Honda has unveiled a brand new engine that will power its upcoming middle-weight (750cc) motorcycles. It is a 755cc parallel twin-cylinder, 8-valve Unicam engine that can produce a maximum power of 67.5kW (91 hp) @ 9,500rpm and a maximum torque of 75Nm @ 7,250rpm. The engine has a 270° crank which will give it a V-twin pulse and character.
Honda’s Unicam architecture combines advantages of single and dual overhead cam systems. It has a single overhead camshaft that directly operates the intake valves and opens up the exhaust valve with a rocker arm. This allows the cylinder head to be more compact and contributes to making the engine smaller and lighter.
And in case you are thinking about it, this engine is not a bigger version of the 500cc parallel twin used in Honda’s CB500 range but it is similar to the 1084 cc engine found in Africa Twin.
The new engine might be a departure from Honda’s traditional inline-fours that have graced their roadsters since the 60s but it is in sync with the global market trends.
Parallel twins have become a more preferred choice recently, especially for engine sizes from 500cc to under 1000cc that will have higher sales volume. Parallel twins in comparison to the v-twins are more compact, lighter, easier to service and cheaper to manufacture.
And if done right, they are exceptionally reliable, vastly versatile and playful.
In the past decade, we have seen more variety in types of motorcycles than ever before. Today we are overwhelmed with choices of motorcycles and it is easy to find one that suits your riding style and requirements. This flood of choices of new motorcycles has had victims too, mainly the high performance, less practical screaming race replicas of the 600-750cc segment that we loved but always knew weren't practical and useful on the public roads.
Most of the Supersports have been discontinued from the majority of the markets, only few remain with either limited availability or as track-only versions. The CBR600RR, R6, zx6r, GSX-R600 and the Daytona, we will miss you! Although, I have a feeling that Triumph is not done with the Daytona as yet.
One of the most popular supersports, the Yamaha R6 is now replaced by the new R7 which has a parallel twin-cylinder engine and a chassis derived from their very popular MT-07 roadster. It is a perfect example of the trend that more and more people are now choosing the practical options to pursue their biking passion rather than living with a more exotic but seemingly less practical bike that will end up making them ride even less.
Yamaha developed and adapted the new middle-weight parallel twin engine way back in 2014. Kawasaki already has a whole line-up of parallel twin 650s.
Recently Suzuki has also given us a glimpse of their new 650cc parallel twin that is rumoured to replace the trusted old V-twin in their popular V-Strom 650 and SV650.
KTM is another manufacturer that uses parallel twins for their middle-weight motorcycles, be it the fantastic 890 Duke or the Adventure.
Honda has also confirmed that the first motorcycle to be powered by this engine will be the new Hornet, a roadster. The original Hornet was also a naked road bike and its second generation model produced from 2002 to 2007 was one of the original streetfighters. It featured a 900cc inline 4 cylinder engine derived from the legendary CBR900RR Fireblade. The name Hornet was later used for smaller 600cc roadsters Honda sold in Europe and the US but lately it has been used in much smaller, less special and mostly commuter motorcycles in markets like India and South America.
The new Hornet will not have the tradition inline-4 but a parallel twin seems like the right way to go since it provides the right balance of power and efficiency. While helping the bike to be more compact, lighter, reduce service costs and might also make the bike more affordable.
No launch date has been set for the bike and the Japanese manufacturer says it is still a concept but another upcoming adventure motorcycle called the Transalp is also rumoured to be launched soon and could have this very engine.