2026 Honda WN7 review

I haven’t checked my phone in a bit… Anything been happening in the news lately? You know, some sort of massive, multi-country kerfuffle that might have a severe impact on the price of petrol?

Oh, there is? I see. That’s not good. Especially with the weather having finally decided to stop being so awful. If only there were some alternative means of powering a motorcycle.

Oh, look: here’s a picture of me riding Honda’s WN7 – the manufacturer’s first ‘full-size’ production electric motorcycle. It doesn’t use petrol at all. It’s also compact, nimble, goes like stink, and is one of the best-built electric motorcycles I’ve ever ridden.

Want to know more? Read on.

How we got here

In some ways, there’s nothing new here. Honda is not the first company to produce a full-size electric motorcycle. It’s not even the first major manufacturer to do so – that prize goes to Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire (now known as the LiveWire One).

Nor is this Honda’s first rodeo when it comes to EV performance. Remember the TT Zero, the short-lived Isle of Man TT event for electric bikes? Honda-connected Mugen dominated that competition.

Nonetheless, Honda’s slim, no-nonsense WN7 feels groundbreaking. Our first glimpse came back in 2024 via the EV FUN Concept at EICMA. A year later, the production version arrived looking largely unchanged.

The ‘W’ in WN7 stands for “wind,” a feeling Honda says it is trying to evoke: the sense of being one with the wind. Wind has a lot of significance in Japanese culture, so here’s the most esoteric sentence I’ve ever written in a motorcycle review: The WN7 is both fū and kaze, but it’s definitely not fugazi.

Moving on, the ‘N’ stands for “naked,” and the 7 references the bike’s place within Honda’s internal ranking of power output classes. Honda doesn’t offer much detail on that scale, but with a maximum power output of 67bhp, the WN7 sits squarely between a CB500 Hornet and a CB750 Hornet. Its maximum torque figure of 73.8 lb-ft, however, places it in the same arena as a CB1000 Hornet. Its price makes it the most expensive naked bike Honda currently sells.

First impressions

The spirit of the WN7 is one of simplicity. It is sleek, modern, and uncluttered. Which makes sense, because this is a bike that doesn’t even have a frame. It’s just a bunch of bits bolted to a battery.

From a design perspective, this is brilliant. It opens the door to endless variations, as designers aren't forced to shoehorn ideas into a universal chassis. The battery block itself sits mostly exposed for air cooling, flanked by large scoops that look a bit like the wings of a TIE Interceptor(from Return of the Jedi), which makes them exceedingly cool to nerds like me. Tucked behind the battery and out of sight is the liquid-cooled motor.

Because electric motors are compact, the bike’s size is determined primarily by the girth of its battery. As a result, the WN7 is unusually slim. Knowing its peak output figures makes you expect – and perhaps want – something bigger, but Honda has delivered a motorcycle that will squeeze through the tightest gaps in traffic. With its mirrors, the bike is just 826mm wide.

Weight is 217.5 kg – about six bags of sugar heavier than a CB1000 Hornet – but the centre of gravity is so low that you genuinely never notice it.

At its European press launch Honda spent a very long time explaining the effort that went into making the WN7 as quiet as possible, right down to how the gears were cut. That desire to eliminate mechanical noise is one of the reasons it uses a belt drive. 

It's also excellent for maintenance, but belt setups eat up space. To make it work on the narrow WN7, rear tyre size was sacrificed. It’s just 150mm wide – 10mm less than the less-powerful CB500 Hornet – and it looks odd.

Project Leader Masatsugu Tanaka tells me the skinny rear doesn’t affect performance negatively, and I believe him. But, you know, I just WANT it to be bigger.

Throw a leg over the 800mm seat and you will encounter a butt cushion that some of my fellow moto-journalists thoroughly disliked, claiming it was too firm. That wasn’t my experience; it's solid, but comfortable enough for a bike with such a limited range. Pegs are slightly further back than I generally prefer, but hands fall naturally to the ‘bars.

The 5-inch TFT screen gives you all the information you need and is readable in any light, though I do wish the angle could be adjusted.

The ‘go’ bits

Through a quirk of electric vehicle regulations, the WN7 is A2 compliant, despite boasting a peak output of 67bhp. How? Because EV licensing is based on continuous power output, not peak power. It’s a situation that illustrates how electric numbers can confuse those of us used to a traditional box of explosions. Not that it matters a great deal, though. There aren't many 19-year-olds with £13k to throw at a motorcycle.

Here is what’s relevant: the WN7 has oodles of torque. On paper, it delivers roughly the same figures as a Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight (2010-2021). But on an electric motorcycle, all that shove is on tap instantly. No winding the engine up into its sweet spot; just twist the throttle and hold on. And because this is a Honda, the power delivery is flawless every single time.

There is no transmission. You may initially find yourself reaching for a clutch lever out of instinct, but give it time. The absence of a gearbox frees up mental space, allowing you to simply observe your ride. You get four rider modes: Sport, Standard, Econ, and Rain, each altering acceleration, torque delivery, deceleration (aka regenerative braking), and traction control.

The ‘stop’ bits

If you’ve never ridden an EV, regenerative braking (regen) occurs when you close the throttle, feeding kinetic energy back into the battery. Think of it as adjustable engine braking. Thankfully, the bike’s brake light activates when regen is active to warn following traffic.

Using buttons on the left grip, you can adjust the regen intensity on the fly from 0-3. At its highest setting, it feels like a strong application of the brakes – enough that when riding through an urban area, I hardly ever touched the actual brake levers. Adjusting the regen as you approach a corner somewhat replicates the feeling of downshifting on a petrol bike.

When you do need them, the actual brakes are excellent, offering power and feel that far exceed my expectations for a middleweight naked.

Additional fancy bits

Outside of everything else we’ve covered, the WN7 offers keyless start, full LED lighting, a USB-C charging port, a speed limiter, an Emergency Stop Signal feature, and phone connectivity via Honda’s RoadSync app. Interestingly, there is no WN7-specific app, so you cannot check your battery level remotely while the bike is parked.

The WN7 also features a forward and reverse Walking Speed Mode (WSM), limited to 5 km/h for parking. I’d argue this is unnecessary. The throttle in Econ mode is smooth enough that you don’t need a forward assist.

Whereas the usefulness of reverse WSM is hampered by a glaring omission: there is no parking brake. Ostensibly, you’d use reverse to back out of a forward-leaning parking space. But you can't park a WN7 facing downhill. Without a transmission to leave in gear and no parking brake to lock the wheels, the bike risks rolling off its side stand.

What it’s like to ride

Here’s something I’d like you to ponder: What is motorcycling? What is the point?

It is not noise and heat. I like those things (read my review of the 2026 Indian Motorcycle Chief Vintage for proof of that), but they are not what makes riding unique. Motorcycling is about connection. You feel the physicality of your environment. When it is wet, you are wet; when you ride through the mountains, you taste the air; when you pass a farm, you smell the manure. It isn’t always wonderful, but it’s real. And you are part of it.

Remove the intrusion of engine noise, and that connection intensifies. You hear the birds, you hear people’s conversations, and you hear your own thoughts.

It’s been a long while since I’ve ridden a motorcycle that made me giggle the entire time I was on it. On the WN7, I was filled with a playfulness that its designers clearly intended.

“This thing is so torquey in Sport mode,” I mused aloud at a stop. “I’ll bet you could do some cool smokey burnouts with this.”

“No!” shouted one of Honda’s PR guys. “Don’t try it!”

As soon as he turned his back, WN7 Project Manager Tanaka-san walked over and started clicking through my dashboard menu.

“It is very easy,” he said with a smile. “This is how you turn off the traction control.”

Acceleration on the WN7 is like being strapped to a bungee chair and flung into the sky, but without the feeling of being strapped to anything. With no screen to look through, no engine noise to hear, and no heat to feel, the motorcycle disappears from your passive perception. You are left with the distinct sensation of flying.

And it’s at this point that the vocabulary that we’ve built for motorcycles starts to fail. You’re not rocketing through the landscape, or screaming, or howling. You’re… ghosting. Moving with the effortlessness of an apparition.

People who have never ridden an electric motorcycle claim they lack character. This is wholly false. The WN7 is thrilling. My only real complaint about it is that the thrill doesn’t last long enough.

Charging time and range

Honda says the WN7 is good for 87 miles on a single charge based on WMTC testing. You can ignore that. Even Honda’s reps were rolling their eyes at that figure. Ride the bike like an enthusiastic normal person, and you should expect a real-world range of around 60 miles.

That’s not great. Though it’s not far off what you'd get from the 7.9-litre tank on the Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight I mentioned above.

The good news is the WN7 is equipped with a CCS2 quick-charging outlet. Plugging it in at home on a standard plug will take upwards of six hours, but going from 20% to 80% on a commercial CCS2 fast-charger takes just 30 minutes.

How long does it take you to order a tea at a cafe, drink it, go potty, and put your gear back on? It’s rarely less than half an hour for me. Treat the WN7 to a day of relaxed, sunny-day riding - with a few cafe stops and a leisurely lunch - and you may not find the charging time to be an inconvenience at all.

Competition

At £12,999, the WN7 is spicy compared to other naked Hondas. You could buy a CB1000 Hornet SP for £2,900 less. But in the EV market, it is one of the best-priced full-sized bikes available.

The competition isn't exactly thriving. Energica went belly up; Verge is selling bikes for over £23k; and a Zero SR/F with a rapid charger will set you back £23,300. The Can-Am Origin offers a less powerful (47 bhp) experience for £11,399, but lacks quick-charging. And there are only three dealerships in the UK.

LiveWire has six dealerships, as well as online sales. Its S2 Del Mar starts at £10,690 and claims slightly more peak power and torque than the WN7. But LiveWire reportedly sold just 653 motorcycles globally in 2025 while posting massive operating losses. With its parent company Harley-Davidson suffering its own set-backs, how likely is it that LiveWire exist five years from now?

Meanwhile, Honda sells 20 million motorcycles a year, and all 55 of its UK dealerships will support the WN7.

Verdict

When it comes to offering a pure motorcycling experience, the Honda WN7 is one of the best motorcycles I have ever had the pleasure of riding.

It isn't perfect. The lack of a parking brake is a surprising oversight from Honda (though easily fixed with a £20 aftermarket brake lever lock). The rear tyre looks too small. Some people think it’s uncomfortable. And the charging port flap has a tendency to fling open under particularly enthusiastic acceleration.

Most importantly, the price and range limit its viability.

But the WN7 is so good that I can imagine it would change some riders’ minds. It offers a sense of connection and joy that will have you giggling into your helmet and babbling to your friends like a new-age poet. Even if you think an EV isn’t right for you, I strongly encourage you to test ride the WN7. You might find that you want to follow Honda’s advice and “Be the wind.”

Honda WN7 specs

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