V3R 900 E-Compressor- " compact size, big engine punch "
EV Outlier concept unveiled in Tokyo
EICMA hasn ' t been the only big show in recent weeks and like its Japanese rivals Honda has also been concentrating on the Japan Mobility Show in its homeland- revealing the EV Outlier concept at the event. A feet-forward, two-wheel-drive electric bike, it ' s Honda ' s vision of motorcycles of the 2030s, by which time the company intends to be using solid-state batteries in a nextgeneration of EV motorcycles. A pure single-seater, the EV Outlier takes styling inspiration from science fiction, and features unusual elements including a transparent fairing that lets it have the look of a naked machine with the aerodynamics of a fully-faired bike. There are hub-mounted motors in both wheels, giving two-wheel-drive, and dual TFT displays- an ultrawidescreen across the bars plus a secondary display set into the top of the bodywork ahead of the rider. While not to all tastes, the bike importantly avoids the typical ' white goods ' look of electric motorcycles, adding a visual interest without trying to mimic the design of existing, combustion engined machines. Don ' t expect a production version anytime soon, though.
Hero expansion
By Ben Purvis Hero MotoCorp is already the world ' s largest motorcycle manufacturer by volume. It has an R & D centre in Munich and already sells in Spain and Italy. It is now launching into the UK market. The Euro5 + compliant export range is led by the Hunk 440, an A2-licencelegal machine with a fairly basic design including an air-cooled, two-valve single-cylinder engine, measuring in at 440 cc and making 27 hp at 6,000 rpm and 36 Nm at 4,000 rpm. It ' s bolted to a six-speed transmission and packed into a steel trellis frame with KYB upside-down, 43 mm forks and dual rear shocks. It ' s essentially a straightforward, distilled essence of a motorcycle with little to stand out from the competition beyond a bargain price tag that puts it toe-to-toe with the likes of the new BSA Bantam and the Honda GB350S. The Hunk is, notably, similar to the Indian-market Harley-Davidson X440 in terms of its engine and chassis. Hero designed and builds the X440 on Harley-Davidson ' s behalf as part of a partnership that also sees it distribute H-D ' s higher displacement bikes in India, it may get an international launch in 2026, as the expected sub- $ 6,000 ' Sprint ' entry level Harley.
Zero LS1 features removable battery packs
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