We heard rumors that Honda Motors was coming back to the mountain bike scene. But unlike the innovative RN01 DH bike of the early 2000s, this one looks much more like a conventional eMTB. Details are super scarce, but Honda showed off an all-new RN0 ebike concept at Sea Otter Europe in Girona this weekend that features a frame developed together with bike maker Rotwild, and powered by a Shimano EP8 motor.Unreleased Honda eMTB all-mountain ebike project(Photos/Cory Benson at Sea Otter Europe)Pretty much the only concrete information we could get out of Honda for the moment was what they had written on their displays at the show.They explain their design philosophy for the new eMTB as:Guided by the M/M (Man Maximum, Machine Minimum) principle, Honda seeks to maximise the rider experience while minimising mechanical intrusion. By placing the needs of people first, Honda creates products that are intuitive, efficient and enjoyable to use, delivering a natural sense of connection between rider and machine.We take that to mean that their return to pedal-powered bikes is meant to complement their expanding two-wheel electro-mobility. And it expands their motor-assisted bikes down from full-fledged motorcycles down to mix with rider input. Lighter power, lighter support in a two-wheeler that you have to pedal.Inspired by proven DH bike platform, electromobility & electric motorcyclesIts been two decades since the Honda RN01 gearbox mountain bike briefly made waves on the DH circuit. It was revolutionary for the time although it might not be so out-of-place on todays DH circuit. But sadly, those innovative Honda DH bikes didnt stick around for more than a few years.When I first spotted the new Honda eMTB project concept with its big Y-shaped frame, I expected to find a new gearbox when I looked closer. But alas, it looks like a pretty conventional drivetrain & powertrain, albeit it a visually distinctive frame design.Still 20 years later, that old DH bike prototype looks a lot more similar to the RTL Electric trials bike of multi World Champ Toni Bou. Well be curious to learn more about what Honda plans for the eMTB and perhaps mountain bike sphere in the future. And to see how the new Honda eMTB project ties together the Japanese motorcycle makers historical and current two-wheel offerings.Honda eMTB project concept developed with RotwildAs for the actual design of the Honda eMTB concept, the biggest surprise was the note on the frame that it was developed by Rotwild bikes via their ADP Engineering side of the business. The frame itself doesnt look much like any current Rotwild ebikes we have covered, even though a few of them do feature prominent rear swingarm designs.Instead, the carbon Honda eMTB calls its massive swingarm a Gullarm. And this concept ebike features a single-pivot suspension design, which uses three separate linkages to drive its rear air shock.The Honda e-MTB Concept features a lightweight carbon monocoque frame inspired by Honda motorcycle engineering. Designed to deliver an optimal balance of rigidity and flexibility, it provides precise handling, confident cornering and excellent rider feedback. Its advanced suspension layout supports efficient climbing while maintaining control and comfort on demanding terrain.We know it is a monocoque carbon frame, a UDH, wired-in Di2 derailleur, and a Modular Headset but cable routing that doesnt go through the headset. It gets a mullet 27.5/29 wheel combo, plus a cool little mini-moto rear fender mounted to the seat tube. And the Fox 36 fork suggests it is aimed more at the all-mountain category.Vamos on an unreleased Shimano eMTB ebike motor?Oh, and one more thing!(Screenshot from Honda YouTube video)While the bike on show in Girona was clearly built up with a current generation Shimano EP8 mid-drive motor, a QR code on the walls of their event display pointed to a Spanish teaser website with an embedded YouTube riding video. And when we took a closer look, the ebike in the video wasnt exactly the same as the one on the stand.(Screenshot from Honda YouTube video)While the current Shimano EP-801 motor has a big round element on the driveside (I believe, thats the actual electrical motor inside) and smooth on the leftside, the prototype in the video is the opposite. Completely smooth behind the chainring, and the round element sticks out on the non-driveside (see two screenshots above.) We dont know any more details yet. But it has been quite a long time since weve seen an update to Shimanos flagship ebike motor. Perhaps Hondas all-new eMTB project might be working with a new pedal-assist motor, too?Honda.com