A Hybrid Leaning Trike

It first started with the Yamaha Teseract, with its four wheels of leaning fury, which gave rise to the production of the Yamaha Tricity scooter, and the Yamaha 03GEN-f & Yamaha 03GEN-x concepts. Now it seems that the Japanese are keen on exploring the idea of a leaning multi-wheel concept. Kawasaki tried exploring this space with the J Concept, Piaggio has its MP3 500 maxi-scooter and now Honda has its Neowing – a gas/electric hybrid leaning three-wheeler. Similarly like its counterparts, this trike has two wheels in the front, with the rider in a motorcycle-styled sitting position. Adding to the motorcycle experience, the trike leans through turns.

The most intriguing part of this concept though, is the hybrid power plant which uses a four-cylinder boxer engine, along with an electric motor. It’s not clear if the electric motors power the rear wheel, or the front wheels, though we imagine Honda would tout the all-wheel-drive setup if it was the latter. With hybrid drivetrains surely to come to the two-wheeled space, it will be interesting to see if this is Honda telegraphing that fact – it is called the Neowing, or “New Wing”.

Honda describes the Neowing project with the following: NEOWING is an unprecedented three-wheeled vehicle that offers the cornering feel and sporty ride of a large-sized motorcycle while realizing excellent stability at low speeds. This vehicle is equipped with a hybrid system that combines a horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder engine and electric motors to generate plentiful torque for powerful acceleration. With the adoption of an original Honda linkage mechanism on its front wheel, this concept model proposes new values with advanced styling that emphasizes the mechanical fascination of a two-wheeled motorcycle model.

The Neowing may not reach the production stage but the concept looks appealing and in production form, though the design is more edgy than what we would expect the Japanese OEM.