Honda NM4 concept motorcycles channel Akira

Fri, 21 Mar 2014

Honda has rolled out a pair of new motorcycle concepts at the Osaka Motorcycle Show in its home market of Japan, and they're our first glimpse at the company's "neo-futuristic" NM4. Shown in both stealthy black and an eye-catching white, the NM4s are sharp creations that feature interesting riding positions.

Honda calls the concepts' seating "the cockpit position," claiming that it unifies bike with rider. We don't know about that, but we will admit that compared to most sportbike seats - which are more or less just bits of padding to squeeze between your legs - these bikes' saddles look more or less like conventional seats. Honda says that their backrests are adjustable, which should provide a comfortable riding experience. Still, with these bikes' sporting looks, we can't imagine their low seats are going to be great for dipping knees through the bends (although the should lower the center of gravity, so perhaps it's a wash).

Both show bikes, NM4-01 and NM4-02, are powered by 745-cc, two-cylinder engines, while dual-clutch transmissions are employed to dispatch unspecified amounts of power to their wide rear tires. The bikes are nearly identical save for different colors, but the NM4-02 features an integral set of hard panniers for increased utility. We've got a gallery of both, so hop up above and take a look. You can also scroll down for a brief press release from Honda.

Honda Exhibits World Premiere of New Concept Model "NM4"
TOKYO, Japan, March 21, 2014 - Honda held its press conference at the 30th Osaka Motorcycle Show 2014 today and unveiled the world premiere of two types of its new production model "NM4" as an exhibition model (planned for production).

The NM4 was developed under the keywords of "the Neo-futuristic" and "COOL," pursuing new, unique styling.

This NM4 was designed to realize two points; the design concept "the Front Massive Styling" and "the cockpit position" focusing on the sense of unity with the rider, that the rider can smoothly get into the vehicle. The low-setup cockpit position and adjustable backrest provide an enjoyable new riding feel. The instrument panel was designed to provide clear readability and the fun riding, as if the rider was experiencing part of a movie scene.

LED lamps are used on the headlight of the powerful-looking front fairing, the tail lamp and the turn signals. In addition, the utility boxes are set up on the right and left sides of the front fairing for small articles.

Two NM4 types were unveiled at the motorcycle show; the simply-configured "NM4-01" which emphasizes its wide, dynamic rear tire and attractive low silhouette, and the "NM4-02" which emanates a unique presence and features a prominent rear design (containing utility boxes on each side of the rear body).

The NM4 will also be exhibited at the 41st Tokyo Motorcycle Show from Friday, March 28 to Sunday, March 30 at Tokyo Big Sight.

•Key features of the NM4

?Length×Width×Height (mm) 2,380×810×1,170
?Seat Height (mm) 650
?Engine Type Liquid-cooled 4-stroke OHC inline 2-cylinder engine
?Displacement (cm3) 745
?Transmission Dual Clutch Transmission (standard equipment)
?Tires Front: 120/70ZR18M/C (59W)
Rear: 200/50ZR17M/C (75W)

By Brandon Turkus