One of the most legendary Hondas ever built isn’t an incredibly popular family car, or a revolutionary economy car that didn’t need a catalytic converter, or the most popular motorcycle ever built, or even a mid-engined and highly usable supercar. It’s not even a car at all. It was an option for a car, something that could be folded up into a tidy little package and nestle in that hatch of a little city car. It was the Motocompo, Honda’s incredible folding motorcycle, and now, finally, Honda has reached back into the past and dragged this legendary concept into the future. Behold the Motocompacto, an electric motorcycle that folds up into a suitcase, goes 12 miles at 15 mph, weighs just over 40 pounds, and costs less than a grand. Hot damn.
In case you’re so sadly deprived that you’re unfamiliar with the original Motocompo, allow me to show and delight you with this thing’s very existence; first, an ad with the car the Motocompo was designed to fit in, the Honda City:
As you can see here, the Motocompo was a tiny motorbike where the seat and handlebars folded into the rectangular body, making an extremely compact little unit:
I even got to drive one once:
It was an amazing thing; a tiny bit of incredible mechanical origami that was actually quite a useful little thing for getting around places where a car couldn’t. But, we never really got them in America, and, at only 53,000 or so made, they’re pretty hard to find now.
Now, though, Honda has re-introduced the idea with the Motocompacto, and it seems to capture all of what made the original Motocompo so great.
As you can see, it’s like the original in that it’s basically a suitcase with wheels, handlebars, and a seat. Folded up, it seems even more compact than the original:
It actually weighs less than half of the original one, too: where the original two-stroke, 49cc Motocompo weighed about 99 pounds with fuel, the new electric Motocompacto weighs only 41.3 pounds, and that’s the same if its charged up or not, because electrons don’t seem to have mass.
This cutaway view shows some interior volume that can store the 110V wall-outlet charger, which can get the 6.8 Ah battery to full charge in 3.5 hours. The seat and handlebars must fold into that volume as well, and I wonder if you can use it for storage as you ride, too?
Also interesting to note in the cutaway is that the bike is FWD, which I suppose is why that rear wheel can be so easily pulled into the body of the bike. I think the motor may be in the hub of the front wheel? I’d love to see more detailed diagrams.
I’m very excited by this thing; a folding, ride-able suitcase thing is just a really appealing concept, and Honda seems to have done this one right. 15 mph is good, 12 miles is likely enough for most of the sort of trips you’d use this for, and it can hold up to 265 pounds! Here, watch a video:
It’s surprisingly thin! Look at it:
It’s got a little instrument cluster that shows speed and battery charge, along with indicators for if the lights are on or if it’s locked, and I’m not sure what the 1 and 2 mean, but they seem to be there.
It does have a headlight and forward reflector in a housing that also seems to hold the charge port, though I don’t think it has turn indicators. Maybe you can get one of those helmets that has indicators, I suppose. There’s a taillight too, of course, and you can see a lever to release or lock the rear wheel, along with some flip-out footpegs:
The design is great: incredibly rational and simple, with the amber leather (or maybe more likely leather-like) upholstery of the handlebar grips and seat cushion adding a nice bit of warmth and luxury feel.
At 40-ish pounds and folded dimensions of 29.2 inches in length, 21.1 in height, and an impossibly small 3.7 inches wide, it’s just a bit too big for an airline carry-on, but perhaps it can be checked as baggage? The battery might be too large in capacity to meet airline restrictions, though. It doesn’t seem to be removable, but perhaps more details about that are forthcoming.
I hope there would be a way to check this on a flight, because it would be such a great solution if you’re flying into, say, New York or Rome or Toyko or some similar large, dense city and need a way to get around. I bet some people have situations where this could be a way to do a daily commute! And if you don’t mind jail or the grave, you can take it on the highway, but if you do mind those, maybe don’t.
Honda says this will cost $995 when it comes to Honda and Acura dealers in November, or via Honda’s Motocompacto site, which is up, but seems to be having some occasional troubles.
[Mercedes’ Note: Think of this guy as a suitcase-sized eBike alternative, not a replacement for a real scooter or moped. It’s also probably fan service for the people who love the original Motocompo. People are willing to pay over $10,000 for one of those, but this? It costs less than a running crapbox! Honda cannot take my money fast enough.]
Under a grand, 40 pounds, 15 mph, 12 miles of range, and folds into something the size of a smallish suitcase? It’s incredible. I can’t wait to try one of these out. Hell, it would almost make sense to keep one in whatever old pile of crap I’m driving so I can drive it to get parts or help when I break down!
What I find most interesting is the price. This seems like 80% of an e-bike for 20% of the cost.
Right–at that price point I find it very compelling. It almost has enough range to follow the bike trails from my home to my office, but not quite. If I could figure out how to make that work I would buy one.
more like 100% of a e-scooter for 200% of the cost
OK, my thoughts about the MotoCompacto:
First: KUDOS to Honda for FINALLY bringing a modern version of the MotoCompo to market, and at a semi-reasonable price too (compared to some other, third-party, MotoCompo-inspired folding e-scooters we’ve seen).
Second: how have I never seen that episode of Jason Drives before? It’s great! 😀
Third: making a public spectacle of oneself aside, this thing might actually be useful in those situations where a walk is too long/would take too long, but where a larger transportation appliance could be more problematic (i.e.: no place to safely park). Given that it only goes 15 MPH, I think I’d be riding it on sidewalks when possible (not ones already thick with pedestrians of course… that’s just asking for trouble) and I’d probably wear a high-vis vest and bike helmet for when riding in the street is unavoidable.
A concern: though it’s half the weight of the original, 40+ lbs. is still nothing to sneeze at… you wouldn’t delight in dragging this thing around while grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s. I’m actually a bit surprised that Honda didn’t add two small fold-down wheels perpendicular to the long axis of the bike (?) with a fold-up handle that would enable you to easily roll it around like a piece of wheeled luggage. Someone will likely offer such a thing as an add-on of course, and in the meanwhile, I suppose you could just bungee a wheeled luggage cart to the body of the scooter: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/718746421752328674/
Also, Honda and Acura should offer the MotoCompacto for an even lower price (say, around $700., even if that’s a small loss per unit) for people buying new Honda and Acura cars, or used ones from dealerships. They sell a LOT of Civics and CR-Vs… who wouldn’t add a MotoCompacto to their options list for less than the price of sunroof package?
I really look forward to seeing reviews of this thing in real-world use re: comfort/ergonomics, range tests, how does it do going uphill (if it’s FWD, and uphill most of the weight is on the back wheel, will the front wheel still have enough traction to keep you moving?) etc… I’d also love to see a detailed, Munroesque technical breakdown of it, to see what thought Honda put into it.
BTW, Jason’s point about keeping one of these in the trunk of any car that might occasionally strand you is spot-on! 😉 Plus, I’d be surprised if you couldn’t draw from it’s battery to recharge a cellphone, etc… so maybe it could also serve as a powerbank when necessary.
I wonder if this would fit under the trunk of a CR-V. Hm…
I dunno, but from what I gather, a CR-V is pretty unlikely to leave you stranded. 😉 A MGB on the other hand…
Its cute but I think a folding electric scooter is both much cheaper and more practical. As long as you don’t mind standing that is.
These are a
Galapagos IslandTokyo niche vehicle which might not be easily adaptable to other environments. The concept is that you drive from your home which is located out where it’s cheaper and then park your car a few miles away from the train station where it’s cheaper. You pop this out of the trunk of your car and scoot to the station, from which you commute via train into downtown. Generally you would leave this in a scooter/bicycle parking lot at the station. In theory I suppose, you could take this on the train with you but it’s still way too heavy and bulky to get onto a crowded train every morning and evening. Besides, your work place is going be close to a station and you won’t need it or want to hassle with it on the downtown side of your commute. Of course the original MotoCompo couldn’t go on the train because: gasoline.As for putting on on the plane and using it to commute around a strange city upon arrival? That’s so JASON….
This is amazing. I hope the battery is replaceable so this Motocomp can make it another 40 years until the next one comes out.
I have to admit, this thing would be an amazing pit bike.
It makes a great excuse for a full racing livery!
It is kind of neat, but I’m not impressed. If this meets your needs, why not buy a bicycle? You can buy a mid-quality bicycle for the same price. The bicycle would give you greater range (twelve miles is not difficult on a bicycle even for a fat, unathletic 40-year-old like me), never requires charging, lasts longer (my road bike is 20 years old and still works great), and is lighter (my road bike is ~24 lbs.; also, 40 lbs. is still more weight than many people can lift comfortably). The bicycle is probably faster for a lot of people as well.
Again, it is kind of cool and the price is right, but I don’t see it as particularly useful or innovative. This strikes me as akin to the Segway – that was touted as a revolutionary transportation device, but in the end was just an expensive way for nerds to avoid walking.
This is about the price of a 3 speed Brompton, although this looks slimmer when folded.
The Brompton is also 15+ lbs. lighter. I think weight is a major problem for the Honda. I have no trouble lifting 40 lbs., but I still don’t want to regularly lug around a 40 lb. suitcase. I’m also a large man. I can’t imagine a 140 lb. person would think 40 lbs. is a trivial weight to carry around.
You don’t understand. Push bikes are not a ‘disruption of the personal mobility paradigm’ like this is. They’re just not stuffed full of the innovation today’s triple hustling fintech reimaginers require.
JHC my fellow car loving cheap ass nerds, this thing is fucking fun! Thats the whole damn point. And it is priced at what many would consider ‘fuck it’money.
Is it as practical as a 20 year old ‘free’ or damn near free bicycle? NO and it doesn’t need to be.
I love bikes, I have 3 of my own in my garage, still this is a fun toy & would pair nicely stashed in the back of any shit heap or fun small commuter car like Torch suggested. Could it even be practical? Sure why not, but the primary purpose is FUN!
This!
Which would be a better sight gag? Gob Bluth on a Segway, or Gob Bluth on a Motocompacto? Come on!
Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone would NOT look ridiculous on the Motocompacto. I presume it is similarly sized to the gas bike that Torch rode in the video above. Torch looks comedically large riding that thing, and as I understand it, he is a certifiably tiny human. An average American is going to look ridiculous on this thing.
Agreed except on that price. Mid quality chromoly 1970s – 90’s sport touring bikes do all you say your bike does, are just as light but can be had for less than 1/10th that price, sometimes free.
Need more capacity? Old mountain bikes are just as cheap, a few pounds heavier even more durable and with racks and a trailer can carry a lot more.
Not to bash mid quality modern bikes, they do have a lot to like (e.g. disc brakes, more ratios), just pointing out there are cheaper options that can also work great and don’t suck.
I completely agree that old bikes are great if you can find them. In addition to my 20 year old road bike, I have a mountain bike that is ~30 years old that also works great.
I have never looked into buying a used bike since both of mine work great, but I just took a quick look now and saw one that is almost identical to my road bike for $300 in great condition. That is definitely a better purchase than the electric scooter.
It gets better. I’ve picked up formerly top of the line touring and mountain bikes for $100, mid range sport tours for $50. That’s how my bike collection ended up in the double digits.
You can also of course get an even cheaper (or free) bike and upgrade the components. For instance I dunno how hilly it is where you live but you can get a Drift Maniac 11-34T 7sp e-bike freewheel I suspect is a modern version of the Mega 7 Shimano used to make:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/mega7.html
This freewheel should fit in most old steel framed multi speed bikes (or at least it did for me) and cover pretty much anything, especially paired with a triple crank. Its weight is very similar to the 6sp freewheel it replaced. I think I paid about $20 for mine from Amazon warehouse not so long ago.
https://www.amazon.com/DRIFT-MANIAC-Freewheel-Speeds-11-34T/dp/B08S3DDST9/ref=sr_1_2?crid=30A31SUPNOYYJ&keywords=DRIFT%2BMANIAC%2BE-Bike%2BFreewheel%2B7%2BSpeeds%2B11-28%2F11-34T%2BTeeth%2BEPOCH&qid=1694715104&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=drift%2Bmaniac%2Be-bike%2Bfreewheel%2B7%2Bspeeds%2B11-28%2F11-34t%2Bteeth%2Bepoch%2Csporting%2C281&sr=1-2&th=1
Sweat. I could ride this to work without having to hit the locker room on my way to the desk, and plug it in without having to chain it up outside.
I ride an electric scooter to work almost every day. The big advantage over a bicycle is not getting sweaty on the way to/from work. I work in an office and live within a couple miles from there and can commute way faster on my scooter than public transportation can get me there. My scooter folds up and I bring it into my office (though there have been rumblings about trying to restrict this). This would be a stylish alternative to the bulkier scooter I have now.
Sweating is a valid concern, but I think that might be overblown. I used to commute via bicycle at a time when I had a 5 mile commute (which is presumably what most buyers would use this thing for). I didn’t find sweating to be a major problem aside from the hottest days. I changed at work, but that wasn’t a huge deal.
I still think this has a limited use case, but I like that the price is reasonable. If they could find a way to make it weigh less my opinion might be different.
Oh buddy, you must be one of the lucky ones. On an 80 degree day, I will sweat through my shirt with nothing more than a moderate paced walk. I get that nice line right down my sternum and the pits soak in minutes
My wife does a 12 mile or so commute on a bicycle more or less every day. Her strategy is to pack work clothes, and shower after she gets there. This is easier if you don’t wear a suit. I’m not hard core enough to use a regular bike if I commute on two wheels. Still prefer motorcycles.
I remember being in London years back and seeing a story about businesses that you could hire to drive you and your car home if you unexpectedly (or even expectedly) got hammered.
The designated driver would arrive with a foldable bike or scooter to put in your trunk (er, boot) so they could get back to the office after dropping off you off at your place. I then noticed ads for these services, often in pub bathrooms.
This could be perfect for this quite innovative 21st century service.
Hammond and May do it on top gear
Well, slap my ass and call me a Honda boy.
Good as back up in the trunk or in the RV world as a around the park vehicle.
I remember Top Gear doing a story with these as the driver to get you home when you drank too much.
Yep, you would call the guy and he would come on on a bike to the pub, and drive you home in your own car. Probably failed because in the UK you’re always within walking distance of a pub.
Are there good pubs or at some point does it not matter? 🙂
Stay away from the flat roofed ones.
I was expecting 5 paragraphs of DT’s editor notes after this sentence.
Chemist here. That sentence irked the hell out of me. Electrons have a mass of 9.1×10^-31. However that is irrelevant because plugging in a scooter doesn’t add electrons to the battery. It pulls electrons from one half cell and puts them in the other (to be really simplistic about it). Imagine a battery like 2 tanks, one electron rich, the other electron poor. They want to get from the anode to the cathode and as they flow through the coils of the motor, they do work for us.
Taking a deep breath and remembering that Torch studied Art History and he doesn’t need to know how batteries work.
I guess you say they are minimal weight that we would not notice in an uncharged vs charged batter.
No. He is saying that the electrons move from one half of a battery to a different half as they discharge. The flow of the electrons is from the anode, through the circuit (i.e., motor) that is being powered, to the cathode. This is why you need a closed circuit for electricity to flow. Electrons are not destroyed in the process, so they need to wind up somewhere. In a battery-powered system, this is the cathode. Recharging pulls the old electrons from the cathode back to the electric company and forces “fresh” ones from the electric company into the anode.
I am not a chemist or play one on TV. In this case, I was thinking they add no weight or negatable amounts. Unlike a full vs empty gas tank.
For example my cars hold approximately 100 lbs of fuel when full.
I think Thomas’ point was that batteries don’t really loose electrons when discharged or gain them when charged.
However, you are correct in saying that gaining or loosing a few quintillion electrons would not make a noticeable difference in the overall weight of the battery.
Thank you for saving me from providing this reply. Well stated.
So..IN go the fresh Electrons!
OUT go the old Electrons!
From Anode to Cathode, so pass the electrons of our, ah, scooters.
By Jove, I think I’ve got it!
Ah, you beat me to it!
Oh no! I just realized I forgot the units on the mass of electrons! It is kg.
From one chemist to another:
Lighten up Frances. As you pointed out Torch has a degree in art history. As such he’s officially licenced to “depart from convention or from factual accuracy to achieve a desired effect”:
https://www.wordnik.com/words/artistic%20licence
FWIW that 6.8 Ah battery shoots maybe 24-36V* to the motor giving it a capacity of 0.163-0.245kWh. That amount of energy works out to 6.5-9.8 nanograms of rest mass.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go lighten up myself…
*https://electrek.co/2023/09/14/honda-motocompacto-electric-motorbike-unveiled/
Haha. Love that you did the math. I guess I sounded grouchier than I meant to up there lol.
I’m embarrassed to admit how many times I had to edit that to get it right.
Shit. I was thinking of neutrinos.
Fun fact, about 100 trillion neutrinos pass through us each second!
That is a fun fact! I’ve watched enough episodes of NOVA to know it was a large-ish number, but I wouldn’t have guessed that order of magnitude.
I love this for the nostalgia, but it would be even more usable if it folded out of a small carry-on roller bag and allowed for a little storage. Something like that would be great last mile transportation for downtown areas from cheaper parking areas or public transportation. Then you could fold it up, extend the handle, put your backpack on the handle, and roll it like a rolling suitcase into the office.
Honda would have a slam-dunk home run if they had swappable batteries at charging stations in major cities. Then you *could* fly it somewhere, pick up a day-use battery zip around and then drop off the battery and fly somewhere else. It would also ease landlord anxiety about having batteries get charged in apartments, hotels etc. Buy the Moto, get access to global battery swap spots along with one that comes with the Moto. Traveler and city dweller dream.
I think it’s juuuuust a smidge too big to fit in the boot of my mini. Bummer.
Man, Mercedes must be steaming that you covered a motorcycle without her approval/relese. What will your penance be?
This is awesome! 15 mph top speed is empty sidewalk speed or side street speed. 12 miles is just enough to be useful in the suburbs. Or a campground.
I’m tempted too, but I can’t help but think that it might be a bit unwieldy for some at 40lbs. Maybe I’m wrong, but I do regularly lift dumbells of the same weight and they are not exactly feathers. For many people it wouldn’t bother them, but it’s just something I’d think about before placing an order if I were on the petite side of life.
Words cannot describe the mismatch in desire vs need for this that I have. I have almost ZERO use for it, but I’d pre-order it as I type this if I could. I’ve always wanted a MotoCompo but at 5-10k? Heck no. This, at a grand, aka less than any decent 500W E-Bike, and this form factor? GIVE IT TO ME NOW
I mean you can get full suspension 750 watt emtbs for $999 these days. But yeah, it seems really cool. Imagine a race series. 😀
Have they really come down that much? I’ve seen cheapo and no-name brands on Amazon for sub-$600 for the 500W range of bikes, but all the one’s ive ever seen recommended are generally $1,100+. That said, they definitely seem to be different categories, fully usable mountain bike/commuter with e-assist vs a last-mile hyper portable scooter.
But yeah, a Motocompacto race series would be legendary
Yup. I have an ecotric tornado. Under 1G. Specialized/Trek/Name brands have emtbs as well, but they are asking $3500-5500 for them. There’s a ton of new chinese brands out there with a lot cheaper pricing, which makes sense because I’m pretty sure Specialized/Trek make all their stuff in China too.
I take a Lectric Lite on the train for my commute. $800, <50 pounds, 48V electrical system, 300W nominal, 720W peak, 20 MPH, 20 miles of range on a charge, BMX geometry, and folds up and fits in my trunk. I can get anywhere in Downtown LA in 15 minutes. Still lusting after this thing, though!
https://lectricebikes.com/products/xp-lite-lectric-blue
What advantage does this have over a traditional electric bicycle?
I can certainly see disadvantages that you’ve lost the ability to pedal to either assist the electrics/extend the range. And the small wheels would be jarring over any terrain besides flat ground.
It’s two-fold, the first and largest being form factor, at under 4″ wide, and around 2’x2′ this can fit in storage spaces absolutely no useful E-Bike (or regular bike) in the world can fit, and second, at $995, is less than any decent E-Bike I’ve seen hit the market. Sure, they may be quicker with pedal power thrown in, but for a mobility solution, this might be the best mix of space, price, and performance
How does this compare to a Razor (or similar) scooter? Seems like the use case is close, unless this can also be checked luggage.
There are few times when I want a company to vacuum money out of my bank account, this is one of them. Honda, TAKE MY MONEY! I want one for my E61 and one for camping.
*fistbump* 🙂
$995?!?!?!?!
There is no “shut up and take my money” image large enough to express adequately my desire for them to cease their vocal emanations and accept my remuneration.
We need a drag race between the Motocompacto and the Chang Li
Scootin’ on a Motocompacto wearing my best OHOAT! gear: https://www.onehellofatown.com/product/ohoat-x-supcat-tee
They need to include one with the purchase of a kei car, just like the old days 😛