Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) has an interesting story in India.The brand has managed to dominate the scooter segment with a relatively small portfolio. It also sells several popular motorcycles here, catering mainly to commuter and mid-capacity buyers. Honda now seems to be expanding its focus and has filed patents for two new products, hinting at potential launches in the near term. Patent filings dated May 8, 2025 reveal that the WN7 electric motorcycle and Airblade 160 scooter have both been registered in India.
Models like the Honda Activa and Dio continue to be the mainstays for HMSI’s scooter business. These sell in huge numbers. There is, however, a visible gap in higher segments- particularly the premium and maxi-style scooter segments. Honda lacks competitive products in these. This is what the Airblade tries to address. The name ‘Blade’ would remind enthusiasts of Honda’s flagship litre-class supersport bike- the Fireblade. Using it on a 160cc scooter definitely plays a role in shaping its overall appeal.
The patent filing comes at a time when more buyers are getting attracted to sporty family (maxi-) scooters. A near-term market launch is thus very likely. When launched, the Airblade will compete with models like the Yamaha Aerox 155, the new Suzuki Burgman, and upcoming Hero Xoom 160.
The patent filing shows the details of Airblade’s design. It appears to sit somewhere in between those of a full-size maxi scooter and a performance scooter (think of the Aerox here). It has sporty and sharp styling cues. Maxi scooters typically have bulky appearances.
The Airblade’s projector LED headlamps sit on the front apron and comes with what Honda calls ‘Crystal light technology’. The scooter will also have a wide LED DRL. The indicator lamps will have a sleek design. The rear design will also be sharp, and the tail lamps will be LED units. The vehicle will come with a stepped seat and have a sporty grab rail. In short, the Airblade looks sportier and more aggressive than anything Honda now sells in India.
Like the Aerox, the Airblade will also have a central spine. It will not be conventional step-through scooter. The fuel tank will be positioned inside the central spine, liberating more underseat storage. Honda claims this scooter to offer around 23.2 litres of storage. It will also have a fuel tank capacity of 4.4 litres, and is claimed to deliver a fuel efficiency of 44.8 kpl. That would mean a range of around 200 km per tank.
In terms of features, it will have all-LED lighting, digital LCD instrument cluster, underseat USB charging port, and smart key ignition.
In international markets, the Airblade comes with two engine options- 125cc and 160cc- both liquid-cooled- a rare trend in its segment. Of these, the 160cc unit has more chance to be brought to India. Most of its rivals come with 150-ish cc engines. The Airblade’s 160cc engine makes around 15hp and 14.8 Nm. The scooter is also known to have a kerb weight of just 113kg- significantly lighter than rivals like the Aerox 155 (126kg) and Xoom (142 kg).
The suspension setup will have telescopic front forks and twin rear shock absorbers. Braking will be handled by a front disc and a rear drum setup. There will be a single-channel ABS on offer as well. The Airblade will ride on 14-inch wheels shod with 90/80-14 (F) and 100/80-14 (R) tyres.
It was in September 2025 that Honda revealed the WN7, its first fix-battery naked electric bike. Back then, the company said that the WN7 is aimed at the ‘fun’ segment, and combines Honda’s 75 years of motorcycling expertise with long-term sustainability goals. A design patent of this EV has now been filed in India. This could be an early indicator of its nearing production. In the future, we will likely see Honda launch this electric motorcycle here.
The name WN7 indicates two things- ‘W’ signifies the development concept- ‘Be the wind’, and ‘N’ stands for ‘Naked’. 7 denotes the output class. This motorcycle is a closer-to-production derivative of the EV Fun Concept showcased at EICMA 2024.
The WN7, as seen in the patent images, looks sleek and futuristic. The motorcycle will come with a 5-inch TFT screen with Honda RoadSync connectivity suite. It is claimed to deliver performance similar to a 600cc sports bike, and have litre-class-like torque. The lithium-ion battery, according to the manufacturer, will offer a range of over 130 km and support CCS2-based charging. 20-80 percent can be recharged in 30 minutes. A full charge will reportedly be completed in under three hours.
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