How many times have we seen a bikemaker unveil an ambitious concept at EICMA, only to quietly abandon it later as if it never happened? Not Honda this time around.
At last year’s EICMA, the Japanese company unveiled an all-new platform – an electronically-blown forced induction V3 motor. Many wondered when, or if, it would ever find its way into a full-blown motorcycle.
At the time, Honda said the three-cylinder concept’s “development will continue towards mass output,” explaining that it “sees the development of this V3 engine with an electrical compressor as a new challenge in the area of internal combustion engines.”
Well, that time has come. At this year’s EICMA, Honda took the covers off what it calls the V3R 900 E-Compressor Prototype. Power figures are still under wraps, but we do know that it’s a 900cc motor that has "performance comparable to that of a 1,200cc engine."
As for the motorcycle itself, there’s not much to dissect yet — aside from the fact that the single-sided swingarm and trellis frame shown last year now wear stylish bodywork. The result is a muscular streetfighter, complete with Honda’s new “Flagship Wing” insignia.
We already knew from last year that the powerplant is a water-cooled 75-degree V3, with one cylinder positioned rearward and two forward. It’s paired with an electronically driven compressor, effectively making it the world’s first production motorcycle with such a setup.
The E-Compressor concept confused many when it first appeared. Some mistook it for a turbocharger, others for a supercharger, but it’s neither.
A turbocharger uses exhaust gases for boost, while a supercharger is mechanically driven by the engine. Honda’s design, by contrast, uses an electrically powered compressor to control intake-air compression independently of engine rpm, delivering strong torque even at low revs.
Unlike conventional forced-induction systems, the E-Compressor isn’t tied to crankshaft speed or exhaust flow. It can spool up or down at will by drawing electrical energy to spin its impeller.
“The electrical compressor allows a high degree of freedom of layout of all components in the limited space available on a motorcycle, and an efficient centralization of mass. It also does not require an intercooler,” explains Honda.
Beyond confirming that the impeller is electrically regulated, Honda hasn’t shared many specifics about its operation. The company did, however, release a brief video of the prototype on a dyno. While it’s short on detail, the engine note alone is enough to turn heads:
The timing of this development is telling. It arrives as Honda simultaneously ramps up its electric motorcycle push, showing that the company’s 2030 Vision leaves room for both EV innovation and high-tech internal combustion.
The V3 concept also has historical roots. Japanese manufacturers explored forced induction heavily in the 1980s, and Honda itself has a long history with V3 engines.
In 1985, the NS400R sported a 90-degree two-stroke V3 producing 72 horsepower – but it wasn’t Honda’s first. That honor goes to the S500 motocross racer, with its 113-degree V3, and the street-legal MVX250F, a 249-cc 90-degree V3 two-stroke, both introduced in 1983.
More recently, Honda’s last large-capacity motorcycle with a 1.2-liter engine was the VFR1200F, which was discontinued in 2017. With that V4 motor, Honda was able to generate around 160 horsepower. Honda might just hit the jackpot if it is able to produce that much power from this smaller (and probably lighter) V3 motor.
As for when we’ll see it in production form: Honda aims to bring a model using this technology to Europe by 2027. That means at least two more years of anticipation (and likely plenty of teasers along the way).
Source: Honda
