New ‘V3R E-Compressor’ trademark filing shows blower is destined for production
Back in February, Honda filed a European trademark application for rights to use the name ‘V3R’ on a production motorcycle – essentially confirming that the V3 concept engine shown at last year’s EICMA event is heading for production. Now it’s backed that up with a pair of new trademark filings in the US.
As well as targeting rights to the V3R name in America, Honda has added a trademark application for the title ‘V3R E-Compressor’ and in doing so eliminates any lingering doubts that the unusual electric supercharger that was fitted to the bare-bones EICMA prototype is set to reach production alongside the V3 engine itself.
Both the new trademark applications are specifically intended to be used on motorcycles and their parts, and recent changes to the US trademark laws mean that companies are discouraged from trying to get blanket coverage for names they might use. The rules require an intention to use the name in commerce in the near future in order for the rights to be retained.
Although Honda said at EICMA that the V3 concept would lead to a production bike – or more likely a whole range of models, as Honda likes to use each of its engines and platforms across multiple machines to help dilute development costs – the trademark applications add extra weight to that claim. In particular, the new ‘E-Compressor’ trademark indicates that the most radical aspect of the new engine beyond its unconventional V3 layout, the electric supercharger, is a core element of the design and not simply something that Honda added to gain attention at the concept’s EICMA debut.
Electric superchargers aren’t unheard of. Some existing production cars already use them – usually in addition to exhaust-driven turbochargers, so the e-supercharger can be used to fill in gaps in the boost while the exhaust-drive blower spools up. On the Honda V3, the electric supercharger promises to eliminate the problems associated with turbos on bikes – namely the turbo lag, which is much more noticeable on a quick-revving bike, operated by a twistgrip throttle, than on a car engine with a foot accelerator pedal. While mechanically-driven superchargers like the one used on Kawasaki’s H2 models also avoids lag, they don’t offer maximum boost until the engine hits high revs. An electric supercharger, driven by its own electric motor fed by a compact lithium battery, can be tuned to give maximum boost at any engine revs, helping to bulk up the engine’s low-rpm torque.
We’ll bring more details of the V3R as they emerge, but it’s already stacking up to be the most intriguing launch of 2025.
