Honda details EV Outlier Concept build process
Honda’s EV Outlier Concept offers a bold interpretation of what future electric bikes might look like, but how did the design all come about?
Honda’s EV Outlier Concept might be years away from landing as a production-ready bike, if it does indeed become a motorcycle you can actually buy. But here’s a little more info about the uniquely-shaped model.
Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room – its very bold and futuristic looks, which I have to admit, I really like. I’m sure there will be people on both sides of the fence when it comes to the EV Outlier’s appearance, but Honda does appear to have its own idea for what an electric vehicle-dominated world could look like.
It’s already given us the new WN7 - previously named ‘EV Fun Concept’ - which officially landed as the Japanese company’s first full-size electric motorcycle at last month’s EICMA show in Milan, Italy.
The Outlier goes a step further by taking Honda’s sharp electric styling to the next level, but the construction was not without its proportional challenges, according to the brand.
At the heart of the bike’s design was Large Project Leader, Yuya Tsutsumi, who ultimately steered the concept from sketch to reality.
Tsutsumi-san said “we struggled with proportions” when designing the bike. However, he went on to say that “for ICE models, there’s an established theory of beauty. The Outlier breaks that convention. We had to explore new balance and scale to make EV characteristics appealing.”
The EV Outlier Concept was revealed at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, but it’s unclear when/if it will become a production model that you can buy or not.
The electric motorcycle scene is still yet to really take off in a lot of markets around the world, but Honda wants to be at the forefront of innovation should that eventually happen. Tsutsumi said:
“Motorcycle electrification is still in its infancy. There are no benchmarks. That uncertainty is where Honda’s strengths shine. We believe that this cross-domain, boundary-transcending approach will become the driving force in shaping the next generation of electric motorcycles."
In terms of its visual features, the EV Outlier Concept can be seen with a very wide dashboard, something you don’t typically find on a combustion-engine motorcycle. It also gets a low seating position with a bucket-type backrest.
It also displays lean angle data and real-time output from the motor thanks to its Graphical User Interface (GUI) system.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.