Yamaha Wants To Put A Boxer Engine In The Sky

It’s not a motorcycle, but it’s still pretty cool.

By: Earl Davidson

Aug 28, 2021 at 1:39pm ET

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Yamaha unveils a new concept at the 2021 Japan Drone Expo involving a horizontally opposed engine. The event was held at Makuhari Messe in the Chiba Prefecture and took place from June 14 to 16, 2021 where unmanned aerial and underwater drones were showcased at this event.

While Yamaha is well-versed with motorcycles, undoubtedly showcased with their latest R7 and the quintessential MT-07 naked bike, it’s easy to forget that the company also has other industries under its wing. Wanna buy a bike and a piano from the same brand at the same time? Well, Team Blue’s got you covered.

The news comes from a Japanese source, MC-Web.jp. As reported, the drone uses a horizontally opposed engine which is then converted into electrical energy. Similar in principle to a plug-in hybrid, where the engine is used to produce energy more than driving the wheels.

Yamaha used a gasoline engine for the sake of convenience. Having a large battery, or multiple cells in the unit won’t be necessary considering the output of the boxer. While the concept looks good, Yamaha stated that it is a “proposal of possibility at the moment,” translated from Japanese. The concept might be worked on by Yamaha in collaboration with another company that knows a thing or two about aircraft and a control system for drones.

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Speaking of that engine, it comes from Yamaha and is applied to another unmanned helicopter from the brand. The engine itself is water-cooled and features a displacement of 390ccs. It’s water-cooled as well, and according to the source, features forged aluminum pistons, plated cylinders, integrated crankcases, and a titanium exhaust system. On its own, the engine produces about 27.6 horsepower.

It’s not out of the ordinary to picture this engine on a motorcycle, perhaps something like an XSR or perhaps a maxi-scoot. Either way, it will be interesting to see the motor in this thing put in the chassis of a motorcycle. Perhaps a hybrid motorcycle is in the books? Who knows?