Honda EVO6Big Red's Automatic Sports Cruiser Concept: big, bold and unafraidThe only thing harder than getting a Japanese engineer or designer to talk freely about the direction his or her company is going-or even where the industry in general is going-is getting a Honda engineer or designer to open up. We've yet to prove this, but we're reasonably sure these folks are fitted with an intra-skin microchip that monitors speech and thought-and that as soon as something as innocent as "Well, next year...." is uttered, the chip temporarily interrupts cardio-pulmonary action, reminding the poor soul to keep his trap-or his mind-shut tight. Occlumency, indeed.
So with the Japanese makers you learn to read the tea leaves by examining their concept bikes closely for clues. Although most of these prototypes never end up in production (Suzuki's B-King being one obvious exception), many of their details do find their way to the assembly line.
All of which brings us to Honda's EVO6, a Tokyo Show concept bike Honda describes as a "unique Automatic Sports Cruiser Concept." The future-cruiser/hot-rod look is there in force, especially with the wide wheels and radical front end. But wait...automatic? Yessiree, automatic-as in no shifting. According to Honda, a Gold Wing-like 1832cc flat-six powers the EVO, to which is grafted a fully automatic transmission. It's something Honda produced for sale in the way-back past (CB750A anyone?), but also a technology it's talked about for decades as a way to make its venerable GL tourer even more accessible and attractive to the general populace. A twist on the concept is the tranny's tri-function operation. According to Honda, riders can choose between two types of full-automatic operation as well as a manual six-speed mode operated by a bar-mounted switch. Having the ability to toggle between auto- and regular-shift modes is very cool, and just might be the piece of the puzzle that's been missing all these years. Of course, the EVO6 is no tourer. But it's not out of the realm to envision the no-shift concept showing up on, say, a 2010 Gold Wing.
Time, as they say, will tell the tale
Suzuki CrosscageClean, Green And MeanWhat if there's no dead dinosaur juice left to power your future bike? Suzuki is not the first manufacturer to ponder a petroleum-free future. But Suzuki's Crosscage, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell developed in conjunction with Intelligent Energy, the U.K. firm behind the less-sexy-but-equally-futuristic ENV fuel-cell scooter, is the first alterna-fueled concept to actually resemble something any self-respecting motorcyclist would consider riding.
The swoopy Crosscage uses traditional motorcycle architecture with 17-inch wheels and the handlebar, footrests and saddle all in their rightful place. Similarities stop there, however: The atomic-suitcase-looking object where pistons and valves normally reside is actually the fuel tank, here containing a volume of liquid hydrogen stored at 5000 psi. The X-shaped crash cage that inspires the bike's name is more than a superfluous styling element. Above the hydrogen tank, in what would be the traditional motorcycle's fuel tank, is the fuel cell itself-where hydrogen is combined with oxygen to produce electricity. Voltage is stored in a lithium-ion battery located beneath the hydrogen tank, and converted to forward motion by a compact electric motor located on the single-sided swingarm.