We don’t get to talk about Suzuki that often perhaps because this Japanese motorcycle expert likes to work on new technologies and products silently. Recently, we got to know about Suzuki’s latest patent filings which could be of a single-cylinder cafe racer. Now, there’s a new filing that is something very unconventional in the motorcycle industry.
The new layout is believed to allow having a shorter wheelbase with a long swingarm. This will improve the handling as well as high-speed stability of the motorcycle.
Suzuki’s newest patent filing shows a weird (or new) engine layout. Clearly, there has been some changes in the location of the engine and transmission that make things so interesting. Suzuki has moved the cylinder position to an almost horizontal somewhere near the front forks. Also, the exhaust headers are pointing downwards and the crankshaft has been moved a bit towards the rear. As far as the transmission is concerned, it is located below the engine.
The layout that is shown in the image would have some benefits but they come at a cost. It is believed that this layout would allow having a shorter wheelbase with a long swingarm. This will improve the handling as well as high-speed stability of the motorcycle.
The drawbacks of this design would affect the fuel tank capacity. Since the engine is moved upwards where the fuel tank is usually located, a lot of space will be occupied by the airbox and engine intakes. Fitting a decent-sized fuel tank there wouldn’t look feasible. Therefore, the fuel tank would need to be relocated under the seat. Keep in mind that this is also where the battery and other electronics have to be placed. So, yeah, things would get messy.
The patent filing doesn’t share many crucial details like the number of cylinders, the location of the radiator, etc. Of course, Suzuki must have had these questions while creating this weird layout. And it would have the answers, too. This design or layout is something we haven’t seen in a production motorcycle.
Right now, this is just a patent filing which doesn’t mean that Suzuki is 100% going ahead with it and putting it in some upcoming motorcycle. However, it is clear that Suzuki is exploring new engine layouts, perhaps trying to improve performance and handling, which is awesome and we really appreciate Suzuki experimenting!
