Honda

The power of platform-sharing 

By Ben Purvis

Taking a single engine and chassis and spinning it into multiple models has long been an established route to reducing R&D and production costs and Honda has once again proved to be the master of the art with the new CB1000GT - a Hornet-based sports-tourer that offers more performance and tech than its rivals at a lower price.

It's the third distinct model to come from the CB1000 Hornet's platform, which itself recycles the 2017-spec CBR1000RR Fireblade engine as its centrepiece. After the Hornet itself, Honda launched the retro CB1000F earlier this year, and now adds the CB1000GT to the line-up, filling a gap in Honda's range for a machine to rival the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT, Kawasaki's Ninja 1000SX SE and Suzuki's GSX-S1000GX.

CB1000GT - a third model on the Hornet platform

Adopting the same high-standing silhouette popularised by the likes of the Tracer and GSX-S1000GX, as well as more expensive rivals like BMW's S1000XR, the CB1000GT is, nonetheless, a sports tourer in the traditional mould, paring a wind-cheating fairing to an existing chassis. However, as the most expensive model yet to come from the CB1000 Hornet platform, it also adds more technology including Showa EERA semi-active, electronically adjustable suspension and an inertial measurement unit to enable cornering rider-assists. 

The engine is a 110 kW (147 hp) version of the old CBR1000RR four-cylinder, making it fractionally less powerful than the similar engine in the Hornet (149 hp for the base model, 155 hp for the SP version) but more powerful than the 122 hp tune used in the CB1000F. It's paired to ride-by-wire, with five riding modes, plus a bidirectional quickshifter.

The frame is the same steel, diamond design used on the Hornet and CB1000F, but with a longer swingarm to add 10mm to the wheelbase, and more trail to increase stability. The programmable suspension offers three preset damping modes and a user setting, and there's a 5-inch TFT screen to control all the tech. The Nissin brakes are, again, borrowed from the Hornet but paired to cornering ABS, while the footpegs are the lower units from the CB1000F.

WN7 brings Honda to the electric era

Honda has slowly been teasing the idea of an electric motorcycle over the last 12 months - showing the EV FUN concept at EICMA last year and then previewing the production WN7 model earlier this year - but now the full details have been released at this year's EICMA show and it's an intriguing proposition.

While the WN7, like other electric bikes, will be swimming against the tide to attract customers, not helped by a price-to-performance ratio that makes it far slower and more expensive than the similarly-sized CB1000 Hornet, but it takes a step closer to bringing parity between EVs and combustion engines.

The peak power - 67 hp or 50 kW - isn't going to turn many heads, but with 100 Nm of torque the WN7's acceleration should be strong. Top speed, at 129 km/h, or around 80 mph, is a little disappointing, but reconfirms the fact that the WN7's real target is city use with the occasional longer trip, rather than day-long touring.

A2 license-friendly WN7

Power comes from a 349.44-volt, 9.3 kWh battery pack, giving a claimed range of 140 km, while there's also a detuned 11 kW version of the bike for L-plate riders that ekes a few more kilometres between recharges.

Speaking of which, charging is the WN7's strength. As well as being able to plug into household sockets for a slow, 5.5-hour recharge, or to 6kVa AC car chargers for a faster, 2.4-hour recharge, the WN7's industry-standard CCS-2 socket also accepts rapid DC charging, of the type found at service stations, that can replenish the battery from 20% to 80% in only 30 minutes.

Tech includes four riding modes, but less common is the thumb-operated paddle on the left bar that alters the regenerative braking level through three levels, giving an effect similar to downshifting during deceleration to increase the engine braking. 

Honda V3R 900 E-Compressor previews boosted future

A year ago Honda's V3 E-Compressor engine, housed in a bare chassis, stole the EICMA show and now the company has unveiled a full prototype - now dubbed V3R 900 E-Compressor - that's essentially a disguised version of an upcoming production bike.

Powered by that unique 75-degree V3 engine with two cylinders in the front bank and one at the rear - a format never seen before on a four-stroke production bike - the V3R 900 E-Compressor's other notable feature is the electrically-powered supercharger that can provide any level of boost at any RPM, promising zero lag and huge reservoirs of torque whenever it's needed.

V3R 900 E-Compressor - "compact size, big engine punch"

Honda hasn't confirmed actual power figures, but there is now more information than a year ago. The engine's capacity, as the bike's name suggests, is 900 cc, but with the performance of a 1,200 cc engine thanks to that electric blower. That still leaves a huge scope - 1,200 cc bikes on the market today range from sub-100 hp machines to 200 hp-plus - but it's likely that the Honda will be nearer the higher end of that power range. There's a much narrower range of torque peaks across the spectrum of 1,200 cc bikes, though, with most clustered around 100 Nm, so that's likely to be where the V3R will sit.

Asymmetrical bodywork, with a huge air intake for the supercharger on the right-hand side, stands out even under the camo disguise applied to it, and the engine is clearly a structural section of the chassis, with a steel trellis upper part to connect it to the steering stem. It's completely different to the full trellis frame shown a year ago, but the single-sided swingarm remains. Unusually for a concept, the exhaust is bulky and looks to be emissions-compliant, pointing to the fact that while Honda won't be drawn on when the bike will reach showrooms, it's not far away now.

More E-Clutches for Honda's range

After huge success on the CB650R and CBR650R models Honda has decided to spread its E-Clutch technology to more models for 2026.

The CB750 Hornet and similarly-powered Transalp both get the E-Clutch option, which retains the clutch lever but eliminates the need to actually use it - with a computer-controlled actuator engaging and disengaging the clutch automatically when starting, stopping and shifting gears. The bigger bikes also pair the system with ride-by-wire for the first time, enabling an auto-blipping system to rev-match on downshifts, giving for even smoother changes.

The cheaper CB500 range - including CB500 Hornet, NX500 and CBR500R - also gets the E-Clutch as an option for 2026.

As on the original CB650 models, you can override the system by operating the clutch manually, or switch it off entirely if you prefer completely conventional operation.

EV Outlier concept unveiled in Tokyo

EICMA hasn't been the only big show in recent weeks and like its Japanese rivals Honda has also been concentrating on the Japan Mobility Show in its homeland - revealing the EV Outlier concept at the event.

A feet-forward, two-wheel-drive electric bike, it's Honda's vision of motorcycles of the 2030s, by which time the company intends to be using solid-state batteries in a next-generation of EV motorcycles.

A pure single-seater, the EV Outlier takes styling inspiration from science fiction, and features unusual elements including a transparent fairing that lets it have the look of a naked machine with the aerodynamics of a fully-faired bike. There are hub-mounted motors in both wheels, giving two-wheel-drive, and dual TFT displays - an ultra-widescreen across the bars plus a secondary display set into the top of the bodywork ahead of the rider.

While not to all tastes, the bike importantly avoids the typical 'white goods' look of electric motorcycles, adding a visual interest without trying to mimic the design of existing, combustion engined machines. Don't expect a production version anytime soon, though.