Honda EMTB Concept – THE e-MTB according to Honda?
Like its Japanese counterpart Yamaha Motor Europe N.V., and unlike some car and motorcycle manufacturers, Honda seems keen to invest in two-wheelers and mobility by showcasing its know-how.
Yes, Honda! 🔥
Here’s the proof in pictures with this e-MTB going by the sweet name of “e-MTB Concept”, presented this week at the Tokyo mobility show.
The EMTB Concept on the Honda stand at the Tokyo mobility show.
A concept, then…
Excellent news when you look at this machine, since it’s an electric-assist mountain bike (which personally makes me very happy 😇) — a one-off built around an in-house frame and production components.
The front triangle and swingarm are made of aluminium using a die-casting process used on the brand’s motorcycles such as the CBR1000.
Image caption…
A rarely complex piece of work, the kind Honda got us used to a few years ago when the Japanese brand developed the legendary RN01, which I’ve already told you about, which Cyrille Kurtz had the privilege of racing, and which I’ve shared photos of again.
Around this chassis, you’ll find proven components such as a Brose Group motor, which may well be customised like the Powertain motor system developed by SRAM.
A standard frame with plastic shells?
Kinematics that aren’t exactly new.
The rest of the components include Fox Factory, Shimano, DT Swiss, SRAM and Ethirteen.
What’s also interesting is seeing the context in which Honda positions this bike.
Honda’s idea is to think of mobility on 6 wheels (4 for the car and 2 for the bike).
So the bike needs to be transportable in the car so it can be used at the riding spot.
And since the Japanese go all the way, they even created a portable battery to recharge the bike.
The bike with its charging station.
I should point out that this is obviously a concept and that, among other things, Honda has a habit of showing us magnificent concepts that never make it to market.
That said, Honda may well have some ambitions in cycling, and we can only be excited about that.
More info on Honda’s global website: https://global.honda/en/japan-mobility-show/2023/info/Honda_e-MTB_Concept/
