Chinese built four-cylinder engine under development

CHINESE motorcycles for pretty much the last twenty years have been powered by fairly plain and boring single and parallel twin-cylinder units, with many of them based on existing designs from the likes of Honda and Suzuki.

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But as the scale of Chinese motorcycle manufacturing marches ever on, so the advancement of engine design from within the country has also moved forwards.

Even as recently as last year, we saw big strides from manufacturers, with bikes like the Benda BD700 showing that they are looking to ditch the image of old and try to catch up with European, American, and Japanese manufacturers.

And the march continues, as new patents show an 800cc, inline four-cylinder engine that looks to be ready to slot straight into a sports bike.

The unit is being developed by Wuyi Weisenke Power Technology and is being called the VSK800. It’s a modern-looking powerplant, with tidy dimensions that all point to it being a perfect fit for either a sports bike or indeed a naked machine.

Indeed, we don’t have to look far to spot where the inspiration for this product has come from, with it looking strikingly similar to that of the engine found in the Honda CBR650R and CB650R motorcycles. Coincidence? Definitely not, although this doesn’t look like a straight ‘copy’ – although Honda might say differently! The engine’s water pump, mounting points, and even the engine casings are all remarkably similar to the Honda design. With even the cam-chain cover and magneto side of the engine bearing a resemblance to the Honda.

As with all patents, there’s little to tell us what the final specs of the unit would be, although it’s safe to assume it’ll be slightly less efficient than the Honda. The increase in CC is not likely to yield huge increases in power, given the firm’s lack of knowledge with the layout compared to Hondas. With that in mind, a comparable output of 100bhp is probably likely.