Honda will be showing off a concept bike dubbed the EV-Cub at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show October 24th.

Not a hell of a lot of info out there yet about this concept. Gauging from the photos it looks like it has in-wheel motors (and possible two wheel drive). Turn signals are right out of TRON, and there was no DOT approval signals required for LightCycles in TRON either.

The original Honda Cub is the most successful motorized vehicle of all time. In production in one variation after another since 1958. Leaping forwards 50+ years with staggering production numbers up over 65 million. More than just a corporate achievement but worthy of a Nobel Prize. The machine that enables millions for a better quality of life.

What will be the true test of electric motorcycles is when we see people in Asia able to carry: 17 wooden palettes, 8 duffle bags full of potatoes, a cage stuffed with 10 chickens, a full sheet of 3/4" marine plywood, 1 rider, 2 passengers... on one EV-Cub. Then and only then will the bar raised by the internal combustion engine be matched by electric motorcycles .

Also new from Honda in the USA is the NT700V. A modest sized sport touring motorcycle that is reminiscent of the PC800s of years gone by.

Plenty of storage comes standard, hard panniers integrated into the body of the bike. What I find most clever about the panniers is the pass-thru hole linking both bags. Allowing you to stow long narrow items like a camera tripod or loaf of French bread.

Geeked out with gauges, got speedo, tach, temp, digital odometer and even a fuel gauge. However ineffective the fuel gauge may be, it's still a great feature. You need those few extra miles of knowing you're about to run out of gas so you can mental prepare yourself for walking and how much it's going to suck to have to.

Power plant boasting a respectable 680cc liquid cooled V-twin, producing a staggering undisclosed amount of horsepower. I hate Honda for never advertising the hp... but I can make an assumption that the bike should be capable of cruising the highways without getting winded. 562lbs wet, shaft drive and a 5 speed should let you cut thru the wind without winding her out.

First impressions leads me to believe this should be a very low maintenance bike. Shaft drive, EFI, front and rear disc brakes... it's starting to sound more attractive and better equipped than my car.

Starting price is $9,999 and ABS equipped for $10,999

Honda has brought us yet another steed from their stables. The Shadow Phantom. Sharp looking and blacked out like Tina Turner's eye after Ike had enough! Basically the Honda Aero with the Spirit's front fender, black accouterments and some trimmings for the forks. Very easy on the eyes, similar to HD's Dark Custom lines but at a more affordable price starting at $7,999. Earth shattering change? Not so much visually, but there is one iota of difference. The Phantom is the first of the Shadow line to offer EFI instead of carburetors. Which is a much welcomed feature to those of us born after 1976. Certainly a welcomed addition that offers that much more reliability to an already well performing and fun bike. Shaft drive and less chrome to show water spots, can't hate that!