For decades, Honda has shaped the motorcycle world more than just about any other brand. From the humble Cub to the fire-breathing CBR, its bikes have defined categories, pushed technology forward, and sold in numbers no other manufacturer could even dream of. Honda has never been eager to hop on the bandwagon. Instead, it waits, watches, and then builds something extremely good at what it does.
That’s why when Honda makes a move into electric motorcycles, you can bet the world will be paying attention.
Now, after years of concepts and cautious announcements, Honda is teasing what looks like its first full-on electric sportbike. A short video on Honda's official YouTube channel shows a masked prototype in action. It bears a striking resemblance to the EV Fun Concept we saw at EICMA, but with some clear production-ready tweaks.
Let’s unpack what we’re seeing: for starters, there’s a new rectangular TFT display, a revised triple clamp with bolts now in front of the fork tubes, and a more complex switchgear on the left bar. The prototype also gets a single-sided swingarm like the one we find on the CB1000R neo-retro naked bike. Subtle changes, but ones that suggest this isn’t just a show bike anymore—it’s a machine that’s ready to be ridden.
There’s still no confirmation whether the September 2 reveal is for a full production model or just an advanced prototype. But Honda has previously said it’s aiming to launch a mid-size electric motorcycle sometime in 2025. So if we’re lucky, this might actually be the start of that rollout.
As for performance, Honda said the EV Fun Concept should match a mid-size internal combustion bike and deliver over 62 miles of range from a fixed battery. Now, I said this before, and I’ll say it again. This is a massive missed opportunity for Honda, as it already has the super capable Mobile Power Pack e: it’s using on everything from e-scooters, to power tools, and even tourist boats. Surely, 62 miles of range on what looks like a fun electric motorcycle won’t nearly be enough for a day’s worth of fun.
Nevertheless, the fact that Honda’s coming up with a bike like this is already quite a big deal. If all our speculation rings true, it’ll be the first of the Japanese big four to launch a real electric motorcycle with performance worth taking seriously. (Sorry, Kawasaki, but the Ninja and Z e-1 are a bit too slow to compare).
So why should riders like you and me get excited? Because this is Honda. It has the production capacity, dealer network, and engineering muscle to bring electric motorcycles to everyday riders, not just early adopters or startup fans. This bike might not be the fastest or flashiest EV in the sea of electric motorcycles, but it could be the most important one yet.
Sources: Honda, Motorcycle.Com
