Oh, chains can and do break. Just not so often apparently as cam belts.
IIRC, they do on the M engines. But no recommendations for the ordinary ones.
I'm sure they do snap, but can't remember one being reported on a.a.bmw which is a pretty busy group.
Not when you get Honda to do the job properly......
In message , SteveH writes
I suppose they had to get something right after all the crappy cam chain and tensioners designs they produced in the 70's and 80's.
It was Hondas way of sorting their reputation, and it did.
There's nothing like a gear driven V4 at full chat.
V4s are fine for Transits where you need a short engine. That's about all.
You might want to look at my sig again.....
Proper s**te, those Honda V4s.
I hated mine so much, I'd like another.
-- JackH
Honda Goldwing GL1800... But that's a 180 degree V
The famous VFR800, the first one they got the Gear-driven Cams right on...
But it only has 2 camshafts - the OP asked specifically about ones with
4 cams.
...never mind the actual look of the bike - I haven't ridden one, but the looks I've had when I've seen one, suggest they almost ripped up the design brief of the previous bikes and missed the point of why they were so successful.
I miss mine, that's for sure... and that one had had a pretty hard life before I had it.
Fuel consumption was one bugbear - I got mine down to 24mpg one particularly hard use tankful, whereas even on the FOT, the CBR I'd had before still managed over 35mpg.
-- JackH
You are sure?
Yup - one cam in each head - 2 valves per cylinder all lined up down the centre line of the head so that the single cam can operate the valves directly via shim under bucket.
The older ones were hydraulic tappets - but the shim under bucket don't often need adjusting.
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