Honda Rolls Out The World's First Forced Induction V-3 Engine For Motorcycles

At the mouthful-of-a-name Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori (EICMA, or Milan Motorcycle Shows), Honda surprised everyone with a new sort of internal combustion engine that pushes packaging, efficiency, and performance into the future. The V3 motor you see above is developed for larger displacement bikes, although thanks to its compact proportions, it will factor greatly into lower combined mass and center of gravity.


Honda is mum about the details, however. What we do know is that it's water-cooled with pistons that are arranged in a 75-degree vee-angle, meaning that two pistons are tilted forward while one is tilted towards the rear. Even more exciting is the forced induction compressor: it's the first electrical compressor for motorcycles with variable compression control independent of engine RPM and that doesn't need an intercooler to operate. Imagine a bike delivering near-instant torque at low RPMs (or any RPM for that matter)—that's going to be a gamechanger outside of a fully electric powerplant. 

Ultimately, Honda wants to see this V-3 engine hit mass production, although it's too early to tell which model series will be the first to get the new motor. Based on the demo unit though, we can expect a sport streetbike as one of the first adopters of this setup.

Speaking of sport streetbike, Honda also teased two EV concepts at the show, simply named "EV Fun" and "EV Urban." Billed as a near-future urban electric bike, the scooter-like EV Urban that "cooperates and resonates with people and society through its essential and sophisticated styling, intuitive human-machine interface (HMI), and new experiences created by the fusion of software and hardware."

The EV Fun, on the hand, looks like a fantastic grand touring-street combo, but alas its projected 60 miles range relegates it to urban commuter status even if power is expected to match that of a midsize internal combustion engine. Honda says that the EV Fun could be available to purchase by end of next year, although no word if it'll come to the U.S. market.