Honda's First Electric Motorcycle Is On The Way (But Is It Cheap Enough?)

While they aren't nearly as popular as electric cars yet, electric motorcycles are starting to populate manufacturer lineups in a pretty serious way. Several impressive electric motorcycles are already available from brands like the all-electric Zero Motorcycles, or Can-Am offering a few different shapes for its EV bikes. Now, Honda has joined the fray with other manufacturers, announcing its first full-sized electric motorcycle: the WN7. 

The name WN7 comes from three different places. First, the W is taken from the concept vehicle stage of the WN7's production, and the phrase "Be the Wind." From there, things are a bit more surface level, with the "N" standing for Naked bike, and the 7 referring to the class of power. 

More than just scooters or e-bikes, machines like the WN7 are real-deal motorcycles that can be ridden on the highway, used for tasks like everyday commuting. Depending on specs, some of these bikes can even be used for a bit of fun on the twisties or out in the dirt. Honda has announced European pricing for the WN7 at £12,999. The math here may change depending on when you're reading this, but at today's rates, that's an MSRP of about $15,260. Compared to traditional gas-powered (or ICE) motorcycles, that's a pretty large price tag. It's also asking a lot for a bike with limited electric range. 

Now that we know the price, let's look at what the WN7 offers for the money.  Along with its presumed $15K price tag, the WN7 will have an estimated range of about 80 miles on a single charge (130 kilometers) via a fixed lithium-ion battery. Going from 20 to 80% of available charge will take about 30 minutes, and it can charge from zero to full on home charging as well. 

Honda hasn't confirmed whether the bike will make it here to the United States, but if it does, it'll have a few key competitors. One of the WN7's chief rivals is the Can-Am Pulse. The Pulse offers as much as 100 miles of range in the city (80 miles of combined range), 47 horsepower, and a competitive starting price of $13,999 (not including destination fees). So, similar range to the Honda for presumably less money, assuming the price matches its European MSRP.

Zero motorcycles offers a number of different road-going electric motorcycles that would out perform the WN7 when it comes to estimated range. The Zero S, for example, is the manufacturer's basic street naked motorcycle that has an estimated range of 154 miles on a single charge, with a torque rating of 97 lb-ft. It has an MSRP of just $14,995, undercutting the Honda's presumed price slightly. Even before it reaches the market, Honda may be at a bit of a deficit. 

According to Honda, the WN7 will weigh 217 kg: converted to pounds, that's about 478 lbs curb weight. Honda calls that svelte, but it's not exactly lightweight among sportbikes. That's significantly more weight than the current CBR600RR (434 lbs) or its liter-bike sibling the fast but very user-friendly CBR1000RR (also 434 lbs). Horsepower numbers haven't been released yet, but torque is an impressive 73.7 lb-ft (100Nm), which Honda says will deliver similar performance to a 600cc bike.

Riding tech will be accessed through a 5-inch rider screen with Honda's RoadSync connectivity. Honda also says the WN7 will have LED front and rear lighting. From there, we do a bit of guess work, as there are some missing stats and information from Honda's initial release about the WN7. Taking a closer look at photos released of the upcoming bike, there's a lot to learn. 

First, the photo of the rider screen shows the word "Standard" prominently displayed, so it will likely have a few different riding modes for different scenarios. The bike also seems to be fitted with Pirelli Rosso III tires, an impressive set of rubber to get directly from the factory. Photos of the handlebars are missing any indication of cruise-control buttons, so that's a function that likely won't make it on the WN7 at launch. Finally, some simple accessories will clearly be available, like a rear seat bag, though it's not clear if you'll be able to get creature comforts like heated grips or something similar.