Honda’s Light Weight Super Sports Concept shows off the future

Motor shows are known primarily for three types of vehicles. One is the production ready or the near-production ready set while the other is the wild & wacky ones. Then, there’s the third type that offers insight into the direction that a manufacturer is likely to take in the future. The Tokyo Motor Show has been no different and we’ve been swamped with announcements from manufacturers since day one.

Honda has traditionally been known for simpler designs and the CBR250R that’s currently on sale, here in India is the best proof of that. However, in a newly unveiled design study titled the Light Weight Super Sports Concept, Honda’s got us gazing into the crystal ball towards a future that could take on some aggressive undertones. 

Being a concept, a lot of materials used and their application might have to be altered suitably to make it feasible for mass production. However, Honda’s Light Weight Super Sports Concept is a prime indicator towards the direction that its small capacity sports motorcycles are likely to take. Visualized as a single seater, the concept uses copious amounts of aluminum in its construction including in key components like the rear swing-arm. The concept uses a trellis frame as a trellis sub-frame at the rear.

Honda’s no-nonsense approach is evident in the conventionally mounted calipers which do the job just fine, and at a lower cost, than the visually attractive, but more expensive, radial mounts. However, the concept does sport other expensive bits, including (but not limited to), the inverted front forks, NISSIN brake master cylinder, remote-reservoir mono-shock at the rear, wider tires, and potential carbon fibre panels. Most if not all are expected to be limited to the concept, with production versions down-the-line getting conventional replacements. There’s no word yet on the engine and performance, though the small radiator does point towards liquid or oil-cooling for the motor.

The new, aggressive design language as evidenced in this Light Weight Super Sports Concept is bound to up expectations from Honda (and in a good way). It will however be interesting to see if the same aggression does indeed filter down in the riding habits of the production spec bikes in the future.