Patents Reveal That Honda Is Working On A ‘Silent’ Yamaha R1 Rival

The world of high-performance electric motorcycles is still in its infancy. The only superbike-grade EVs that have become a reality include the Verge TS Ultra, the Zero SR/S, and the now-defunct Energica Ego, among others. A typical pattern observed here is that startups are the wild and ambitious ones, while traditional motorcycle makers are playing it safe, as seen in Kawasaki’s urban-friendly Ninja e-1 and the Z e-1. But this conception could change if the recent patent images from Honda of a high-power all-electric Fireblade superbike become a reality. The Yamaha YZF-R1 won’t even hear it come!

Patents Hint At The Development Of An All-Electric Honda Fireblade

Honda did wow us last year with a killer-looking all-electric streetfighter Concept at EICMA. It was the automaker’s first-ever vision of a sports bike, claimed to have the performance equivalent of a middleweight sports bike. However, the recently uncovered patent images (thanks to our friends at Australian Motorcycle News) showcase Honda’s concept, depicting an even more powerful electric sports bike. While not much is available on the technical front, the patent image does feature what appears to be the silhouette of a Fireblade.

The most notable details visible are an extremely compact yet clever powertrain system that literally sits within the swingarm. The motor and transmission are mounted far back behind the swingarm pivot, with the front sprocket above and in front of the electric motor’s output shaft. This setup helps clear a significant amount of space in the traditional main chassis, allowing for a large battery pack and improved integration and placement of electronics. It also helps extend the swingarm while maintaining a shorter wheelbase.

This design also allows for a modular setup (thanks to an integrated rear suspension design) in which the swingarm can become a bolt-on kit onto any type of main chassis. Supporting this idea is a simple plug-and-play system incorporated into this concept design. The motor, swingarm pivot axle, and the front of the rear shock are all mounted onto an alloy casting that bolts onto the vertical mounts at the rear of the main frame using just three bolts.

The Patents Remind Us Of The Mugen Shinden Racebike

A Bespoke Isle of Man TT Racebike That Was Backed By Honda

The reason we are betting on a “powerful” sports bike here is due to the various similarities between these patent images and the Mugen Shinden racebike, which participated in the Isle of Man’s TT Zero category of electric motorcycles. This bleeding-edge high-power electric sports bike was introduced in 2014 and participated till 2019 when the racing class was discontinued. Over this period, the Mugen Shinden won six TT Zero races. Comparing the two, we see that the mounting points of the motor and transmission are similar and unusually far back. Even the rear swingarm looks similar.

This isn’t surprising since Honda was one of the major backers of the Mugen Shinden project. Therefore, the idea of applying this racebike technology to the possible future e-Fireblade is not unrealistic. If it does, then we might be treated to a sports bike with a minimum of 160 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque—numbers achieved by the last iteration of the Mugen Shinden.

The race bike is powered by an oil-cooled, 3-phase brushless motor coupled to a laminate-type Li-ion battery pack. While 160 horsepower is not exactly a Yamaha R1-killer material, it should be noted that the Mugen Shinden is a six-year-old race bike, and technology has advanced significantly since then. So, Honda pulling out a flagship electric superbike from its hat is not going to be that hard an affair.

2019 Mugen Shinden Roku Specs For Reference

Will We Get an All-Electric Honda Superbike Soon?

As much as we crave it, we don’t think this will become a reality anytime soon. While the patent images showcase an exciting concept, they are far from reality, and most likely an internal project. However, it is confidence-inspiring to see Honda actively working to push the EV envelope. As of today, Honda is still in its infancy with electric bikes, as is evident with its first-ever full-sized electric motorcycle offering—the E-VO. In the next two to three years, we might see a production version of the Streetfighter Concept breaking cover. But to get a proper superbike, we will have to wait a lot longer.