A Super Affordable Model?
Honda does some weird things sometimes. Lately, the company has had numerous patents for high-tech applications for motorcycles and gear, but now it seems the company is truly going back to basics. It just patented a design that has what looks like a small single cylinder engine and drum brakes.
First spotted by RideApart, the design looks like a super simple one. The choice to include drum brakes is especially odd to me. Disc brakes work far better and can’t be that much more expensive. Even some basic disc brakes seem like they’d be a smarter choice. However, I’ll assume Honda knows what it’s doing here.
The patent can’t be for a very big bike. It looks like a small single cylinder and will likely be a small commuter bike. I guess my Tomos moped that I use occasionally to buzz around Indianapolis, IN, has drum brakes and they work fine. Maybe this will be okay for this bike, too.
The motorcycle itself looks like a street bike, with six-spoke wheels and a modern style. The bike doesn’t really look like much else in Honda’s North American lineup. However, I’m not super familiar with the company’s lineup outside of the U.S. It kind of looks like the Honda CB Unicorn 150 motorcycle that is sold in various areas of the world outside of the U.S.
Maybe Honda has plans to bring a version of that motorcycle or a new bike like it to other markets. Still, it’s weird to see drum brakes on the model. Even the CB Unicorn 150 has a disc brake up front. Maybe Honda has something special up its sleeve. I’ll keep an eye out for more information.