Happy New Year! As a New Year's project, we bring you our first dream = fantasy scoop. While reflecting on the current state of the world, the fourth and final installment of our wishful thinking about what kind of motorcycle I would like to see in the future is the Honda version, and we hope the e-motorcycle will show its hill-climbing ability beyond the sub-transmission!
CG/SRD
MOTRA is sure to be a big hit in the modern outdoor boom!
The Dax 125, the latest in Honda's Revival Series, was released in September 2022 and appears to have sold out early; since 2018, the company has had a string of hits, including the Monkey 125, Super Cub C125, and CT125 Hunter Cub, but for now, the Dax 125 is said to be all they have! The Daks 125 is said to be the first in a series of hits since 2018.
However, it is impossible to say that we should not expect the next model. Therefore, we considered the revival of the MOTRA, an EV that Honda has declared to promote in its motorcycle business and that has been highly desired as the next model after the Daks 125. Then, it seems that the e-MOTRA could be an innovative model while continuing the tradition.
The key to this is the front and rear two-wheel ride. Since it is easier to convert to front-wheel drive with electric power than with an engine, it would be possible to evolve the role of the old Motora's sub-transmission by driving the front and rear wheels. The secondary transmission can switch between low and high-speed gears, and the Mottola boasted a 23-degree hill climbing ability in low gear.
Launched in 1982, the Motora got its name from motorcycle + truck.
It featured the ability to load and climb, and its catalog claimed that it could enjoy a wild-goose feeling like a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The e-MOTRA is literally a 2WD and is sure to be a big hit when introduced into the modern outdoor boom!
HONDA e MOTRA. Fantasy CG was created by the editorial department. Along with the conversion to EV, a motor is built into the front wheel hub to drive the front and rear two wheels. As with the previous model, it is equipped with front and rear carriers so that it can be loaded on top of the battery.
HONDA MOTRA. This model was launched in 1982 with the aim of enjoying outdoor life. It had the engine of the Super Cub 50 set up for low and medium speeds and was equipped with an auxiliary transmission.
Yamaha has a proven track record in front and rear two-wheel drive for motorcycles
In fact, the front-rear two-wheel drive has been a theme Yamaha has been researching since 1985, and a prototype based on the YZ250 was completed in 1998 in joint development with Ohlins. In the 2004 Paris-Dakar Rally, the WR450F 2-Trac (2-wheel drive) won its class.
This was a mechanical type with a hydraulic motor built into the hub that also transmitted drive to the front wheels, but it was highly praised by riders for its improved stability and ease of riding in deep sand. In the three stages, the team was able to finish in the top position, outperforming the 660cc and 950cc large-displacement vehicles.
In the on-road segment, the EV PES2 was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2015. This is a 2-wheel drive with an in-wheel motor mounted on the front wheel, which is said to be able to transmit riding force to the road surface without waste while increasing the sense of tire ground contact from starting to cornering, without causing any discomfort to the rider.
2WD on motorcycles, both off-road and on-road, looks pretty good. If mounted on an e-motorcycle, it would not only provide a sense of security in on-road driving when touring, but also improve traction on forest roads as well as hill climbing ability. We hope to see this system installed in future production vehicles!
Yamaha's in-house magazine from January 2005, reporting on the WR450F 2-Trac (2-wheel drive) winning the Paris-Dakar class. The engine's rotation drives a hydraulic pump to ride the front wheels. Dramatic improvement in traction on sandy terrain, etc.
YAMAHA PES2. After the 2013 PES1, which was rear-wheel drive, the PES2 released in 2015 has evolved to front and rear 2-wheel drive.
In the promotional video, it is actually driving, and we connected this to e-MOTRA.
