If you are a lover of Honda and its 2T sports motorcycles, you should know the eighties models with V3 engine that stood out, not only in commercial terms. Also on the track, where the Honda NS500 They replaced the failed four-stroke NR500 of 1980. They even won the world championship in season 83, with an immeasurable Freddie Spencer at the controls.
As a result of that milestone, the brand launched the two-stroke Honda NS400R V3 in 1985, inspired by Spencer’s champion motorcycle. It had a 387 cc V3 engine (two cylinders at the front and one at the rear) that developed a final power of 72 HP, thanks to its intake through reeds and ATAC exhaust valves, responsible for pulling with vigor the 163 kg in running order. declared by the brand.
A new V3 engine for use on and off the track
More than four decades have passed since that time and now it seems that Honda is once again considering the possibility of using this mechanical configuration for different reasons. Even the Japanese colleagues at Webike have dared to create a rendering of a possible Honda RCV850 equipped with mechanics of these characteristics.
In fact, Honda has been announcing the development of a new engine for some time. Following rumors that pointed to the possible return of the iconic CBX1000 Minoru Katosenior executive of the brand in the engine development section, commented: “We will show at this year’s Milan fair (EICMA) what we are currently working on as a new ICE (internal combustion engine) along with a prototype electric model.”
Although initially everything could suggest a six-cylinder inline engine, now this idea is fading in favor of a more than likely V3 engine around 800 cc. At this point we should stop along the way and tie up some loose ends that give meaning to this whole theory. Firstly, the increasingly widespread use of three-cylinder mechanics in leading brands in the sector such as Triumph, MV Agusta or Yamaha.
On the other hand, Honda decided to end the production of one of its most emblematic models last year 2022, the VFR800. Then the brand alleged the impossibility of evolving the V4 engine to the current anti-pollution regulations. We wondered if Honda would recover these emblematic acronyms with a new model and what we could expect from it.
A V3 engine as a platform for a wide range of models
Well, taking into account the information coming from Japan, there is the possibility of a future VFR equipped with this new V3 engine. But this is not all, since Honda would also be working on a competition version with which to be competitive in the face of 2027 and the new regulations that will be implemented in MotoGP. This is mainly that the displacement is reduced again to 850 cc to reduce performance and especially maximum speeds.
With this scenario ahead, Honda would not only have a V3 engine already tested on the street, in addition to positioning itself as the only brand to use this configuration. Also with a very versatile platform to be used in different modalities and categories. In addition, it dispenses with the complexity of V4, another of the main reasons for opting for a V3 instead of this latest technical architecture.
Now we just have to wait for a new edition of EICMA to kick off on November 5. Then we will be aware of Honda’s plans in this field and if finally a new generation V3 engine will be part of the technological arsenal that the Japanese brand shows to the world at the famous Milanese show.