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MV Agusta Is Developing 5-Cylinder Motorcycle Engine

MV Agusta surprised the audience at EICMA 2025 by revealing the Italian motorcycle brand is developing a brand-new five-cylinder engine concept. Recently, the company shared more details about the powerplant, dubbed the Quadrato engine.

The Quadrato engine platform is intended to serve various on-road motorcycling segments, from supersport to touring machines. It features a modular displacement range, allowing the engine displacement to be modified from 850cc to 1150cc. Due to its five-cylinder firing order, the engine doesn’t require variable valve timing, which the manufacturer claims delivers exceptional low-end usability.

According to MV Agusta, the Quadrato’s maximum power output reaches 240 horsepower at 16,000 rpm, while peak torque of 99.5 lb-ft arrives at 8,500 rpm.

MV Agusta Is Developing 5-Cylinder Motorcycle Engine


One of the engine’s largest selling points is its light weight. The Quadrato clocks in at around 130 pounds. It’s also compact, being narrower than typical in-line four engines and shorter than V-4 units.

The Quadrato features a unique cranktrain layout, consisting of a three-cylinder front and a dual-cylinder rear crankshafts in a “U”-type configuration. This arrangement is intended to reduce vibrations and enable a smooth ride with enhanced balance.

MV Agusta also noted that the engine sports advanced electrification solutions, such as electric water and oil pumps.

The Quadrato is set to make its first appearance on “a highly anticipated model that is currently no longer in the lineup,” said MV Agusta. We’ll have to wait to find out which, as the company said the bike will not be revealed for a few years.

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This is would be one of those instances where I would shy away from "the first model year". Definitely "out of the box" thinking. Way out. Now I'm disappointed that a product with this engine is year out. Waiting is the hardest part. Well maybe it's affording...
 
TipSTer said:
I know some European cars had inline 5 cylinders, but this one has a V5
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Honda has manufactured inline 5 cylinder cars (Acura Vigor) and was quite successful in 990cc MotoGp motorcycle racing with the RC211V sporting a V5 engine revving to 17,000 rpm.
 
Waiting... depends which bike MV will slot it in first, but it sounds like the long awaited F4 resurrection is in the near future. Sign me up!
 
TipSTer said:
I know some European cars had inline 5 cylinders, but this one has a V5
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More of a P5 (if you can call it that) with 2 crankshafts:
“We basically have two engines coupled together – an inline three-cylinder in front, and a parallel-twin behind, to make it easier for the rider’s knees to be brought closer together. Each bank of cylinders has its own crankshaft, coupled via a central gear pinion, and are contra-rotating to cancel out the gyroscopic inertia of the rotating masses. This improves the bike’s handling, especially the steering, and also minimises vibration.”

Then again, "Quadrato" means square... Square-5? Move aside Ariel! ;)
 
My biggest curiosity is how going to five cylinders eliminates the need for VVT? It can be employed on any engine type, but it does make the valvetrain much more complicated hence top-heavy.

The 99ft-lb torque rating at a half-scream 8500 rpm also doesn't impress. Plus, to wrench 240 bhp at full-scream 16k rpm is akin to squeezing blood from a rock. What's it got, a 1-inch stroke?

That said, I'd love to get seat time to prove myself wrong, but sounds to me it's going into a racer to maximize those numbers...I wonder if they include ear plugs in the sale?
 
DesmoRonin said:
Each bank of cylinders has its own crankshaft, coupled via a central gear pinion, and are contra-rotating to cancel out the gyroscopic inertia of the rotating masses.
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Wouldn't a coupling pinion gear make both crankshafts rotate in the same direction? :unsure:
 
Larry Fine said:
Wouldn't a coupling pinion gear make both crankshafts rotate in the same direction? :unsure:
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I took this to mean that both crankshafts are rotating rearwards (as opposed to "traditional" forwards) like on certain high performing Ducati's. In fact, both of my V4 Ducati's have counter-rotating (single) crankshafts.
 
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jdmccright said:
My biggest curiosity is how going to five cylinders eliminates the need for VVT? It can be employed on any engine type, but it does make the valvetrain much more complicated hence top-heavy.

The 99ft-lb torque rating at a half-scream 8500 rpm also doesn't impress. Plus, to wrench 240 bhp at full-scream 16k rpm is akin to squeezing blood from a rock. What's it got, a 1-inch stroke?

That said, I'd love to get seat time to prove myself wrong, but sounds to me it's going into a racer to maximize those numbers...I wonder if they include ear plugs in the sale?
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Not sure if you have ever ridden an MV or similar, but the torque on a I4 (I3) doesn't feel as impressive as a V4. 99lb-ft of torque isn't small, but to move the curve lower into a street usable rpm is going to be interesting and likely a lot more fun for the average rider. My Ducati V4 makes a little shy of 240bhp at 16k-ish rpm (smaller torque number than the design goal of the Quadrato) -- 81mm bore, 48.4mm stroke. Obviously not a slow bike, but it doesn't take revving it into the stratosphere to make more than usable power on both road and track. It's not that loud with the stock exhaust either -- road legal worldwide. Ridden normally, it's actually quite a docile ride with quite linear power delivery and very civil manners and no indication of how much power is sitting between your legs, lol.
 
DesmoRonin said:
Not sure if you have ever ridden an MV or similar, but the torque on a I4 (I3) doesn't feel as impressive as a V4. 99lb-ft of torque isn't small, but to move the curve lower into a street usable rpm is going to be interesting and likely a lot more fun for the average rider. My Ducati V4 makes a little shy of 240bhp at 16k-ish rpm (smaller torque number than the design goal of the Quadrato) -- 81mm bore, 48.4mm stroke. Obviously not a slow bike, but it doesn't take revving it into the stratosphere to make more than usable power on both road and track. It's not that loud with the stock exhaust either -- road legal worldwide. Ridden normally, it's actually quite a docile ride with quite linear power delivery and very civil manners and no indication of how much power is sitting between your legs, lol.
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I don't consider that torque at 8600 rpm to be "street usable". My 1100 makes about the same but it redlines at about there. If I want to get out of (or into) trouble, I shouldn't have to drop 2 gears first.

I will concede I've never ridden a MV. I imagine the rev and response experience to be very different...as different when I first climbed onto an 1100. My son's 1987 Yamaha 600 sounds like it's going 80 mph when you're actually only going 40. Still fun though a product of long-ago speed limit restrictions. So, it's not so impressive on paper but I'm sure the actual experience is much better.
 
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The Brutale Assen 1000 RR sells for around $42,000 so how much more is the 5 cyl. going to cost? I'll preorder 2. :crackup:

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jdmccright said:
I don't consider that torque at 8600 rpm to be "street usable". My 1100 makes about the same but it redlines at about there. If I want to get out of (or into) trouble, I shouldn't have to drop 2 gears first.

I will concede I've never ridden a MV. I imagine the rev and response experience to be very different...as different when I first climbed onto an 1100. My son's 1987 Yamaha 600 sounds like it's going 80 mph when you're actually only going 40. Still fun though a product of long-ago speed limit restrictions. So, it's not so impressive on paper but I'm sure the actual experience is much better.
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It's a bit of an apples and oranges comparison... the ST is a heavy whale which won't get out of it's own way by comparison. If my numbers are correct, the ST makes around 80 lb-ft (peak) at around 6,000 rpm. For comparison one of my Ducati V4's is also a 1100cc V4 with a little over 10% more torque but at 9500 rpm. But at 4,000 rpm, the ST1100 makes around 55 lb-ft while the Ducati makes about 10% more. It's also at least 300 lbs. lighter than the ST1100. Unless I'm riding my ST1100 completely wrong, it doesn't get out of trouble as quickly as any of my performance V4's or V2's. I don't have to drop a single gear and it will find an exit faster or accelerate out of trouble faster and more easily than the ST on any given day and any given condition. I don't suspect the Quadrato in a F4 (F5 maybe) platform will be any different. YMMV.
 
Al st1100 said:
The Brutale Assen 1000 RR sells for around $42,000 so how much more is the 5 cyl. going to cost? I'll preorder 2. :crackup:

1770485728915.png
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MV specials like the Assen always cost more than a little bit more. Standard issue will likely be in the low $30's. I suspect the new Quadrato in a revamped F4 to start at mid to high 30's. But if it's slotted into a Serie Oro like MV usually does, expect north of $50k.
 
DesmoRonin said:
It's a bit of an apples and oranges comparison... the ST is a heavy whale which won't get out of it's own way by comparison. If my numbers are correct, the ST makes around 80 lb-ft (peak) at around 6,000 rpm. For comparison one of my Ducati V4's is also a 1100cc V4 with a little over 10% more torque but at 9500 rpm. But at 4,000 rpm, the ST1100 makes around 55 lb-ft while the Ducati makes about 10% more. It's also at least 300 lbs. lighter than the ST1100. Unless I'm riding my ST1100 completely wrong, it doesn't get out of trouble as quickly as any of my performance V4's or V2's. I don't have to drop a single gear and it will find an exit faster or accelerate out of trouble faster and more easily than the ST on any given day and any given condition. I don't suspect the Quadrato in a F4 (F5 maybe) platform will be any different. YMMV.
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True, weight will make a difference. As I said, I'm sure the bike's engineering will make the experience much better.
 
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