V4

CFMoto's engineers have had their hands full. Its booth at EICMA had quite a few new releases on display, but the star of the show was a brand new, state-of-the-art 1,000cc V4 and a superbike concept signalling the company's WSBK intentions.

It's been a decade now since Ducati torched the rulebook and unleashed the iconoclastic Diavel on an unsuspecting market. Now the company has snipped the final thread linking the Diavel to the average cruiser, ditching its V-twin engine for a V4.

On face value, the Bienville Legacy is a weird, vastly overpowered and visually shocking motorbike with a completely unique suspension system. But to the team that created it and the eccentric entrepreneur that bankrolled it, it's not just a motorcycle – it's the start of a movement.

The Martin Jetpack has undergone a major design overhaul. Reemerging as the P12 prototype, the ducted-fan personal VTOL is fully certified for manned test flights as a Class 1 microlight. Sales of a first responder Jetpack are expected in 2014.

Honda is set to unveil a production 1000 cc V4 racing machine costing around $1.3 million before the end of 2013.

If we thought last year's RSV4 was racetrack-focused, the new Arpilia RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition makes it look like a courier hack.

Jordan Meadows' latest concept is the Metalback cafe racer, fashioned to exist where substance and sustainability meet speed and style. The V4 engine runs on bio diesel, while the frame and skin are crafted from recycled aluminum.

The oddball styling of Honda's forthcoming VFR1200T tourer isn't just the result of a designer's whim; the shape is designed to radically reduce rider injuries in the most common sorts of accidents.

The V4 engine format is set to come into vogue, with the Aprilia RSV4 winning the Czech World Superbikes and the imminent launch of Honda's 1200cc roadster with variable cylinder management. Aprilia is also developing a naked RSV4 and 600 supersport