What bike is this that’s getting a power steering system from Honda? Why does it need power steering?

Months ago we showed you the first set of finished patents from Honda that gave us a definitive look at the production version of the firm’s Neo Wing leaning three-wheeler. And now we’ve got a host of NEW patents showing more details of a power steering system on a future motorcycle in the range, but this one looks a LOT different to the Gold Wing-powered bike’s power steering system we showed you before.

The newest version of the unit is mostly described around the C20 area on this drawing. The power will be generated by an electric motor for super-light steering effort on the three wheeler.

When you compare this design to the one we brought you months ago that clearly showed the Neo Wing’s power steering motor in production form, the differences between the two are obvious.

Here (below) is one of our original Neo Wing patents showing the front end of the upcoming bike. Note how large the power steering unit is on the bike (items 41, 42 and 42a house the drive motor for the steering unit on the Neo Wing) :

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This is one of the power steering Neo Wing patents that we brought you months ago. There’s a LOT of differences between this power steering system and the ones we’ve just unearthed on the new bike.

What we’re seeing here now with these latest drawings is that the unit that will be assisting steering on the new motorcycle is a much smaller. It’s a much more slimline unit that has been designed and protected by these patents now.

Here (below) is the part of the patent where Honda itself says that this design is registered and filed in relation to power steering (the factory calls it steering assist).

Honda’s description of the ‘assist motor’ that ‘generates a steering assist force’ on the upcoming bike.

What we do know from these new patents is that the bike used to illustrate the ‘steering assist’ isn’t the Neo Wing that we’ve seen before and this electric motor unit that will make the steering lighter is far more compact than was patented for the large three-wheeler.

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Top view of the power steering system on the new bike.

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Tony Carter

Tony has been riding motorcycles for over 35 years and he's been a motorcycle writer for over 25 of those. He's ridden almost every motorcycle you can think of at most places around the world and he's partial to some racing, too. A Taurus, Tony doesn't believe in horoscopes (but then that's exactly what a Taurus would say!) but he does believe in Mandalorians and their right to earn a living.