The E4-01 Honda revealed yesterday to be displayed at the Tokyo show has the form of the future motorcycle we may very well be seeing. It looks just like so many other scooter variations out there, electrics included. When you cover up the drivetrain you can substitute almost anything and it still looks the same.
Now if you’re going to cover everything up, you can still design something that looks like motorcycle, how about the old Ducati Paso? I never thought too much of that design but if your choice is the Paso or a scooter, I’ll take the Paso. Of course Honda has the Pacific Coast, too. Both are more motorcycle than scooter in appearance and might be more appealing to conventional motorcycle riders not quite ready to go electric. Thoughts?
Those ideas are certainly better than this!
jk says
Um… It looks like it’s from the 80s! WTF!?
kneeslider says
Did you read the post? Yes it’s from the 80’s, it’s a Ducati Paso. C’mon, pay attention.
Eric says
Honda already built the motorcycle of the future, couldn’t sell it. It is now a cult bike. PC800 (Pacific Coast) Note to kneeslider: The Pacific Coast should be in past tense. last one was built in 1998 .
If you have never seen a Pacific Coast there is a quick glimpse of one in the movie “Back to the Future II”
kneeslider says
The Pacific Coast had the fully enclosed design or “look” but I wouldn’t call it the motorcycle of the future, my future motorcycle idea here focuses on the alternative powerplant. Covering things up gives the motorcycle builder the flexibility of using any power and still keeping a more conventional look, although the PC had a look dangerously close to being an oversized scooter. Previous and current owners of PC’s do have a strong attachment to their rides as you note.
I wonder how the big scooter look will go over if Honda and other companies insist on building future alternative power bikes that way. The advantage of electrically driven wheels with batteries or fuel cells or whatever providing power is the design flexibility, they don’t have to look like scooters even though many companies seem to keep moving in that direction.
Thomas lewis says
I think we need to take a hard look at enclosed ,cabin type motorcycles like the Ecomobile and Monotracer under development.The safety and fuel benefits open up a huge untapped market.The technology is in place to build a high volume,affordable enclosed motorcycle.Put me at the front of the line.
Brian Derringer says
Come on HONDA I can dream up a better bike than that at my boring job. Hold onto that POS for a 2 hour ride and you’ll have finger tingle up the wazoo.
Good luck with that.