Honda V3R E-Compressor Update

New patents not only confirm that the V3R will be fed by an electric supercharger, but is coming to the US.

Back in February (see below) we revealed Honda’s application for a trademark on the name “V3R” in Europe—appearing to confirm the planned name for the company’s upcoming V3 sportbike. Now another pair of trademark applications have been made to protect the bike’s name in the US.

In late March, Honda filed paperwork with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for rights to use the name V3R on “Motorcycles and their parts, fittings” (matching the earlier European application) but also for an additional trademark, covering the name “V3R E-Compressor” for the same classes of goods. That second trademark is notable because it appears to be cast iron proof that the electric supercharger that featured on Honda’s V3 concept, shown at EICMA in Milan last year, is destined to make the transition to production along with the unusual engine it’s attached to.

The V-3 engine will feature an electric supercharger.

Whether the simultaneous applications for V3R and V3R E-Compressor trademarks can be interpreted to mean there will also be a normally aspirated V3R sold alongside the E-Compressor version remains to be seen, but it appears unlikely on the face of it. If the V3 engine has been designed from the ground up to be used with an electric supercharger, it might not be an easy task to create a non-supercharged version, and it would definitely mean both versions would need to individually undergo type-approval and emissions certification. Given Honda’s expertise in platform sharing, using the same engine and chassis in multiple models to simplify R&D, production, parts supplies, and certifications, making two versions of the engine (doubling those costs and complexities) would go against the company’s modus operandi.

The V3R name itself appears to suggest a sportbike, but it’s also illustrative of the problem that the three-cylinder design brings to Honda’s traditional naming format. For V-engined machines, the company has tended to use the letter V followed by the initial of the cylinder count: VT or VTR for V-twins, VF or VFR for V-4s. But with “three” having the same initial as “two” that system wouldn’t work for the V-3 machine. Hence the switch from a middle letter to a middle number, resulting in V3R instead of VTR.

The unusual engine configuration has forced Honda to change its traditional naming convention.

With just one machine and capacity expected, at least initially, there’s probably no need to follow that alphanumeric combination with another number to confirm the bike’s capacity. Unfortunately, that means Honda’s new trademark applications don’t give away one of the biggest mysteries around the new engine: how big it is. There are rumors that the motor is in the region of 800cc, with performance enhanced to the level of a much larger non-supercharged unit.

That supercharger promises all the benefits of forced induction with none of the downsides. Exhaust driven turbochargers have been largely ignored by motorcycle companies since the brief and unsuccessful spate of boosted bikes 40 years ago in the mid-’80s. Even with the latest generation of lightweight, fast-responding turbos, the instant connection that riders expect between a twist of the wrist and a reaction from the engine would be dulled by an exhaust-driven turbo. Superchargers have had more recent success, specifically on Kawasaki’s H2 models, but the use of centrifugal compressors means boost grows with revs, so they don’t add the slug of bottom-end torque that might be expected from an engine equipped with a blower.

The electric supercharger, powered by a lightweight battery, solves those problems. Carmakers are already adopting the technology, usually paired with exhaust-driven turbos so the electric blower can fill in the gaps in boost before the turbos spin up to speed. Several years ago Suzuki also filed a detailed patent showing a hybrid electric-assisted turbo fitted to a superbike, using an electric motor for instant response before the exhaust pressure took over to drive the compressor. In the V3R, the electric supercharger should be able to build boost pressure instantly when it’s needed, adding torque and power but also opening the door to reduced emissions and better fuel economy from the engine when it’s not being asked to provide peak performance.

As it’s electrically powered, it’s much easier to package than a turbo—which needs to be incorporated into the exhaust—or a mechanically driven supercharger that would require a drive belt, gearset, or chain from the crankshaft, limiting its possibilities when it comes to position. The electric supercharger can be put anywhere, with just a couple of wires needed to connect it to the battery and a boost pipe to link it to the airbox. Honda’s EICMA design positioned it just behind the steering head, in front of the airbox, taking up a tiny amount of space.

What form factor will the production V3R E-Compressor take when it reaches production? That’s not known yet, but the indications from the “R” in the name and Honda’s bare-chassis EICMA concept are that it will be a sportbike or sport-tourer, perhaps a spiritual successor to the VFR800. The use of a steel-trellis chassis instead of an aluminum frame is a hint that it’s not going to be an ultraexpensive piece of exotica, either, but a relatively mainstream machine. More will become clear later this year, when the complete bike is expected to be unveiled.

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