Honda officially unveils the RN0, its new carbon eMTB with a 100 Nm Shimano motor and a highly unusual suspension design

Honda has taken advantage of EICMA 2026 in Milan to officially present the RN0, its first high-end eMTB. The bike, developed alongside the German manufacturer ROTWILD, maintains the radical design we learned about a few weeks ago, but now the Japanese brand has revealed much of its technical features, including its new Shimano motor, the carbon monocoque frame, and an approximate weight of 24 kg.

The Honda RN0 is now official and arrives with ROTWILD's experience

The return of Honda to mountain biking is now a reality. After we saw its new eMTB at Sea Otter Europe, where the brand confirmed it would take the project to production in 2027, the Japanese manufacturer has chosen EICMA in Milan for the global presentation of the Honda RN0.

In that first appearance, we learned about a dual suspension prototype with an aesthetic very different from conventional eMTBs, but there was little information about its features. Now Honda has cleared up many of those uncertainties and has confirmed that the development has been carried out jointly with ROTWILD, a German manufacturer specialized in high-end electric mountain bikes.

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The result is an all-mountain oriented eMTB that combines solutions from motorcycle development with specific mountain bike components. The RN0 uses a carbon monocoque frame, a proprietary rear suspension, and a state-of-the-art Shimano assistance system.

A carbon monocoque frame and motorcycle-inspired suspension

The most striking element of the Honda RN0 continues to be its frame. The brand has developed a carbon monocoque structure that combines with a rear swingarm called gull-arm, a solution that clearly reflects the influence of its motorcycle experience.

According to Honda, this architecture allows for high structural rigidity and transmits precise information about the terrain to the rider. But the manufacturer also highlights that it has introduced controlled flexibility in certain areas to improve tire contact with the ground during turns.

The rear suspension uses a monopivot system with linkages, designed to reduce unwanted movements during pedaling without compromising impact absorption capability.

The geometry has been developed with ROTWILD's experience and is oriented towards all-mountain, seeking balanced performance in both technical climbs and descents. The RN0 will be available in three sizes, S, M, and L.

Its announced weight is approximately 24 kg and the decoration combines the colors Pearl Moon Ash Gray and Mat Ballistic Black Metallic.

New Shimano motor with 100 Nm, 750 W, and 720 Wh battery

One of the main novelties of this presentation lies in the electric assistance system. Honda has confirmed that the RN0 uses a new, yet-to-be-released Shimano power unit, with particularly interesting specifications.

The motor weighs 2.3 kg, offers a maximum torque of 100 Nm, and reaches a maximum power of 750 W. It is powered by a 720 Wh battery, a capacity that fits with the concept of an eMTB intended for both technical trails and long-distance routes.

Additionally, Honda announces three electronic functions designed to facilitate riding:

• AUTO ASSIST: automatically regulates the level of assistance based on the slope and the effort exerted by the rider.
• AUTO SHIFT: allows for automatic gear changes to maintain an appropriate pedaling cadence.
• Assist Carryover: briefly maintains assistance after stopping pedaling, a function especially useful for overcoming obstacles and technical sections.

Integration also plays an important role. Honda has installed a 2.2-inch color display on the top tube, from which speed, remaining range, assistance mode, and other route data can be checked.

The system features a USB-C connection for charging devices and is compatible with the Shimano app, from which motor settings can be customized and the bike can be electronically locked or unlocked.

FOX Factory suspensions, Shimano XT brakes, and mullet wheels

The chosen setup for the Honda RN0 confirms its positioning within the high-end range of electric mountain bikes.

In the suspension section, it features a FOX 36 FLOAT Factory Kashima fork with 160 mm of travel, accompanied by a FOX FLOAT X Factory Kashima shock.

Honda has opted for a mullet wheel configuration, with 29 inches in the front and 27.5 inches in the rear. Both are DT Swiss H1900 SPLINE specific for eMTB, a combination with which the brand seeks to balance stability and agility on the trails.

The setup is completed with Schwalbe Albert EVO Trail tires and Shimano DEORE XT four-piston disc brakes.

These are the main confirmed technical features:

The RN0 recovers the legacy of the Honda RN01

The name of this new bike is not coincidental either. Honda recovers part of the identity of the RN01, the downhill bike with which the brand competed in the World Cup during the 2000s and with which Greg Minnaar won the overall Downhill classification in 2005.

That project stood out for its unconventional technical solutions and for transferring some of the engineering knowledge Honda had developed in the motor world to mountain biking.

More than twenty years later, the RN0 takes up that philosophy, although now applied to a mountain bike with electric assistance. The name reflects two concepts chosen by Honda: Ride Natural, related to the connection with nature, and Reach New Peaks, representing the pursuit of new challenges.

The presentation in Milan marks an important step compared to the prototype shown in Girona. But Honda has still withheld important information, such as the price, the specific date of commercialization, or the markets in which it will be available.