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Honda’s Most Unique, Ambitious Yet Approachable Motorcycle in Years Finally Gets Its Full Reveal

Boasting specs and significance of equal import, this forward-thinking bike could be a bellwether for the entire industry. 

Close-up of a black and silver Honda motorcycle front with illuminated amber turn signals and LED headlight.Honda
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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You know an upcoming product is kind of a big deal when you find yourself coming back to it again and again as bits of news break.

That’s exactly what’s been happening with Honda’s first production electric motorcycle, which we’ve followed from its award-winning turn as the EV Fun Concept to its adoption of the WN7 nameplate. 

Black Honda electric motorcycle with sleek body and disc brakes parked on pavement near steps.
The WN7 promises the power of a 600cc gas bike but the peak torque of an engine nearly twice that size.
Honda

Now the bike is taking the next big official step in its journey, rolling out onto the floor at Milan’s EICMA, the biggest two-wheeled trade show of the year.

Thanks to this splashy first public appearance, we now have a better sense of its specs and features, not to mention its overall significance, so let’s dive right in.

Key specs and features

Styled as a naked street bike, the WN7 boasts a liquid-cooled motor offering 50kW peak power and 100Nm torque, driven by a belt and fueled by a 9.3kWh High Voltage Battery Pack with a potential range of 140 kilometers (87 miles).

The peak power is equivalent 600cc gas bike, while the peak torque is more comparable to a 1,000cc motorcycle. Those numbers jibe with the general tendency of electric bikes to overdeliver on acceleration. 

Black and silver Honda electric motorcycle parked on a concrete surface with a shadow diagonally across.
The bike’s frameless chassis enables a streamlined silhouette sure to turn heads on the street.
Honda

Among its unique features is what Honda calls a “frameless chassis,” meaning the battery case forms part of the frame, while the head pipe supporting the steering and the pivot bracket supporting the rear are both directly connected to the centrally located power unit.

Eschewing a standard frame sheds weight and increases layout flexibility, enabling the bike to carry such a lean and mean profile. 

Within the existing car charging infrastructure, it can charge from 20% to 80% in 30 minutes. Charging fully at home takes 2.4 to 5.5 hours, depending on the cable used.

Motorcyclist wearing a helmet and jacket riding a motorcycle with headlights on in low visibility.
Situating the heavy battery pack in the middle of the chassis translates to a low center of gravity and nimble handling.
Honda

Performance-wise, Showa 43mm USD forks and a cantilever mono-shock Pro-Arm swingarm promise what Honda calls “a supple ride and entertaining handling.”

This promise is backed up by the positioning of the heavy battery pack in the middle of the chassis, which keeps the center of gravity low and boosts overall agility. 

Adding to the handling capability are four ride modes, four regen braking modes, plus forward/reverse Walking Speed Mode, Selectable Speed Limit Assist (SSLA), Cornering ABS and Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC). 

Three Honda electric motorcycles in black, dark gray, and light gray colors lined up on a white surface with a blue gradient background.
The WN7 will be offered in three colorways: Mat Pearl Morion Black, Graphite Black and Pearl Deep Mud Gray.
Honda

The braking modes in particular are something completely different, according to Honda: “Riders can adjust the level of deceleration using the Deceleration Selector on the left handlebar switch, enabling smooth low-speed control with minimal brake operation or a gliding sensation with reduced deceleration — offering a new riding feel distinct from ICE motorcycles.”

Naturally, you also get smartphone connectivity synced up with the 5-inch TFT display, which also features a USB-C socket, plus LED lighting, dual projector headlights, Daytime Running Lights, auto-canceling indicators and emergency stop signal tech.  

Bigger picture

All these features feed into Honda’s larger electric bike philosophy, which echoes that of Maeving and other brands in aiming not to replicate the gas-powered experience but to create something entirely unique and different that will stir the souls of both new riders and (hopefully) traditional motorcyclists, too.

“Its development concept, ‘Be the Wind,’ expresses the joy of freely gliding through the air with quietness unique to an electric vehicle,” the brand says. “Riders can directly sense the sounds and atmosphere of their surroundings—the conversations and laughter of people on the street, the rustling of leaves—experiences not possible with ICE (internal combustion engine) models.”

That notion helps explain the bike’s acronymic name: the ‘W’ stands for Wind, the ‘N’ denotes Naked and the ‘7’ indicates the output class.

Person sitting on a black Honda motorcycle under an overpass with a helmet on the fuel tank.
As far as Honda is concerned, the WN7 is not so much an electric culmination as it is an inception.
Honda

And this idyllic goal, as brought to life in the WN7, embodies Honda’s just-announced “Electric Motorcycle Business Brand Promise and Four Core Values.” Those values are…

1. Liberate with the freedom of movement

2. Inspire instincts and sensibility

3. Coexist with people and society

4. Resonate with intelligence

Honda says it plans to achieve carbon neutrality across all motorcycle products in the 2040s, with electric motos leading the way and ICE bikes continuing to evolve.

As one of the biggest and most progressive brands in the industry, this approach could set the tempo for future electrification. In other words, the WN7 is just the beginning.

Availability and pricing

Honda says it will sequentially roll the WN7 out to global markets where the “electrification shift is advancing.”

The starting price is reported to be £12,999, currently equivalent to just under $17,000 USD.

But considering the fact that America’s electrification shift appears to be … retreating, I am guessing the US will be lucky to see it by the end of the decade.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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