Yamaha Unveils Two New E-Bike Concepts Ahead Of 2023 Japan Mobility Show

How does a two-wheel drive gravel e-bike and a mountain bike with electronic power steering sound to you?

By: Enrico Punsalang

Oct 18, 2023 at 2:09pm ET

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If for some reason you needed a motorcycle, piano, audio equipment, and an electric bicycle, but the condition was that they all had to be from the same manufacturer, chances are you’d look at Yamaha. The Japanese company has been at the forefront of innovation across multiple industries for decades now, and now, with the Japan Mobility Show 2023 just a few days away, Yamaha seems ready to put on quite a show.

In a press release, Yamaha unveiled not one, but two electric bicycles ahead of the Japan Mobility Show. It already has an impressive roster of e-bikes such as the high-performance YDX Moro 07 electric mountain bike unveiled earlier in 2023. The brand also impressed with the Booster, an electric moped with futuristic scooter-like styling This time around, Yamaha’s newest concept e-bikes look to take bike-centric technology to a whole new level.

The first model the brand has unveiled is called the Y-01W AWD. At a glance, the bike looks like a needlessly complex amalgamation of tubing, however, Yamaha claims that this concept is intended to bridge the gap between gravel and mountain biking. It features two electric motors – one on each wheel, so yes, it’s an all-wheel-drive e-bike. Complementing the two motors is not one, but two batteries, promising long-distance rides in between charges.

Naturally, Yamaha has kept the majority of the technical details of the Y-01W AWD shrouded in mystery, at least, we presume, until the Japan Mobility Show. Nevertheless, we can deduce quite a bit from the images provided. For instance, it gets a sleek and aggressive frame with drop bars, as well as a suspension fork up front. The concept model is expected to be classified as a speed pedelec in the European market, meaning it’ll have an assisted top speed in excess of 25 kilometers per hour (15 miles per hour).

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The second concept bike that was revealed is dubbed the Y-00Z MTB, an electric mountain bike that makes use of a fancy electronic power steering system. From a design perspective, there not much that differentiates the Y-00Z MTB from a regular full-suspension mountain bike, except, of course, for that electronic power steering motor situated on the head tube. Mountain bikes aren’t exactly known for having excessively heavy steering, so it’ll surely be interesting to learn more about this new piece of technology.