As speculation swirls about the Concept that just garnered Red Dot kudos, the brand says a production version will roll out early next year.
From cruisers to ADVs, street bikes to touring motos — not to mention tech like e-clutch and DCT — Honda has long been a leader in many corners of the two-wheeled world.
Which is why it’s kind of surprising that the red brand has yet to release a true electric motorcycle.
Sure, there was the Wuyang-Honda E-Vo a couple months ago, but that one comes with so many caveats it doesn’t really count.
Regardless, it appears Honda is finally getting serious about this growing category.
The brand recently announced not only that its long-simmering EV Fun Concept won a big award but also that it’s coming to life.
Awash in accolades
I don’t want to say Honda is being coy about the EV Fun Concept, which itself is no secret, having been showcased at EICMA last fall.
However, the press release sandwiched that news between an announcement that the Fastport eQuad micromobility vehicle had won a Red Dot Best of the Best award and that the concept movie for the Honda V3 motorcycle engine had also been honored.
Both of those kudos are notable — as is the scooter-like EV Urban Concept also garnering Red Dot recognition — but for serious two-wheeled enthusiasts, the big news concerns the electric sportbike.
Especially because of this loaded sentence: “The production model based on this concept model will be a naked sports model equivalent to a mid-sized (ICE) motorcycle and is scheduled to go on sale before the end of the current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2026) as the first Honda electric sports model equipped with a fixed battery.”
Hype(d) machine
Adding fuel to this fire is a teaser video Honda dropped a couple weeks ago, one that appears to show an updated version of the Concept and telling viewers to “be the wind” — and also to stay tuned for more news on September 2.
What jumps out in the 15-second clip? Among other things, a new TFT display, a revised triple clamp and a busier left-hand switchgear.
Those features round out a great-looking streetfighter Honda itself touts for “quiet yet overwhelming acceleration,” a “slim, easy-to-manage chassis package” and “a new emotional experience that is very different to internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles.”
One downer, as RideApart points out, is a claimed 62 miles of range from the fixed battery.
That’s a bummer considering the brand is already deploying its Mobile Power Pack in all sorts of vehicles.
A swappable power source would not only enable more miles but also be appealing to apartment dwellers who may lack a garage in which to charge the bike overnight.
On that front, electric-only brands such as Maven — not to mention, believe it or not, Harley-Davidson — could eat Honda’s lunch with removable batteries.
That being said, we’re talking about Honda and a bike that just won a major design award.
Given the brand’s pedigree, production capability, dealer network and general chutzpah, I’d be shocked if what actually rolls out early next year isn’t pretty damn impressive.
Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.
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