Next up in the review lineup is the Unno Ikki. The Unno Mith was a pretty polarizing topic, apparently. You either loved it or hated it. I’m curious to see what happens with the Ikki. It’s basically the exact same bike except for having a lightweight, reduced power motor and a smaller battery. The geometry, travel, and application are the same. How much different can it actually be? Stick around to find out.
Alright, high level details here before we go ride. The Unno Ikki is a long-travel, lightweight ebike that uses the TQ HPR50 drivesystem and a 360Wh battery. It comes in around 42 lb., making it nearly 8 lb. Lighter than its full power, brother the Mith.
Like the Mith, the Ikki is a bit finicky to get setup. I’m not going to take the time to complain about it again. Just know, the exact same things I struggled with on the Mith, I also struggled with on the Ikki. With that out of the way, let’s talk about how it rides.
TQ HPR50 Review
Mountain bikes are a game of compromises and trade-offs. Compromises had to be made to make the Ikki as light, maneuverable, and sleek as it is. In this case, those compromises look like reduced power and range. You’ll notice those compromises the most while climbing.
There are some really great things about the TQ system. First of all, it’s extremely natural and subtle. It’s also very quiet. Both of those things are great for the riders who want an ebike but still want to work quite a bit on the climbs and have as close to a normal bike experience as possible. Secondly, the TQ system is neat and tidy. The controller is small, unobtrusive, and easy to operate. The top tube-mounted screen is pretty sleek, with a good amount of info available. TQ has done a great job of making their ebike system as close to an analog bike as possible. So, they get a gold star or two for that.
This is my first experience with the TQ drivesystem. I’ve spent a decent amount of time on other reduced-power systems like the Shimano EP8 RS and Fazua Ride 60. Both of those drive systems offer 60Nm of peak torque and decent range. The TQ HPR50 offers 50Nm of torque. Even though it’s only 10Nm less, it’s fairly noticeable on the climbs. Remember, most full-power drive systems are in the 85-90 range, with some hitting above 100. On flatter terrain, the TQ feels powerful enough and offers some good, yet not overwhelming, assistance. When the trails got steep, the motor struggled to carry my 200lb frame without a significant amount of work on my end. It’s kind of interesting because the TQ top tube mounted screen will show power output for both the motor and rider. On the steepest climbs, the motor would top out at 300 watts while I was in the 400-500 range. I found myself wanting just a bit more love from the motor.
Because I found myself maxing out the motor’s output frequently, I ran into some reduced range compared to other ebikes. It’s tough to provide an exact battery range because there are so many variables, but I’m getting close to 1600-1800 vertical feet on a battery in the highest power mode. I weigh 200lb for reference. TQ offers a range extender for an additional 160Wh of capacity. All that said, this isn’t the ebike for big days out in the woods. It’s much better suited for quicker rides and a rider who still wants to push the heart rate and watts on the climbs. Keep in mind, I can only speak to my perspective as a 200lb rider. A lighter rider might get a lot more range and assistance out of it than I do. Do any smaller riders out there have anything they could add here?
Ikki Ride Review
Uphill
Now, talking about the bike itself on the climbs, the Ikki is a lot like its bigger brother, the Mith. It offers good front-to-back balance, great traction, and a smooth suspension platform. Unno bikes are designed to be run between 30 and 40% sag. I settled around 35% on the Ikki. At that setting, the rear suspension is active, comfortable, and provides a lot of traction. It smooths out bumps nicely and hugs the ground really well. Traction certainly isn’t the limiting factor on the climbs with the Ikki. Of course, there is some pedal bob, and normally, I’m not too concerned about that on an ebike, but with the Ikki requiring a bit more effort from the rider, I tried to firm up the pedal platform more than I would have on the Mith.
I know that the Ikki and Mith have the same reach, chainstay, and wheelbase on paper, but the Ikki feels smaller. I might be crazy, but this seems to be the consensus amongst the shop folks who have ridden both. I’m inclined to grab a tape measure and start comparing the two. I like the fit of the Ikki more. It’s a little more manageable, especially in tighter terrain. Maybe that is all in my head and the only difference is the weight and power. The lighter-weight platform on the Ikki helps quite a bit in terms of uphill handling. There’s less of a wrestling match on uphill switchbacks and technical terrain. Of course, that’s offset a bit by a reduction in power, but overall I’d say the Ikki is a better technical climber, if only for the easier-to-manage weight.
Downhill
The downhill performance on the Ikki is up there with some of the best for an eMTB. The climbing penalty you pay for a lightweight, reduced-power system is negated, and then some on the downhill. Descending on the Ikki just might be the closest to a pedal bike experience. The Unno Ikki’s suspension is phenomenal when it comes to handling small bumps. It absorbs the small chatter really well, making for an incredibly smooth ride. It comes across in the form of increased traction and control both at high and low speeds. The suspension system isn’t just about small bumps; it also shines when on the bigger hits. The deep travel and supportive nature of the suspension keep you stable and in control, even on some of the roughest stuff. It feels pretty bottomless. All of that equates to more confidence and composure for me. In fact, I usually take a ride to work out the kinks and get used to the bike before I really get after it — not with the Ikki. It took about three corners to feel solid on it. I even hit a sketchy drop that I usually pass on 99 times out of 100.
There’s something about the suspension performance combined with the lightweight platform that makes the Ikki really easy to ride for an eMTB — especially when compared to the Mith. The added weight from the motor and battery almost completely disappeared on the Ikki. If you didn’t know it was an eMTB, you’d probably not even realize based purely on the descending characteristics. The handling is really light for an ebike. It’s, of course, stable due to the geometry, but it doesn’t feel like a wrestling match in every corner, unweight, or line change.
Cornering on the Unno Ikki is pretty special. The bike’s suspension design works to keep you glued to the ground, and the geometry keeps things stable enough without being cumbersome. Whether you’re hitting flat, loose, bumpy corners or smacking high-speed berms, the Ikki holds its line incredibly well. Just like with the Mith, the bike feels very MX. The back end feels rather quick and agile.
Unno Ikki Comparisons
Unno Ikki vs Unno Mith
This comparison is a no-brainer. Rarely do you get two bikes that are so similar. The only real difference is the motor and battery. The geometry and travel numbers are identical. Interestingly, these two feel rather different out on the trail. They both get after it on the descents, but the Mith is more of a heels-down and-plow type bike, while the Ikki is more agile, fun, and easier to ride. It takes less upper body strength to manage. Of course, the tradeoff is the Ikki feels way less helpful on the climbs — it’s not even close. Battery capacity is also a huge difference with the full-power Bosch system, and a 750Wh battery, rides approaching the 5000 vertical foot range aren’t unheard of.
Read the Unno Mith Review Here
Unno Ikki vs Santa Cruz Heckler SL
The Santa Cruz Heckler SL is one of the other bikes that comes to mind when thinking about “normal” feeling eMTBs. It rides quite a bit like its pedal bike counterpart. Yes, it has less travel and more “all-mountain” intentions than the Ikki, but surprisingly, both bikes go pretty hard on the DH. The Heckler SL is quicker, zippier, and more maneuverable than the Ikki. It’s also less capable at the end of the day. But in terms of offering exceptional DH ride quality, they’re pretty tough to separate. The biggest difference for me is in the motor and drive system. Although the Fazua only has 10NM more peak torque, it has a higher maximum watt output (450 vs. 300), making it feel more helpful. It also has a larger capacity battery at 430Wh. When we did our lightweight eMTB showdown, we got around 3400 vertical feet on a battery with a 200lb rider in full boost mode. That’s a pretty big difference in ride length.
Read the Santa Cruz Heckler SL review Here
Who is the Unno Ikki for?
I really like this bike for three rider groups. The first group consists of the eMTB folks who still really like the fitness aspect of MTB. They like getting sweaty, grunting a bit, and maybe even going crosseyed occasionally as they’re redlining their heart rates. The Ikki won’t ever make you feel like you’re cheating on tough climbs.
The second group I like the Ikki for is the group of folks who need just a little help hanging with their ride partners. You know, NICA dads and guys like me who might not have the fitness chops they once had. If you put the slowest rider in the group on an Ikki while all the fit folks are on pedal bikes, you’d close that fitness gap nicely.
The last group of riders I think will like Ikki are the people who want the most pedal-bike-like experience as possible. It’s pretty tough to beat in that regard.
Let’s add in a group of people who likely won’t enjoy the Ikki. I’m thinking of the folks who ride with other full-power eMTB bikes. You won’t be able to hang with those bikes and you’ll be falling off the back of the group quickly. It’s also not the riders who want to spin and cruise up tough climbs with ease.
Well, that’s going to do it. We’ll see you next time.
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