So, this story caught our attention today: Honda has patented an air conditioning system for motorcycles.

Wait, what?

Apparently, the Japanese manufacturer is planning to make summer rides a lot easier.  Allegedly they’ve recently filed patents for a new AC unit – something that car owners keep bragging about to bikers.

As per the patents filed, the air conditioning unit is a stand-alone tank bag that doubles up as a piece of luggage and needs to be mounted on the fuel tank. The bag has a zip liner in place, which opens to a storage space inside where a small blower unit and a rechargeable battery have been accommodated. – ndtv.com

How it works

The mechanism seems to be very simple with air being sucked from the mesh at the sides of the bag and instantly blown through flexible vents towards the chin of your helmet. If the day gets any hotter, a separate flap underneath the tank’s bag lid is accessible and allows you to store an ice pack or bag of ice, in order to make sure that the AC unit blows cool air.

While we must agree that’s imaginative thinking on Honda’s part, there really is no proper information on what the pattern maker is planning exactly and how does he plan to incorporate it on a motorcycle. Also, while we could agree it would give a breath of fresh air (literally) for riders during the summer heat, its effectiveness at high speeds is really questionable, to say the least. I mean, when we’re talking triple digit speeds, A LOT of air is blowing all over the place, so how could this cold air that blows up your chin refresh you?

This could be either a breakthrough on tour bikes or absolute nonsense. We can only wait and watch how this turns out.

What do you think? Does it seem like a breakthrough or does it seem like plain cr*p?

(Source: ndtv.com)