Intermot 2012: Yamaha Unveils Crossplane Triple Concept

02/10/2012 | By: 7 Comments

Yamaha announced it is developing a new three-cylinder engine using a crossplane crankshaft inherited from the company’s YZR-M1 MotoGP bike and its YZF-R1 sportbike. Yamaha says the new Triple will play an important role in the company’s future.

The Japanese manufacturer unveiled a concept sculpture with the new three-cylinder engine at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. The sculpture is abstract, showing little beyond the engine, wheels and front fork, but the tires and wheels would suggest the first model to use the new engine will be a streetbike.

Yamaha trumpets the benefits of its crossplane crankshaft which has been used in bikes that have won championships in MotoGP, World Superbike and AMA Superbike. Yamaha claims the engine offers linear driving power and more efficient torque output. Yamaha hopes the crossplane crankshaft can work additional wonders as a platform for a new generation of models.

Click here for more Intermot 2012 coverage.

[Source: Yamaha]

Category: Concept Yamaha
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Related Posts

Discussion

Josh

  • Should sound incredible!

    October 4th, 2012 at 10:59 pm
Rick!

  • On a 4 cylinder, 180 degree throws went to 90 degree throws = crossplane crank. On a triple, 120 degree throws go to 120 degree throws (clocked any direction you want)= marketing hype, not a crossplane crank. What am I missing? The drivetrain package looks really tall with the huge sump and tranny mushed forward. Maybe rider forward and mass centralization and a really heavy steering damper for the lower head angle to make it turn?

    October 5th, 2012 at 8:18 am
Paul

  • The R1 is pretty fail, why double down on the concept??

    October 6th, 2012 at 11:41 pm
Adam

  • Yea Paul, the R1 is real failure. 1 WSBK championship and a 3-peat of AMA SBK championships. Sounds “pretty fail” to me……..

    October 9th, 2012 at 11:44 am
Steve

  • Rick!: I was thinking the same thing. How do you get a crossplane crank out of a triple? Maybe this is a joke to make fun of the English? That said, my Speed Triple has an outstanding motor, and I’ve never understood why the Japanese manufacturers haven’t tried this before. You get the best of both worlds- tons of torque and the ability to make good horsepower. The sound IS amazing too.

    October 12th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Dennis Chung

  • Yamaha was very adamant about the crossplane design, and it’s unlikely they’d use that term just as a marketing tool. The going theory right now is a cross-shaped crank with three pistons plus a fourth, balancing piston. We hope to hear more soon.

    October 12th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Sn00py

  • I think the F3 crankshaft just rotates backwards compared to traditional engines and adds a gear on the output shaft side to get the clutch/countershaft sprocket going the right way again.

    December 23rd, 2012 at 5:34 pm

Add Your Comment!

(required)

(required)