Honda has a fun idea for an electric motorcycle. Three patents filed in Japan by the marque shows a motorcycle that looks a lot like a Grom and hopefully it sees the light of day.
The Honda Grom already offers some of the best fun you can have on two wheels. But how can a Grom be made even better? Electric power!
This is the latest small electric bike patent to come from Honda in recent times, reports Cycle World. One of the last was for an electric bike based on the CB125R. But unlike that motorcycle, the bike in this patent filing appears to be new from the ground-up.
The idea of an electric Grom-type of motorcycle isn’t new. Brands like CSC Motorcycles have been selling tiny and dirt cheap Chinese electric motorcycles for years. So it would be interesting to see what an established brand like Honda could do with the concept.
The motorcycle in the three patents is about the size of a Grom and it sports a monocoque-style frame that has the motor hanging off of the back.
Suspension is pretty high-tech, too, as the machine has Hossack forks with double wishbones and a single shock. This is the suspension setup used in the Honda Gold Wing and is as car-like as you’re thinking. It even uses tie-rods.
This bike patent definitely leans more concept than something production-ready. Instead of mirrors, the motorcycle has cameras fitted into the bar ends. They feed their output to screens behind handguards.
But perhaps the wildest concept being presented in this patent is the seat. It uses a flexible plastic mesh. Think of it like those uncomfortable office chairs that you may sit in all day, but now on a motorcycle.
A tiny motorcycle is a perfect application for removable batteries. There’s no need to have a garage when you can haul the battery inside to be juiced up.
An electric Grom would be a ball with a powerful enough motor. Riders can use that instant electric torque to effortlessly pop the kinds of wheelies and do the burnouts that Grom owners already love doing. Or it could be used as a simple commuter that doesn’t break the bank.
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that this idea will ever be more than a patent. But it does show that Honda is playing around with the idea of a small and futuristic electric bike. I’m not sold on having mirror cameras on something as small as a Grom, but I could see them on something as big as a Gold Wing.
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
