Yeah I knew a bit more back then, and for some reason its specs made me want to go fast on it. I had an FZ750 at the time it came out so maybe I saw something lighter/less complicated, I dunno.
Torque has very little to do with V vs inline. Take a cummins diesel for instant. It's an inline 6 and produces more torque than just about anything! Cam profile, the size of the intake and exhaust runners and the bore vs stroke ratio all play a part. A large bore to stroke ratio means higher rpm. Which means higher hp. A shorter bore to stroke ratio generally means less rpm but a longer power stroke. Also a heavier crank or flywheel aids in torque because of the inertia it generates. The reason you use a twin instead of a 4 cylinder is with only two pistons you have fewer power pulses per revolution of the crank. It makes the it easier to keep the tire from spinning resulting in better drive out of the corner.
^yup, bore and stroke plays a even bigger role. Run in twin that has a 10mm stroke and 200mm bore (random numbers for arguments sake) vs a il4 with a 50mm bore and a 100mm stroke. well, you get what im saying