Honda makes just about everything with a motor, from lawnmowers and generators to cars, motorcycles, and even airplanes. Now the Japanese giant is adding another electrified vehicle to the list – a premium electric mountain bike.
Unveiled at EICMA 2026 in Milan, the new Honda RN0 marks the company’s first entry into the premium electric mountain bike market. And unlike many automotive-branded e-bikes that amount to little more than a licensing deal and a familiar logo slapped on someone else’s frame, Honda appears to have actually put some engineering muscle behind this one.
The RN0 was jointly developed with German high-end e-MTB manufacturer ROTWILD and features a proprietary carbon monocoque frame and distinctive gull-arm swingarm inspired by Honda’s motorcycle chassis development experience.
There’s actually some real history behind that connection. Honda experimented with mountain bike development in the early 2000s, culminating in its wild RN01 downhill racing bike. In 2005, that project won the overall series championship in the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup. Honda never turned the RN01 into a consumer bicycle, but more than two decades later, the RN0 is effectively picking up where the company previously left off.
The roughly 24 kg (53 lb) RN0 is set up as a multi-role electric mountain bike, featuring 160 mm FOX 36 FLOAT Factory Kashima front suspension paired with a FOX FLOAT X Factory Kashima rear shock. DT Swiss H1900 SPLINE wheels use a mullet setup with a 29-inch wheel up front and 27.5-inch wheel in the rear, while Shimano DEORE XT four-piston brakes handle stopping duties.
Those are some quality components, but the drivetrain may be even more interesting.
Honda is using Shimano’s new 2.3 kg drive unit, rated for up to 100 Nm of torque and 750 watts of maximum output, paired with a sizeable 720 Wh battery.
Shimano’s AUTO ASSIST can automatically vary motor assistance based on terrain and rider input, while AUTO SHIFT handles gear changes to maintain an appropriate cadence.
There’s even an Assist Carryover function that briefly continues providing power after pedaling stops, potentially making it easier to clear rocks, roots, and other technical obstacles that normally would see the assist grind to a halt right when it is needed most.
A 2.2-inch color display is integrated directly into the top tube, and there’s USB-C charging plus Shimano app connectivity for adjusting motor settings and electronically locking the bike.
Honda hasn’t yet announced pricing in its release, but with a carbon chassis, Factory-level FOX suspension, XT brakes, and premium Shimano electronics, don’t expect this to be the everyman’s electric bike.
If anything, the RN0 looks much more like Honda is finally bringing its motorcycle engineering mentality back to mountain bikes – this time with a battery and motor along for the ride.
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