The key design feature of the HonBike One is the omission of any chain or belt drive. Instead, this cleverly designed folding e-bike uses a shaft enclosed in a single-sided aluminum rear spar at the rear wheel.
This shaft is matched at both ends, transferring energy from your pedaling action to drive the rear wheel. Complementing this is a 250W front hub motor driven by a 216Wh pocket battery which is housed centrally above the bottom bracket.
The battery can be charged on the spot, or you can eject the 18×9.5×6cm battery and charge it using the equally compact 12.5×4.5×3.5cm charger.
The bike offers five power levels that you access using a handlebar-mounted remote that’s seamlessly integrated into the stem. The black and white LCD display shows the current power level, distance travelled, speed, light status and remaining battery charge. It’s very well made and easy to use.
The driveshaft is completely enclosed and HonBike claims it will run maintenance-free for over 40,000 km. It’s smooth and quiet, and there was no lag when I pressed the pedals and the rear wheel was driven.
HonBike One Specifications and Details
It’s not just the radical drivetrain that sets the HonBike apart. The frame design is reminiscent of GoCycle’s single-sided e-bike and Giant’s long-retired Halfway folding bike.
The advantages of a single-sided front and rear bike are that it reduces the size of the folded bike and it is no longer necessary to remove the wheel to repair punctures.
Some of the other design features are a bit more esoteric. For starters, the brake levers are designed the reverse of a standard lever, hinged at the end of the bar. The idea is that they won’t snag clothes or catch, especially when the HonBike is folded.
The downside is that if you brake with one or two fingers and hold the grip, you can pull the brake lever inward far enough to pinch your remaining finger between the lever and the handlebars.
The saddle, or as HonBike describes it as a “golf saddle,” follows no conventional design and looks like the type of collapsible perch you’ll find on a shooting stick/walker – or actually a golf accessory.
The seat is wide and doesn’t have a typical saddle nose, and while it feels a bit odd at first, you quickly get used to its perched nature. My partner preferred the shape, especially when she borrowed the HonBike for a few rides and found she could fit it into a skirt without anything getting caught.
The fold of the HonBike is simple. You simply put the pedals in their folded state, open the middle hinge and fold the bike in half. Open the lever on the bar, fold it and the bike measures 990x450x850mm.
It’s chunky compared to a Brompton Electric, and at 21kg it’s considerably heavier than the Brompton’s 14.3kg, Mirider One (18.7/17.2kg) or GoCycle GXi at 17.5 kg.
I certainly wouldn’t recommend carrying it any further than lifting it on a train or in the trunk of a car. Twenty-one kilos and an awkward shape, it’s not something I would like to wear on the stairs, for example.
HonBike One Geometry
Performance of the HonBike One
The journey is quite impressive. The five levels of assistance offer distinct amounts of power, and it’s easy to cycle through the modes with the easy-to-reach remote next to the right grip.
The singlespeed is a little light, so it’s never going to be a bike you race other riders on from the lights. It’s much more of a cruiser, and I found myself running around 20 mph on the flat.
The engine has some nifty tricks. When you’re climbing a steep grade, no matter what power mode you’re in, the built-in torque sensor ensures you don’t suffer wheel spin. On other front-wheel-drive folders such as Brompton’s e-bike, it’s easy to spin the wheels on the climbs, especially on a wet road.
The bike also has a gyro sensor that detects the angle of the bike sideways, so if you quickly enter a turn with a lot of lean and the bike cuts power to the motor, you won’t get motor slippage. and wash the front end.
The HonBike ride is comfortable and I didn’t notice the lack of a traditional drivetrain. It was only when it came to cleaning the bike after riding in the rain that I appreciated how simple the design is.
The cable-activated disc brakes do a good job and have enough feel to keep things smooth rather than stop-start.
The wide Kenda tires have plenty of grip and squish, which helps keep the ride smooth. I could even say that they are a bit wider than necessary.
The one-size-fits-all design of the bike is good, and the knob to adjust the saddle height is a smart touch. However, at 1.89m / 6ft 2in, I found my optimal saddle height to be beyond the limit line on the seat mast, and would like to see HonBike offer a longer option.
The HonBike’s small 216 Wh battery will never offer the range of a standard e-bike, but I was nonetheless impressed that I managed to cover 25.4 miles/40.8 km with 1,165 feet/355 m elevation from this compact urban folder. That’s more than enough for most riders’ mixed-mode city commutes.
HonBike offers a second battery accessory, complete with a waterproof carry case for bike mounting for €309 if you want to double the range.
The basics of HonBike One
HonBike really delivered with this bike. The clean drivetrain, user-friendly design and its overall ride quality appeal to me.
However, there are a few downsides, like the saddle height being too limited for taller riders. The major issue, however, is the weight. At 21kg, it’s just too heavy to be a proper folding bike. Yes, the Fold is reasonably compact, but it’s not a bike I particularly enjoyed climbing the stairs at my local train station.
For now, the HonBike One is a great compact urban e-bike to store. If HonBike were only able to reduce the weight to make it a true portable folder, it would have a revolutionary urban bike in its hands.