A Chinese V5 to Shake Up the Motorcycle World?

ZXMOTO is developing a five-cylinder V engine, a rare architecture made famous by Honda in MotoGP.

Five cylinders, two rows, and a lot of ambition. Zhang Xue, founder of ZXMOTO, announced the development of a 1,000 cc V5 engine machine, with a sporting goal for 2028.

ZXMOTO is not starting from scratch: engaged in the Supersport World Championship with the Evan Bros team, the Chinese manufacturer has already made a name for itself thanks to Frenchman Valentin Debise. These victories give the brand genuine legitimacy in competition and more credibility to its ambitions, even though developing a V5 represents a challenge of a whole different magnitude.

For ZXMOTO, this project could become a great calling card. A V5 distributes its cylinders into two groups, three on one side and two on the other. A unique arrangement, the most famous precedent bears a Japanese badge. Honda chose this architecture for its RC211V, which competed in MotoGP from 2002 to 2006. Its 990 cc engine placed three cylinders at the front and two at the back. The regulations favored this boldness: four- and five-cylinder engines shared the same minimal weight. Honda could therefore add a cylinder without penalty on this point. The result: fourteen wins in sixteen races as early as 2002.

The V5 intrigues and fascinates

The five-cylinder also inspires MV Agusta, which presented its “Cinque Cilindri” concept at EICMA 2025. But its mechanics differ fundamentally from a classic V5: the three front cylinders and the two at the back drive two distinct crankshafts, compared to one for a V engine. This “U” arrangement primarily aims for compactness: MV Agusta announces a setup that is narrower than a four-cylinder in line and shorter than a V4. Another way to fit five cylinders into a motorcycle, with applications considered even for touring models.

For riders, everything remains to be demonstrated. If a road version comes to fruition, smoothness, fuel consumption, felt heat, and maintenance costs will count just as much as power. An additional cylinder does not guarantee any progress in these areas.

This desire to break away from conventional recipes is nonetheless worthy of praise. ZXMOTO clearly aims to make a name for itself through its technical audacity. The challenge remains to transform an intriguing engine into a convincing motorcycle: a machine that one would be as eager to ride as to talk about.

You might be interestedin this article:

Electric Motorcycles

• 21/09/2026 11:59

Royal Enfield Flying Flea C6: this electric motorcycle priced at €5,990 is incredibly charming!