitive with the ZX-14.

Additionally, Honda has canned the current iteration of the CBR-1100 they were working on in favor of a newer better design, which must also be significantly larger.

As for Yamaha, I am not sure if they're going to use the new VMax as a competitor in this field, despite it being more of a muscle-cruiser.
Considering Kawasaki is milking their 1.4 liter engine for 3 different designs, the ZX-14, the ZZR-14, and the Z-1400, Yamaha would do the same thing to make sure it hits all the markets.
Likely the engine will find its way, tweaked, into another hyper-tourer.

[jmillheiser]

The touring and naked versions of the ZX-14 were concepts penned by someone who does not work for kawasaki.

My guess is the '07 busa will be packing 1500ccs

the rumor around honda is that they are making a roadbike with their V5 engine that they use in their motoGP bike

[Venarius]

Anybody else connecting teh dots?

Suzuki released a concept inline 6 that had the same width as a typical inline 4 few months ago. Maybe this is how their planning on using the new engine?

Or maybe I'm just a conspiracy theorist

[Heimdall Einherjar]

I hope they don't make anything that looks remotely like the bike that featured the 6cyl.

It was HIDEOUS.

[High_Side]

I hope they don't make anything that looks remotely like the bike that featured the 6cyl.

It was HIDEOUS.

Yep. An insult to the original Katana.