Editing V4 engine (section)

==Motorcycle use==
[[File:VMAX day 2009. Engine cutaway, side.jpg|thumb|2009 [[Yamaha V-Max]] cutaway view]]
{{See also|List of motorcycles by type of engine #V-four}}

One of the first motorcycles powered by a V4 engine was the 1931–1935 [[Matchless Silver Hawk]] built in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hodgson |first1=Martin |title=1930 Matchless Silver Hawk |url= https://www.pipeburn.com/1930-matchless-silver-hawk/ |publisher=Pipeburn |date=17 June 2016 |access-date=19 March 2021}}</ref> The Silver Hawk used a narrow-angle 16-degree V4 engine with a single cylinder head, pushrod valve actuation, and air cooling.

The 1936–1938 ''[[Puch]] P800'' was built in Austria for both civilian and military uses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Austrian Motorcycles |url= https://cybermotorcycle.com/marques/puch/puch-p800.htm |work=Classic Motorcycles by Sheldon's Emu |access-date=8 December 2019 |language=es}}</ref> The P800 used a very wide-angle 170-degree V4 engine (therefore being close in appearance to a flat-four engine) with two cylinder heads and air cooling.<ref>{{cite web |title=Puch P800 |url= https://motos-of-war.ru/en/motorcycles/puch-p800/ |website=motos-of-war.ru |access-date=8 December 2019}}</ref>

V4 engines were used during the mid-to-late 1980s, especially in transverse-engined Honda motorcycles that had a 90-degree V4 engine with water cooling.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical V4's|url= http://www.hondanews.com/channels/historical-v4-s/photos/1984-honda-vf1000r |work=Honda Media Newsroom |publisher=American Honda Motor |access-date=17 February 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140223124017/http://www.hondanews.com/channels/historical-v4-s/photos/1984-honda-vf1000r |archive-date=23 February 2014}}</ref>

The majority [[MotoGP]] manufacturers chose the V4 configuration for their bikes since 2020. These include:
* [[Honda RC213V]]
* [[Ducati Desmosedici]]
* [[KTM RC16]]
* [[Aprilia]] - 90° V4 for the 2020 season
The reasons for this are that compared to traditional firing order inline four engines, V4 engines 
* are narrower, resulting in a narrower and more aerodynamic motorcycle possibly with a lower center of gravity
* offer better rear wheel traction management during acceleration because of uneven firing that gives the rear tire more time to recover during pauses between power strokes
* have better secondary balance which results in better feedback from the engine especially at high RPM
* offer more even spread of torque over the RPM range