TheV3 engine is aV engine with two cylinders in one bank and one cylinder in the other bank. It is a rare configuration, which has been mostly used intwo-stroke engines for motorcycles competing inGrand Prix motorcycle racing.
The first example was the 1955DKW 350.[1] The 1968Suzuki RP68 was intended to compete in the 1968 season, however a rule change mandating single-cylinder engines meant that the 50 cc (3.1 cu in) RP68 never raced.[2][3]
Honda later revived the layout for the 1982–1984NS500/NSR500 Grand Prix racing motorcycles.[4] The 1983–1984MVX250F and 1985–1987NS400R sports bikes also used V3 engines. In November 2024, Honda showed a prototype of a newly developed V3 engine paired to an electricsupercharger.[5] In the following year, the engine was mounted in theV3R 900 E-Compressor prototype.
A related layout was theW3 engine, although this placed all three cylinders in the same plane, but none of them in the same bank. This was used for the 1905–1915four-strokeAnzani engine, which was used in motorcycle and aircraft applications.