First Honda electric mountain bike to take on Trek and Specialized in the premium tier

Honda has built millions of motorcycles, but a pedal bike with an electric motor is new territory for the brand, despite that it has a history in the field with the RN01. At the Sea Otter Europe expo in Girona, Spain, the company confirmed that its first electric mountain bike is coming in 2027, and it brought a prototype along to prove the point.

The e-MTB has no name yet, and Honda did not share any specs or pricing. What became clear is that it will be a premium product and that the company wants its electric assistance to blend the joy of riding a motorcycle with the adrenaline of mountain biking.

Honda is working to perfect its first e-MTB with Toni Bou, a famed trials rider who recently claimed his 40th FIM Trial World Championship title, to make sure a motor would feel like a natural extension on rough terrain.

Honda brought its RN01 as a reminder that it already has a downhill racer, released in the early 2000s, built for Team G Cross Honda to use in NORBA and World Cup events. That bike was equipped with an internal gearbox, which let riders change gears without pedaling. It was not released commercially and still remains the only other mountain bike Honda has ever made.

Honda makes plenty of electric vehicles, though, and was keen to showcase them to polish its electrification chops. Visitors could see the CR Electric Proto motocrosser, the RTL Electric Trial bike, the EM1 e: moped, the CUV e: scooter, and the WN7 electric motorcycle.

Whether that translates into a bike that can compete with the likes of Specialized or Trek remains to be seen, but Honda has serious experience with electric drivetrains, racing pedigree, and a massive global dealer network, so the established e-MTB players might have a reason to feel slightly nervous.