With stricter emission norms tightening the noose on the internal combustion engine with each passing day, manufacturers are being forced to explore new avenues to keep the ICE alive, one of them being forced induction. Kawasaki is the only mainstream manufacturer that has put this technology on its road bike with the H2 line of bikes but Honda seems to be lining up to do the same, with a new patent filed for a supercharged Africa Twin engine.
Honda has filed a patent for a twin-screw supercharger, similar to the one found on the Kawasaki H2. Where Kawasaki has used the supercharger to make its H2 bikes mind-blowingly quick, Honda will likely be using the supercharger to help bolster the mid-range of the Africa Twin.
Another reason is to meet the tightening emissions norms, which is where the increased output courtesy of the supercharger will come in handy. The Africa Twin’s engine has not been about explosive peak output figures but instead prioritises usable low and mid-range grunt. This engine character is also echoed in the way the end-user will more often than not, use the bike.
As of now, these are just patents and the company has not given any indication that they will be put into production any time soon.