Japan Mobility Show 2025 : Honda Just Made The Akira Bike!

Quick News Highlights

• Honda has unveiled the Outlier EV concept

• Gets an all wheel drive system

• Suspended on a double wishbone unit

Honda has unveiled a new electric bike concept at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show called the Outlier EV concept. This concept is the brand’s attempt to try and showcase its vision of what motorcycles beyond 2030 will look like. Here’s everything you need to know:

The Outlier EV concept has a unique design - as we expect from Honda’s outlandish concepts. It seems like Honda has clearly taken some inspiration from the sci-fi anime genre, and at first glance, geeks might just mistake it for Kaneda's iconic bike from the anime Akira! We think it looks quite good and really feels like a bike that we might see in the future.

The ergonomics are relatively relaxed, with the wide handlebar and forward-set footpegs, putting the rider in a cruiser-like riding posture. There’s also a backrest for the rider, and the overall setup looks quite comfortable.

Another interesting thing about it is that it will feature an all-wheel drive system, with in-wheel motors at both ends. The bike also offers riders the option to dynamically adjust the front and rear motor torque distribution. For example, while going up inclines, riders can opt for more power at the front for better stability and grip.

When it comes to suspension, the bike features what looks like a double-wishbone unit similar to what we have seen on the Honda Goldwing. This suspension setup should offer better front stability and reduced dive under hard braking. Speaking of which, Honda has stuck to the basics with ‘just’ disc brakes at both ends. At the rear, the bike features a monoshock with complex linkages, mounted all the way at the bottom. Since it’s a concept bike, it seems practicality is optional. 

So far, the brand has not revealed any details about the power and performance, but we reckon it should be exciting to ride by 2030 standards. Of course, as with any modern concept worth its salt, it’s got an ultrawide TFT console which offers speed, lean angle, battery level, along with odometer and tripmeter readouts. The console also offers smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth. We wouldn’t be surprised if it comes with haptics and a thought-controlled cockpit.

In our opinion, the biggest takeaway from this concept has to be the all-wheel drive system. This tech isn’t all that far-fetched, as long as we figure out a way to optimise the front wheel motor’s weight properly.