Traditional motorcycle makers have been struggling to add excitement to the electric segment. The Kawasaki Ninja E-1 and the Z E-1 are aspirational offerings, but these fall flat when it comes to excitement. Zero Motorcycles is the only long-standing one that currently offers grin-worthy electric sports bikes. Honda, however, has us excited about its “EV Fun Concept” that was showcased at EICMA 2024. And the first-ever “fun” electric bike with middleweight grade performance is getting super close to production.
Honda has dropped a teaser that also reveals a few new features on the brand’s first-ever electric naked bike. While it has not been explicitly stated that it’s a production-spec model, this unveiling is very close to the timeframe Honda promised for the launch of its mid-size electric motorcycle. So, we might finally be seeing Honda’s cool new electric bike in the flesh.
Production-Spec ‘EV Fun Concept’ Naked Bike Unveil Is Just Around The Corner
A Lot Is Riding On Honda’s First-Ever Electric Bike
The teaser shows a heavily camouflaged (hopefully production-spec) Honda EV Fun Concept. While most of the visual features are identical to the concept from last year, we do get to see a few new ones. The most notable is a new rectangular TFT that will most likely house an operating system with features that embed superior functionality of the motorcycle. We hope Honda adds a brand-new and integrated operating system, similar to the Cypher III+ on Zero Motorcycles.
The triple clamp also appears to have been revised, with bolts now positioned at the front of the fork tubes. The handlebar flaunts a more complex switchgear on the right side, which should be the controls for the display. There are a few elements that we thought would be omitted in the final production version, but have been retained, such as the single-sided swingarm and the clean, floating sub-frame design. These bits will surely help the Honda EV look futuristic.
Promised Performance Is Impressive
But The Acceleration Might Be Short-lived
While most of the performance specifications are still undisclosed, Honda has mentioned that the EV Fun Concept’s production-spec model will have “middleweight levels of performance.” This puts it eons ahead when compared to the relatively “dull” Kawasaki E-1 duo. Honda’s first-ever electric naked bike is expected to have acceleration levels comparable to those of the 650cc middleweight sports bikes, such as the Honda CBR650R and the Kawasaki Ninja 650.
However, the range looks abysmally low, with Honda claiming it has just 62 miles, said to be “sufficient for city use.” Weight management is one of the primary reasons why this EV doesn’t have a larger battery pack. We hope Honda finds a workaround for squeezing in a bigger capacity fixed battery here; otherwise, the “fun” will be short-lived! Honda’s alternate plan to offset the short range is to use superfast charging hardware (CCS2 quick charger) that is more common in cars.
The First Of Many New Honda Electric Motorcycles Planned
A Cruiser Bike And Fully-faired Sports Bikes Are Expected
Along with the concept naked sports bike, Honda also showcased a sleek-looking EV Urban Concept scooter at EICMA 2024. This indicates that a whole new range of electric Honda motorcycles is in the pipeline. Tracing Honda’s electric plans back to 2022, we covered the Japanese automaker’s ambition to introduce four “fun” electric motorcycles and scooters in the United States. The EV Urban Concept and the EV Fun Concept fill two of those slots, and we expect a cruiser bike and fully-faired electric motorcycles to be the other two.
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