Honda Unveils New V3 Engine with Electrical Compressor | Motorcycle.com

Honda announced two electric motorcycle concepts at EICMA, but that doesn’t mean it’s ready to leave internal combustion behind, also revealing a brand new 75° V3 engine with an electric compressor.

V3 engines aren’t completely new for Honda, with the two-stroke NS400R introduced in 1985 being a notable example. But that was 40 years ago, and Honda’s new V3 is built for modern needs.

The engine is arranged with two cylinders pointed toward the front, and a third cylinder pointing backward and forming a 75° V shape. Above the front cylinder head sits an electric compressor, a first for the motorcycle industry.

Unlike a turbocharger, which uses exhaust gas, or a supercharger which is typically spun with a pulley connected to the engine, the V3 uses electricity to spin the impeller. This allows the engine to compress the air intake independently from the engine speed, providing boost even at low rpm, where superchargers need faster speeds to provide the necessary compression, and without the lag typical of a turbo. Honda’s electrical compressor also does not require an intercooler.

At the moment, Honda has remained cagey on more specific details. We don’t know the displacement of the engine or any performance figures, but Honda says it intended to “apply the new V3 engine to larger displacement models in the future,” with plans toward mass production.

For the example shown at EICMA, the engine is mounted to a steel trellis frame, but that may have been chosen just to make it easier to see components like the compressor and the airbox. But for what it's worth, the sample chassis also makes use of an inverted fork, dual front brake discs, a single-sided swingarm and Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires, all of which hint at more sporting intentions. Of course, that doesn't mean that the V3 will necessarily be used on a sportbike, if it ever enters production at all.

Still, for a company with a reputation for being conservative, it comes as quite a surprise that Honda has designed one of the most radical new engine designs in recent history.

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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

More by Dennis Chung

I love Honda's innovation (I'm old enough to remember the stratified charge combustion chamber that allowed Honda to sell Civics without catalytic converters back in the day). But that old age has me more interested in simplicity, and retro designs. Power is not a priority for me - my last bike was a 2002 R1150R which had a claimed 85 HP, and that was plenty for me - I kept it 22 years. These days I'm looking at a retro single, like the Triumph 400 or a Royal Enfield. I'll wave when you younger folks whiz by at warp speeds.

Seems out of place for Honda as they are not a very innovative company compared to other motorcycle manufacturers. Recent history shows they tend to fall back on old designs to create new customers with their small street legal trail bikes.

Now THIS is the Honda that drew me into motorcycling. I fell in love with VF-750F Interceptor at the age of 18. Freddie Spencer! V4 engines! I'd welcome a V3 from Honda to distinguish itself from the P-Twins, V-Twins and inline 3 engines. Put it in a chassis like the old Honda Hawk GT (NT650), and it would be hard for me to not make that purchase!!!