Honda is returning to the trails: At Sea Otter Europe in Girona, the company officially confirmed its entry into the e-mountain bike market. Sales are set to begin in 2027. The model name, price, and launch dates in individual markets remain to be determined for now. This gives a concrete timeline to a project that had previously attracted attention mainly as a trade show concept.

Honda first unveiled the e-MTB Concept at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. Even back then, motorcycle technology was evident in the design: the frame and rear swingarm were created using a thin-walled aluminum casting technique that Honda also employs for high-performance motorcycles. In 2025, another prototype followed, which the company already presented as a precursor to a planned production model. It is not yet fully known which design and features will actually make it to market. Honda is positioning the bike in the high-end segment and aims to combine its experience in motorcycle and mountain bike development. Among those who rode the bike for the first official photos was Honda trial star Toni Bou. However, definitive production specifications regarding the motor, battery, weight, and suspension travel have not yet been released.

When Honda shook up the Downhill World Cup

Honda is by no means a newcomer to mountain biking. From 2004 to 2007, Team G Cross Honda competed in the Downhill World Cup with the RN01. Greg Minnaar used it to win three World Cup races and the overall title in 2005. Later, Matti Lehikoinen and Brendan Fairclough also joined the lineup.

The RN01 was a custom-developed race bike with a gearshift unit housed inside the frame. It allowed for gear changes without pedaling—a particularly interesting advantage in downhill racing. Honda ended its involvement at the end of 2007. It is therefore fitting that the company also exhibited the old RN01 at its recent trade show: Its entry into the e-MTB business is, at the same time, a return to its roots.

From auxiliary engines to business jets

Behind the project is a company with an unusually broad product range. In addition to cars, motorcycles, and scooters, Honda also manufactures outboard motors, power generators, water pumps, and gardening tools. With the HondaJet, the product lineup even extends to business jets.

Honda Motor was founded on September 24, 1948, by Soichiro Honda in Hamamatsu. The story actually began with bicycles: as early as 1946, Honda was equipping bicycles with small internal combustion engines, followed in 1947 by its own auxiliary engine. Roughly eight decades later, a bicycle with auxiliary propulsion is back on the agenda. This time, it’s electric—and designed for the trail.