THE BRADLEY REPORT
THE BRADLEY REPORT
Electric Supercharged V3 prototype ; GB 3505 ; EV Fun concept
By Ben Purvis
For years we have been told that electric bikes are the future and that it is ' over ' for the combustion engine . Despite that the most exciting part of Honda ' s EICMA presentation wasn ' t its near-production electric bike but this prototype V3 engine that ' s expected to reach showrooms in an unknown model in 2026 . The prototype appeals in several ways , not least in its configuration . The V3 layout has rarely appeared in a bike , or any other vehicle , throughout the long development of combustion engines . The handful of V3s that have been made have been two-strokes , notably Honda ' s NS500 GP bikes of 1982 and 83 and the production NS400R street bike that followed from 1985 to 88 . Others include the KR V3 that powered the Modenas / Roberts GP bikes in the dying days of the championship ' s twostroke era . But this is a four-stroke V3 , and as such is unprecedented in motorcycling . Honda is believed to have considered a V3 when four-stroke GP bikes replaced two-strokes early in this millennium , before settling on the equally unconventional V5 layout of the RC211V , but no mainstream production bike has used a four-stroke V3 . The engine uses a 75-degreeV angle , keeping it compact , and while Honda hasn ' t revealed its capacity it says it ' s aimed at ' larger-capacity ' bikes . We understand it ' s around 850 cc , but it will have performance more akin to a 1,000 cc engine thanks to another innovation in the form of an electric supercharger . There ' s no turbo on the Honda engine there ' s no turbo , but the electric supercharger should be able to both increase top-end power and bolster
low-rev torque . Unlike an enginedriven supercharger or an exhaust-driven turbo , the electric ' blower ' can build boost at any revs , whenever the engine management demands it , opening a huge array of new possibilities when it comes to maximising performance . The electric supercharger also avoids the heat problems of turbos , so there ' s no need for an intercooler or the associated plumbing , although it appears that there are connections for coolant pipes directly on the supercharger itself . Honda hasn ' t gone into detail about how the supercharger will be powered , but it ' s expected to require a second battery and potentially a separate , high-voltage electrical system . In cars that use electric superchargers , they normally work at 48V rather than the 12V of a standard system . Honda EV Fun concept - production version due in 2025 The wait for a mainstream manufacturer to make a highperformance electric motorcycle has been interminable . Even as littleknown brands have managed to prove that fast electrics with decent range are possible , the big players have stayed away from anything much quicker than a scooter . While still a concept , Honda has confirmed that the EV Fun concept is due to be launched as a production model in 2025 , meaning we ' re just months away from the finished bike . There ' s no information yet in terms of performance , but the 180 / 55-17 rear tyre suggests there ' s a decent amount of power to put down . Honda simply
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