Hints of Honda's 2005 Electric Bike?

Rideamotorcycle.com is the newest motorcycle Internet web site, one that takes a totally fresh approach to catering to the street-oriented two-wheeled enthusiast. Rideamotorcycle.com is focused on 3 groups; the established street motorcycle rider, new motorcyclists, or those who do not currently ride motorcycles but are curious about learning to do so. Rideamotorcycle.com LLC Editor at Large: Bill Heald Webmaster: Mark Lesselyoung Publisher: Dean Adams Sheer Insight Honda Makes Electric Cars. When Will They Make an Electric Bike? By Bill Heald Honda Motor has been a leader in engine technology since Soichiro first put his name on the company's original proprietary motor. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Big H has graced us with a rather amazing powerplant that is a breakthrough in efficiency and environmental friendliness. Even wilder, this engine is a Triple, which is a soulful mill we usually associate with Triumphs.

Interesting side note: when it comes to production gas engines, Honda has now built a Single, Twin, Triple, Four, Quintuple (or whatever the heck you call that new 5-cylinder GP bike that World Champion Valentino Rossi is riding) and a Six. And to make matters even more interesting, this new Triple is no ordinary engine, oh no. Behold the hybrid, which takes an internal combustion engine and supplements it with an electric motor in a way so diabolically clever that the two perform as one. In this case, the electric motor acts as sort of a supercharger to boost the output of thrust from the Triple in a way that involves no additional burning of fossil fuel. This motor is run off of state-of-the-art Nickel-Metal-Hydride batteries, which are recharged whenever the car coasts and/or you apply the brakes. There's an electric motor here, but you never, ever plug the sucker in. Isn't that cool? Too bad it's a car, though. Dang. But hey, the reason I'm talking about Honda's innovative two-seater Insight automobile is not because I've been lured over to the Dark Side. I promise you that. No way. Cars are Large, but Two-Wheelers are Heart Stealers. To quote Christopher Walken in the James Bond movie View to a Kill: "I'm happiest. . . in the saddle. Hee hee!" But the reason I violate hallowed site with an automobile is this: I got the chance to live with this weird car for a week recently and I was struck by three things: 1) It is built by the same company that built my '91 VFR, 2) It is the same color as my '91 VFR, and, 3) It gets better gas mileage than my '91 VFR. This is pretty wild stuff, especially that last part about the fossil fuel which is always a geo-politico-envromento problemo. And the weird thing is, I think there may be something important here that may have some really valuable applications for motorcycles down the road. But first, please bare with me as I tell you a little bit about this little bit of a car Honda calls the Insight. It's a two-seater, with this awesome little 995cc Triple that develops 67 Horsepower and 66 lb.-ft of torque at 5700 RPM. But wait: when the electric motor helps out, the Horsepower jumps to 73 and the torque to 80. Sound anemic? Yes, except for the fact that this vehicle only weighs about 1900 pounds. The fact is, is moves out quite nicely (for a car). The electric motor is especially good at boosting low-end power like a wee locomotive. I was surprised at the car's decent acceleration, ability to cruise easily at 75 and zoom up hills with dispatch. This was with the A/C on, by the way. This almost sprightly behavior was no doubt aided by Honda's Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT), which unlike shifting (like most automatic slushboxes) constantly changes ratios to suit conditions. It works. I averaged 50 MPG. But wait: does this thing get blown around on the highway? A little, but it's no big deal. It's louder than most subcompacts, and isn't overflowing with cargo space. But for two people and a modest amount of luggage, it works. And the gas engine shuts off when you're sitting in traffic, and fires up instantly when you release the brakes so you don't sit there wasting fuel and fouling the air. Very smart. Still with me, my moto-brethren? I thank you. Here's the deal: I was expecting the Insight to be a dandified electric roller skate or a golf cart on steroids. Instead I found a great commuter car that I enjoyed driving. And the new Civic version that Honda has just released is even better. But the thing that really opened my eyes was the fact that this hybrid technology could well find its way onto motorcycles. At least I think it could. I see applications, here, especially for lovers of low-end torque. Such a crossover of technology from cars to bikes would be nothing new for Honda. Their variable valve timing technology (VTEC) has been on their cars for a long time, and now the 2002 Interceptor has a version of it. Is this gas-electric hybrid stuff something that could work on motorcycles? And, do we need it? With cars like the Honda Insight (and its excellent Toyota competitor, the Prius) we have a car using a much smaller, more fuel-efficient powerplant than what you get with a standard gas engine. The electric component is emission free, smooth, torque-rich (like the aforementioned locomotive-those big diesels just charge electric motors which provide the real muscle) and helps boost fuel economy tremendously. Obviously, the system used on a motorcycle would be modest due to weight considerations as batteries are heavy beasts. Because of this, such a hybrid would probably not be a great idea for sport bikes (or even VFR Interceptors). But think about a big tour rig like a Gold Wing, which needs that low-end grunt and is not concerned with ever ounce of weight. How about we take the current superb chassis, pull out the thirsty Six and drop in a 1200cc flat four that (with electric assist) puts out 100 horsepower and 100 lb.-ft of torque, and gets, oh, let's say, 80 MPG? I'm just thinking out loud, but I happen to think this is a real possibility in terms of current technology. You could have some range with such a bike. 400 miles with just a five-gallon tank, for starters. You would probably be able to pass emissions (even in California) well into the future, too. And if you're concerned about those batteries pooping out on you and costing a pretty penny to replace, on the Insight the entire electric motor/battery system is warranted for 8 years or 80,000 miles. This is a sign of Honda's confidence in the new technology, and Toyota has a similar warranty on the Prius. So, are these just the lunatic ravings of some tree-hugger? Perhaps. But I'm a rare breed of eco-pundit who also loves machines and thinks we can always have cars and bikes that are environmentally friendly and still give us motorheads what we need. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm happiest in the saddle." I think I screwed that John Lennon quote up. Maybe not. But enough of what I think. What of Honda? Have they thought about this stuff? The auto and motorcycle divisions are separate, yet there is that "hands across the VTEC river" thing going on. Are they entertaining notions of a hybrid Gold Wing? Maybe a (dare I say it) a Green Wing? Amazingly, Honda's Gary Christopher didn't dismiss me as a nut when I asked him about it. "Probably the biggest drawback in applying hybrid technology to motorcycles is packaging," he said. Indeed. But drawbacks can lead to drawings and then to motorcycles. I say watch this space.