Electric motorcycles have been a tough sell, despite being in the marketplace for well over a decade now. Brammo and technology leaders Energica have gone the way of the dodo, while monthly UK sales of American EVs LiveWire and Zero can usually be counted on the fingers of one hand. It seems motorcyclists just haven’t been able to see an electric future for various reasons but, undeterred, Honda have now entered the EV chat and a production version of it’s EV Fun prototype will be materialising in showrooms from early next year, although full details are still to be released.

The official launch will be at Milan’s EICMA motorcycle show in early November, when we’ll find out all the technical specs, but for now Honda have unveiled the first pictures of the production machine along with some key facts.

It’ll be called the WN7, with the manufacturer stating the name comes from the project’s design concept ‘Be the Wind’ (donating the ‘W’) with N standing for Naked and 7 referring to the bike’s ‘power class’.

The production machine is clearly an evolution of the EV Fun concept shown at EICMA in 2024. Honda claims a range from their own tests of more than 130km (80 miles) between recharges, although that’s a number which will hardly get EV sceptics excited. The manufacturer has yet to state the capacity of the lithium-ion battery which, like all other full-sized electric motorcycles, is an integral part of the bike’s structure and not removable. With the quoted range figure and confirmation that the bike weighs 217kg, we expect the WN7’s battery to be a little smaller than the 14.4kWh power pack found in Zero’s roadster styled S, which tips the scales at 223kg.

Unlike the American bike, the WN7 will have rapid charging capabilities with an industry standard CCS2 connection allowing for a 20-80% recharge in around 30 minutes, and a full charge taking less than three hours on a 6kw home charger.

Honda says the 18kW water cooled motor has a similar power output to a 600cc petrol engine, with 100Nm of torque being more comparable to a 1000cc machine – although the instant power delivery of EVs often makes direct comparisons irrelevant. Where petrol engines have to be revved hard to unlock performance, expect peak power and torque to be instantaneous on the WN7.

As standard, it should be able to be ridden by A2 licence holders but an 11kw version, which will be learner legal, is also going to be available. Because electrics are measured on the amount of power they can sustain over 30 minutes rather than peak power, expect both to offer significantly more performance than a typical A1 or A2 category petrol bike – in short bursts at least.

Despite the futuristic styling and electric powertrain, the WN7 looks quite conventional in its chassis technology. Like the Zeros, it’s got a fixed gear with belt drive, but suspension and brakes are all what you’d expect to find on a naked roadster – although the single sided swingarm is a classic Honda design touch that looks great. Overall it looks slender, with distinctive (but hardly groundbreaking) LED lights and trendy bar end mirrors. The 5” TFT dash appears to be shared with other Honda models and will have connectivity to the RoadSync app, which allows navigation and the ability to control calls and music through a smartphone.

Honda has set a price of £12,999, and it’s on this that the success of the WN7 is likely to depend. Setting aside gripes about range and charging times, purchase cost has been the major barrier to entry for electrics (especially when linked to nose bleed levels of depreciation). Honda has been very aggressive in its pricing over the past 12 months, and the RRP undercuts all comparable models from Zero, but still carries a bit premium over most middleweight petrol bikes. If the deals are right, the WN7 might be the bike to convince more bikers to go electric.

Honda says the WN7 is aimed at the ‘fun’ sector, so it will be very interesting to see what it’s like to ride. Electric motorcycles tend to give a different kind of riding experience, thanks to the completely different power characteristics and lack of gear shifting. Honda appear to be pitching it as an enjoyable plaything and are certainly not suggesting the death knell of the internal combustion engine.

Of course, whether the company sees the WN7 as a volume product or just a symbolic showcase remains to be seen, but we’re all watching with bated breath to see if this can be the electric motorcycle that can finally make a breakthrough.

Preorders are being invited with those putting down a deposit ahead of the bike’s launch on November 4 being rewarded by a complementary seat bag.