Honda working on hybrid motorcycles
Honda is one of those companies with its hands in nearly everything. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you, as Honda always seems to be able to add something unique to the design of any given product, incrementally improving it along the way. Big Red's next pet-project may well be hybrid motorcycles. Anybody following these pages is well aware that Honda helped kick off the whole hybrid car thing with its Insight two-seater, and the brand is set to reintroduce that nameplate as an aerodynamic and inexpensive people-mover. Reports now indicate that Honda believes it can inject some of that hybrid technology to its motorcycles. This wouldn't be the first time that Honda infused its bikes with automotive DNA, as the the manufacturer once used an automatic transmission for some of its two-wheelers with technology straight from its then-new Civic. Will Honda do it again? Fuel mileage could truly be astronomical with a machine like this, so we look forward to finding out if these early rumors are accurate. Thanks for the tip, yash!
[Source: The Earth Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gorr 2:56PM (9/30/2008)
To have regenerative breaking for a motorcycle, it will have to have an electric generator fixed to the front wheel witch will have to be big because in a motorcycle, with a very short wheelbase and relative high center of gravity, brake with almost just the front wheel.
With a motorcycle you have to have tight control and immediate reaction to driver inputs including direction, acceleration and breaking which is not the case with hybrid technology. I think it will be a disaster.
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paulwesterberg 4:37PM (9/30/2008)
Since the Honda Gold Wing is the Winnebago of motorcycles it would be easy for them to hide the extra weight and bulk that such a system would add.
With the extra power and torque they could make a gold wing that would smoke standard crotch rockets off the line - that would be hilarious.
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Al 10:55AM (10/01/2008)
Imagine the battery life.. little to no cold weather use. Could be a very small battery, small engine, big performance. About time they looked beyond 4 wheels...
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