Honda Shows 75-Degree V3 Forced-Induction Engine 2024

Honda may be best known for its conservative approach to new motorcycles and technology, but you’ve gotta give credit where credit is due: The company knows how to build exciting concept bikes. Past bombshells have included the CB4 retro cafe, the RC-E electric sportbike, and the V-twin NAS concept now displayed at the Barber Museum.

Related: Top 10 Motorcycles From the 2024 Barber Vintage Fest

Big Red’s display at EICMA this year is no exception, though the most interesting motorcycle revealed so far…isn’t actually a motorcycle at all. It’s an engine.

According to Honda, you’re looking at a 75-degree V3, which is currently being developed as an extremely slim and compact way to power larger-displacement motorcycles. As for the compressor, it’s entirely electric, meaning it isn’t tethered to the crank like a supercharger and isn’t limited by the flow of exhaust gases like a conventional turbo.

Honda says this allows the new powerplant to create “boost” irrespective of the engine’s rpm, which translates to super-responsive torque anywhere in the rev range. According to Honda the choice to use an electrical compressor also allows for a high degree of freedom in the layout of the motorcycle itself and, as an added bonus, no intercooler is required.

What’s even better news is that Honda says it fully plans to apply the new V3 to multiple models in the future. Big Red says it’ll continue the engine’s development into 2025 with an end goal of mass production viability.

In other concept-related news, Honda is also teasing two new EV concepts at EICMA this year, named the “EV Fun” and “EV Urban” concepts, respectively. The EV Fun has particularly caught our eye, as Honda describes it as the company’s “first electric sports model.”

According to Honda, the EV Fun is expected to both enter production and hit showroom floors before the end of 2025, though whether we’ll see them here in the States remains unclear. What we do know is that Honda claims the EV Fun’s output will be equivalent to a midsize internal combustion engine, with a range somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 miles.

That’ll limit the EV Fun to “urban commuter” status like most of the electric motorcycles we’ve ridden lately, but between the sharp headlight, futuristic styling, and single-sided swingarm, it might be the best-looking urban runabout we’ve seen to date. Honda hasn’t provided any recharge numbers at this point, but it has confirmed the EV Fun will utilize the same CCS2 quick-charging hardware as its plug-in automobiles.

Among other highlights from the Honda booth thus far are refreshes to the current lineup of middleweights including the XL750 Transalp and CB750 Hornet. Both bikes are confirmed to get updated front-end styling for the European market, which we’re confident will trickle our way sooner than later.

We’ll also note on the technology front that Honda is now building its NC750X adventure-touring model using “Durabio” panels for its colored plastic parts. That’s an interesting development because Durabio is a bio-based plastic that gives the same look and shine as factory paint without actually being painted. It’s also highly scratch-resistant, which means a few off-road crashes aren’t likely to ruin your factory finish.