New Yamaha 3 Cylinder Engine

C

CLJ

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Hope this isn't a repost, found it very interesting.

Yamaha has unveiled its on-going commitment to motorcycle innovation this morning at the Cologne Show, by revealing its new three-cylinder P3 engine.Along with the expected unveiling of an updated FJR1300 and FZ8, plus new Aerox scooters, Yamaha has provided one of the talking points of the cologne Show with the unveiling of this all new three cylinder engine, which will form the basis of at least one new bike in the very near future.
They acknowledged that although there had been seemingly little activity from them in recent years they are more committed to motorcycling than ever.
The new engine, dubbed P3, is the first three cylinder from Yamaha since the XS750 from the late 1970s, and is claimed to herald a new direction for the Japanese firm.
Andrew Smith, Vice-President Sales and Marketing Yamaha Motor Europe, told show goers ‘Here Yamaha’s commitment to motorcycling starts again.’
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http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/N...oct0212-yamaha-unveils-three-cylinder-engine/
 
Good. With more interest in Yamaha 3 cylinders now maybe someone will buy my XS750 as "the classic that started it all". . .
Time to rewrite my Kijiji :)
 
Charlie-brm said:
Good. With more interest in Yamaha 3 cylinders now maybe someone will buy my XS750 as "the classic that started it all". . .
Time to rewrite my Kijiji :)
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I'll give you $100 for it!
 
Scant information on what displacement and what they're going to do with it.

I've wished for a modern 3 cylinder FZR400: Take an R6 engine, chop a cylinder off (on the drawing board), shorten the stroke a smidge and lower the deck height (by half the change in stroke). Keep as many of the internal parts interchangeable with the R6 as possible to keep the cost down. (Valves, valve springs, pistons, rods, rings, bearings, transmission, clutch, timing chain, alternator, starter, etc.) It would be lighter and narrower than either the R6 or the original FZR400 and rev as high as the R6 (the original FZR400 was a high revver in its day, but the modern 600's rev higher). Should make somewhere around 80 horsepower if done like this.
 
Thing is a bike like that would only appeal to some FZR400 type enthusiasts. You would pretty much need to setup some kinda of club racing based around it to get any kind of traction. I don't see insurance being much cheaper than a 600 if at all (FZR400 as is isn't much cheaper than a 600). As a consumer why would you want to buy a bike that has less power than the R6 at a very close price to the R6 that isn't much cheaper to insure? The power would be close enough to the old 600s that newbs would do a great job of eradicating any inexpensive insurance options should the insurance companies err and treat it as a non-sport bike.

All that being said I would love for this to happen. I would actually like to see more displacement options from OEMs, like a current 750 and a 400cc. Wouldn't life be great with all the options?
 
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A 675 is pretty likely ... it fits in worldwide roadracing classifications. One wonders whether they are about to take the R6 in a new direction ...
 
This is what I am riding now: Yamaha 499cc parallel 2-cylinder (XP 500 Tmax scooter)
As you can see there is a "third fake piston" on the other side

2009_xp500_08.jpg




Obviosuly it is not an extra cylinder. Yamaha describes it as "a horizontally opposed reciprocating balancer for uncommon smoothness".

This is a close up of the balancer

4f589d306a1c5_IMG4236.JPG



A couple of years ago there was a lot of speculation online about Yamaha replacing the balancer for an actual piston and therefore bumping the displacemnt to 750cc (for a super scooter that would compete in the largest displacement class). This never happened because it is not that easy to do, and at the end Yamaha released the XP500 as the XP530

But I can see the three cylinder design, it is right there.
 
I don't see what the big deal is about this motor. The Triumph 675 and MV Agusta F3 have been around for some time and I would assume that this concept engine would be a 675 for racing if in fact they go ahead with it. Apparently it will have a crossplane crank which will make it a little different. I can only imagine the sweet sound of a 3 banger with crossplane.......that will be unique!
 
Gary64 said:
I don't see what the big deal is about this motor.
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Gary64 said:
Apparently it will have a crossplane crank which will make it a little different. I can only imagine the sweet sound of a 3 banger with crossplane.......that will be unique!
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I think you asked and answered your query in the same thought. It will be a unique niche item in the market and maybe something spectacular. Who knows…but its sure to be interesting and a nice addition to the other triples already out.

I just want to hear the noise…. :D
 
"Cross plane crank" terminology doesn't really apply to a 3 cylinder in-line engine.

A normal even-firing 3 cylinder in-line engine (Triumph, MV) has crank throws spaced 120 degrees apart and requires a balance shaft rotating opposite direction of crankshaft (which the Yamaha cross-plane uneven-firing 4-cyl also needs and has).

What would be rather odd, is a 3 cylinder with a FLAT crankshaft. Think normal inline-four crank but with one of the center journals missing and with that center piston and con-rod intentionally doubled in weight in order to achieve proper primary balance. Firing pattern would be uneven, like an inline-four with one spark plug removed. On second thought ... probably not a good idea.
 
So far, lots of marketing BS-speak with no real information.

I will speculate that the portion of the crankcase that sticks out in front of the crankshaft center-line, contains a balance shaft.

But as for the "cross-plane" ... a normal 3 cylinder engine with 120 degree crank throws doesn't have the crankshaft rotation speed irregularities that the "cross-plane" arrangement on a 4-cylinder is meant to address. (Reason: Only one piston is coming to a standstill at a time - unlike a normal inline four, in which all pistons come to a standstill at the same time.)
 
Basketcase said:
http://thekneeslider.com/

scroll down to see more
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That article incorrectly identifies the engine as a "crossplane 3 cylinder". The actual Yamaha press realease they link to only mentions "crossplane" in reference to their 4 cylinder engines, to relate how that layout inspired them to go with a 3 cylinder design.

This makes sense since an inline 3 cylinder will have the same benefits as a crossplane 4, as BrianP said. And it probably helps to explain why my Street Triple is so smooth and responsive to throttle inputs :)
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