I found the following paragraph from page 184 of Kevin Cameron’s excellent book- The Grand Prix Motorcycle, interesting…..
Is there a “best” engine architecture? Honda have often relied upon V4s since their original romantic investment in the V4 oval-piston NR500, and advertising claims cite such engines’ narrow width, permitting the hallowed “lower center of gravity”. Measurements made of factory Honda RC45 and Kawasaki Superbikes at the same event dispose of this; the Honda’s crankshaft height was 38mm (1.5in) higher than that of the somewhat wider Kawasaki. Whatever the real reasons for choosing V4 architecture for the Honda RC45, low center of gravity wasn’t among them. A more likely cause is Honda’s continuing emphasis on mass centralization. The more a bike’s mass distribution resembles that of a cannon ball, the more quickly and easily it can be rolled and yawned by the rider in changing direction. For Yamaha, the transverse, in-line four’s ability to locate mass forward to keep the front tire steering took precedence over mass centralization.:rockon
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