New Model Detail Report: No frame...? Honda's first electric sports car "WN7" has an amazing body structure!

Honda's first electric motorcycle, the Honda WN7 (Honda WN7), which was recently announced for the domestic market, is also on display at EICMA 2025. Here, we would like to discuss its body structure and the technologies that have been introduced.

Front and rear split skeleton without main frame

The Honda WN7 is designed for use in European urban areas, with a finished vehicle mass of 217 kg to provide nimble handling that can be controlled with ease on congested roads, a seat height of 800 mm to ensure leg room, and a seat to The pivot bracket was designed to be slim. The wheelbase was set at 1480mm and the steering wheel angle at 35 degrees for ease of handling. The first step in the design process was to determine the specifications for achieving lightness and ease of handling, and then to study the placement of components and the framework to achieve these specifications, which resulted in a front-rear split configuration without a main frame. The battery pack, which takes up the most space and is the most massive component of an electric motorcycle, is placed in the center of the body, with the head pipe holder on the front side and the pivot bracket on the rear. This structure is similar to a monocoque structure in which the engine is part of the frame in an engine-powered vehicle, and contributes to achieving the goal of finished vehicle mass for slim packaging and nimble handling. The challenge in adopting this split head pipe holder-battery pack-pivot bracket configuration was to achieve the desired maneuverability and to minimize dimensional variation. In the case of a standard frame structure, the long dimensions can be used to flex the frame to create a ride quality, but in the case of the front-rear split configuration, the battery pack is almost rigid, and the short head pipe holder and pivot bracket must be used to create a ride quality. The lower side of the aluminum alloy head pipe holder, which has an inverted "Y" shape when viewed from the top, is shaped to flex flex flexibly with longer arms on both sides. This was done to divert power away from the straight arms, which tend to feel taut. The upper arm, on the other hand, is made of high-tensile steel plate. The curved shape of the upper arm is intended to sandwich the battery pack, which intentionally creates a loss in load transfer, and the flexing and bending of the arm gives the vehicle a more pleasing ride. The pivot bracket is made of aluminum alloy, and the span of the fastening is as wide as possible to ensure compatibility with the riding position and footing. This shape ensures efficient rigidity and good bending. When the L-shaped pivot bracket is connected to the battery pack when viewed from the side, a space is created between the inverted L-shaped battery pack and the motor and gear case, which are rigid aluminum alloy bodies. The motor and gear case are fastened to the pivot bracket and integrated into a single unit to create an effect similar to that of a pivot upper/lower cross for an engine-powered vehicle. In designing the front-rear split configuration, Honda has used the know-how and technology it has cultivated over many years in the development of engine-powered vehicles to determine how it wants the framework to move and what needs to be done to move it, and has further evolved the concept to overcome disadvantages and achieve the desired maneuverability.

Technology to achieve high quietness

The WN7 uses a quiet belt drive system, which is one of the technologies that support the grand concept of "Be the wind, listen to the sounds of nature, and feel the earth. This is one of the technologies that support the grand concept of "Be the wind, listen to the sounds of nature, and feel the earth. The belt drive system is considered suitable for electric motorcycles in terms of ease of maintenance. The belt, with its carbon core wire and rubber tooth profile molded into one piece, basically does not stretch, eliminating the need for periodic adjustments like a chain. Also, since there is no need to apply chain oil for lubrication, there is no oil splashing, keeping the car body clean and contributing to weight reduction. The WN7 uses helical gears (helical gears) for quietness, because spur gears (spur gears) are often used in the power transmission mechanism of engine cars, but while they are efficient in transmission, they make a lot of noise when meshing with each other. Thus, WN7 has improved the quietness of the entire drive system.

Equipped with Functions to Support Comfortable Driving

Deceleration Level Selector

Along with the front-rear split configuration without a main frame and the drive belt system, WN7 features a "deceleration selector. This is similar to the way the engine brake intensity can be changed in an engine-powered vehicle, and the motor's inherent ability to freely control the amount of regeneration is utilized to provide four levels of regeneration, from level 0, which is equivalent to neutral in an engine-powered vehicle, to level 3, which is a high level of regeneration. The default regenerative level is set for each riding mode: level 3 for "ECON," level 1 for "RAIN," and level 2 for "STANDARD" and "SPORT. On winding roads, increasing the regenerative level makes it easier to control acceleration and deceleration by opening and closing the throttle only, providing a more immersive experience. Also, for highway cruising, lowering the regenerative level reduces the frequency of throttle adjustments, contributing to reduced fatigue. In this way, the system can be used according to situations and preferences. Operation of the "deceleration selector" is as simple as pressing the + and - switches located on the switch box on the left side handle while driving. Operating the + switch lowers the deceleration level, while operating the - switch increases it. This level can be checked by the number of arrows displayed on the meter.

Walking Speed Mode

The system has a "Walking Speed Mode" to assist in moving in tight spaces. When the vehicle is stopped, a long press of the plus switch activates the fine forward speed mode, and a long press of the minus switch activates the fine reverse speed mode, allowing the driver to maneuver while straddling the vehicle without getting out of the vehicle when parking or exiting the vehicle. The speed can be adjusted up to 5 km/h with the throttle opening, making it easy to make fine adjustments.

Selectable Speed Limit Assist

Selectable Speed Limit Assist" is a function that allows a limiter to be set at any vehicle speed. The limiter can be set to 20 km/h or faster in increments of 1 km/h up to a maximum of three. This function is extremely useful in Europe, where the speed limit is often set to 30km/h as soon as the vehicle enters a town, and 80km/h as soon as the vehicle exits the town. By activating the selectable speed limit assist when entering the 30 km/h zone, the vehicle is immediately decelerated to 30 km/h. Once the vehicle exits the zone, the driver can press a switch to activate the selectable speed limit assist. Once out of the zone, the driver can operate a switch to select a higher speed setting, and the vehicle will return to the speed that has been set. By using this "Selectable Speed Limit Assist," the driver can drive comfortably without worrying about speed limits. In addition, by pressing and holding the speed limit switch in a scene where you want to overtake, you can drive above the set vehicle speed. The Honda WN7, which is the future of motorcycling, is loaded with these innovative structures and systems, and its introduction to Japan has been confirmed. We look forward to its ride quality, practicality, and sportiness. Image Gallery (19)