Honda’s new V4 sports bike expected to land in 2023
- Honda VFR has been using a V4 powertrain in the current guise since 2013.
- Honda VFR (European-spec) will soon be taken down with the introduction of Euro 5 emission norms in 2021.
The rumours around Honda’s V4 sports bike have been around for quite some time now. While the idea was partially discarded by the HRC boss earlier in 2020, but what the HRC Director and Manager (Tetsuhiro Kuwata) was really referring to was a full-fat, out and out sports bike for the race tracks. He mentioned that the company is unlikely to launch any other sports bike since the last-gen CBR1000RR-R has been doing well in both BSB and World Superbike.
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What’s interesting to note here is that the Honda boss never ruled out that there may be a V4 format superbike for the roads in a less racy format. At the same time, the current VFR800F is set to be phased out because of the stringent Euro5 regulations and the company needs more than just an exhaust change and ECU update to meet the next year’s regulations.
If Honda wishes to continue the linage of the VFR nameplate in Europe, it needs to come up with something new, real quick. The VFR has been using a V4 powertrain in the current guise since 2013, while its roots can be traced back originally to 2002.
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While there are no updates on what the new Honda VFR engine could look like but as far as the engine is concerned, the bike could see the displacement figures going up from the VFR800 to VFR900 or even 1000. It is less likely to receive forced induction, and to maintain the overall output figures, a larger displacement powertrain seems like the only way forward.