Motorbike Giants Honda and Ducati Make Serious Moves into the eMTB Market at Sea Otter Europe

It’s hardly breaking news when motorcycle companies try their hand at building mountain bikes. However, a pair of machines showcased at this year’s Sea Otter Europe event hints that this crossover might be evolving from a casual experiment into something far more substantial.

Honda chose the Girona gathering to officially announce its entry into the electric mountain bike segment, putting an updated prototype on display. This eMTB was originally unveiled at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, and its appearance in Spain signals the brand is moving closer to production.

Ducati, meanwhile, used the same event to present its newest batch of electric mountain bikes, headlined by the DM-160 R. This model runs on DJI’s Avinox drive system, which has been gaining considerable traction across the eMTB world.

Historically, sticking a car or motorcycle logo on a bicycle has yielded mixed—sometimes laughable—results. These latest offerings, though, seem to be cut from a different cloth entirely.

Honda’s mountain biking heritage runs deep. The Japanese company made waves in the early 2000s with the RN01 G-Cross, a downhill race bike that competed in the UCI Downhill World Cup from 2004 through 2007. This was no simple rebrand—it was an ambitious engineering feat featuring a distinctive enclosed gearbox mounted near the bottom bracket. The effort paid off handsomely when Greg Minnaar rode it to the overall Downhill World Cup championship in 2005.

Now, roughly twenty years after the RN01 G-Cross, Honda has verified its intention to return to the mountain bike market. The new eMTB prototype shared display space with the legendary RN01 at Sea Otter Europe and appears to have been created with support from German bike maker Rotwild. A Shimano motor seems to be fitted to the prototype, though Honda hasn’t yet committed to which drive system the final version will carry.

In Honda’s words, the production bike will take cues from the prototype: “The Honda eMTB Prototype has been designed to embody the values that have defined the brand for generations, combining advanced technology, quality engineering and rider-centric development.” The bike is slated to hit the market in 2027, with full specifications, pricing, and availability to be confirmed at a later date.

While Honda’s plans remain somewhat under wraps, Ducati’s newest eMTBs are far more tangible—and decidedly more traditional in their approach. The Italian marque recently revealed a partnership with Gruppo Zecchetto covering the development, manufacturing, and distribution of its high-performance bicycles. The lineup features the DM-160 R, a carbon enduro eMTB with 160mm of travel, built around the potent Avinox M2S drive system.

That motor, combined with an 800Wh integrated battery, is rated for up to 1,300W of peak output and 130Nm of torque—climbing to an impressive 150Nm when Boost mode is engaged. The rest of the build reads like a who’s-who of established enduro eMTBs, a far cry from Honda’s more unconventional prototype. Suspension duties fall to a 160mm RockShox ZEB Select fork and Super Deluxe Select+ shock, while SRAM’s mechanical Eagle 90 Transmission and Maven Base brakes handle shifting and stopping.

Geometry is thoroughly modern as well, with a 64-degree head angle, reach measurements spanning 455mm to 504mm across three frame sizes, and flip chips allowing riders to tweak the geometry to their liking. The DM-160 R carries a price tag of €7,990 and should be available starting in October.

What sets these two projects apart from previous automotive-branded bicycles is the level of genuine thought behind them. Instead of coasting on name recognition alone, both Honda and Ducati appear to be addressing what riders genuinely need. Honda has enlisted Rotwild’s expertise, while Ducati has adopted one of the most buzzed-about e-bike motors on the market today.

It’s unclear whether these motorcycle manufacturers are drawn to eMTBs because they can charge motorbike-level prices for them, but one thing seems certain: as the boundaries between two-wheeled categories continue to blur and motorcycle access rights face growing restrictions, more crossovers of this kind are likely on the horizon.