Honda, Yamaha announce possible scooter, electric bike team-up

What was once unthinkable is now a possibility: Honda and Yamaha are talking about teaming up in the two-wheeler business.

The two manufacturers have been rivals for decades, each striving to achieve market dominance through technology and superior design. But now, they may end up working together on scooters and electric motorcycles — arguably the two branches of riding that will dominate the market in the near future.

According a news release on Honda’s website, there are three stages to the plan: The first would see Yamaha selling rebadged 50 cc Honda scooters. The second would see them working together on new “business scooter” models.

The third stage, however, is the most interesting. According to the press release:

“For the purpose of further popularizing electric motorcycles mainly in the Class-1 category in Japan, the two companies will look into possible collaboration in the area of establishing the foundation necessary to address various issues relevant to electric motorcycles such as range, charging time, performance and cost. By broadly sharing the achievement of such collaboration with other motorcycle manufacturers and relevant industries in the form of proposals, the two companies will strive to further facilitate the electrification of motorcycle products.”

To sum it up: Yamaha and Honda may start working on electric motorcycles together, and try to get other manufacturers involved as well.

If this really happens, we may be seeing the beginning of the end of internal combustion engine-powered motorcycles.

While motorcyclists are a conservative bunch and many will greet the idea of battery bikes with scorn and distrust, the reality is that only one thing has held electric motorcycles back: battery technology. Between insufficient range, prolonged charging time, and expensive designs, batteries and their current limitations are the only thing really holding back electric motorcycles from a market revolution.

If the world’s two most significant motorcycle manufacturers can do something about that, and then get some other manufacturers on board, we might be looking at a very different motorcycling scene in a few years’ time, particularly once the average rider gets a taste of what battery bikes have to offer. Look at the widespread prevalence of electronic rider aids (traction control, ABS, etc); in a few short years, such features have become the norm, once riders get a taste of them, and progress lowers the price of the technology.