UNNO has released its first lightweight electric mountain bike, dubbed the IKKI. The IKKI is designed to appeal to ebike sceptics and provide a natural enduro bike feel, while lending a helping hand back to the top of the hill.
The IKKI’s design, sizing, shape and kinematics are identical to UNNO’s full-power MITH electric mountain bike. However, it has been refined to fit TQ’s smaller TQ HPR50 electric bike motor and 360Wh battery.
Initially, there will be two builds available, the IKKI Race and IKKI Factory, priced at £10,195 / $9,795 (ex VAT) / €10,295 and £12,795 / $12,295 (ex VAT) / €13,095, respectively. As you would expect, there are high-level components on both models.
UNNO design language
The IKKI is instantly recognisable as an UNNO, sharing very similar geometry and kinematics with the MITH and BURN.
The IKKI features UNNO’s monocoque carbon fibre frame construction, which delivers 160mm of rear travel from a co-rotating twin-link suspension design.
One of the most interesting features of the bike, bar its striking looks, is the kinematics' progression. That is extremely high at over 42 per cent. As such, UNNO suggests running an aggressive 35 per cent sag at the shock, with scope to add or remove 5 per cent.
The leverage ratio follows a very progressive curve to the mid-stroke and then tapers off deeper in the travel. This was designed to bring a very supple and grippy initial feel to the suspension and plenty of support through the mid-stroke for pushing hard.
The frame features plenty of integration, from the subtle chain guide to the seat clamp that wouldn’t look out of place on an aero road bike. The frame also features guided internal cable routing. This begins through the headset for a sleek look, by way of UNNO’s custom-designed cable guiding.
All the plastic parts of the frame, such as the headset caps, are made from Oceanworks recycled plastics. The rubber parts are recycled too, according to the brand.
The frame can fit a 500ml water bottle with a Fidlock attachment, or a 160Wh range extender, which is sold separately. To suit the bike's aggro intentions, there’s a 220mm maximum rotor size and space for 2.6in tyres if you see fit.
The bike is built around mixed wheel sizes, with a 29in front and 27.5in rear wheel. There are no flip chips to alter geometry or fit a 29in rear wheel.
UNNO has also produced its own motor protector to help prevent damage, and it uses Double Row EnduroMax bearings to maximise bearing life. If you want to beef up the IKKI, the carbon frame is rated for dual-crown forks.
A helping hand
As mentioned, the IKKI uses a TQ HPR50 electric bike motor, kicking out 50Nm of torque and peak power of 300W. The motor is powered by TQ’s 360Wh battery and the IKKI benefits from TQ’s integrated top tube display.
The motor offers three levels of assistance that can be tailored in TQ’s app to suit your individual preferences. The frame will fit a 160Wh range extender, boosting total capacity to 520Wh.
UNNO specced the TQ system because it believes it’s the smallest, lightest, quietest and most natural-feeling ebike motor available for the power on offer, helping the IKKI achieve the most natural ride feel possible. It's well-disguised, too.
More than meets the eye
Geometry-wise, there are three frame sizes to choose from: S1, S2 and S3. While the IKKI's geometry chart is not the most progressive, UNNO says that once sitting at 35 per sag, the dynamic geometry is much more aggressive.
The reach numbers range from an ample 435mm to 470mm and 510mm for the S1 to S3 frames. These all share the same stable 450mm chainstays.
The three sizes share a modern, but not boundary-pushing 77-degree effective seat tube angle and a 64-degree head tube angle. As stated, these will become slacker on the trail.
The figures that stick out are the tall stack heights. These jump from 630mm to 640mm and 663mm on the S1 to S3 respectively, highlighting the bikes are built for steep and wild trails and providing a tall front end.
The bottom bracket is low-slung, dropping 15mm below the rear axle and 30mm below the front. Due to the shock tunnel, seat tubes are moderately tall at 440mm, 460mm and 490mm for the three sizes.
| UNNO IKKI geometry | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | S1 | S2 | S3 |
| Reach (mm) | 435 | 470 | 510 |
| Stack (mm) | 630 | 640 | 663 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) | 64 | 64 | 64 |
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| Seat tube length (mm) | 440 | 460 | 490 |
| BB drop (mm) | 30/15 | 30/15 | 30/15 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1224 | 1265 | 1316 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 450 | 450 | 450 |
| Top tube (mm) | 570 | 605 | 647 |
| Standover (mm) | 700 | 700 | 700 |
UNNO IKKI specs and pricing
Unno is initially releasing two models of the IKKI – the Race and the more expensive Factory. Neither is cheap, but UNNO says it is looking to move away from its boutique heritage and become a more accessible brand.
Carbon production has been outsourced to China.
UNNO IKKI Race
- Frame: Monocoque carbon fibre, 160mm travel
- Fork: Fox 38 Factory, 170mm travel
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Factory
- Drive unit: TQ HPR50, 360Wh battery
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type, e.thirteen E*spec Plus cranks
- Wheelset: DT Swiss HX 1700, Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip EXO 29x2.4in (f), Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra DoubleDown 27.5x2.4in (r)
- Brakes: Formula Cura 4, 220/203mm rotors
- Bar/stem: DEUX Enduro bars and integrated stem, 800mm, 20mm rise / 40mm
- Seatpost/saddle: OneUp dropper, S1: 120mm, S2: 150mm, S3: 180mm / Sella Italia SLR Boost
- Weight: 18.9kg (claimed, size S2)
- Price £10,195 / $9,795 (ex VAT) / €10,295
UNNO IKKI Factory
- Frame: Monocoque carbon fibre, 160mm travel
- Forks: Fox 38 Factory, 170mm travel
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Factory
- Drive unit: TQ HPR50, 360Wh battery
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle AXS T-Type
- Wheelset: DT Swiss HXC 1501, Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip EXO 29x2.4in (f), Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra DoubleDown 27.5x2.4in (r)
- Brakes: Formula Cura 4, 220/203mm rotors
- Bar/stem: DEUX Enduro bars and integrated stem, 800mm, 20mm rise / 40mm
- Seatpost/saddle: RockShox Reverb AXS S1: 125mm, S2: 150mm, S3: 175mm travel / Sella Italia SLR Boost
- Weight: 18.5kg (claimed, size S2)
- Price £12,795 / $12,295 (ex VAT) / €13,095
UNNO IKKI Race initial ride impressions
I got a brief ride on the UNNO IKKI Race in Spain before the bike's launch. I spent a morning and afternoon riding around some of north Barcelona’s best enduro trails to get an initial impression of the bike. Each 20km ride featured approximately 1,000m of climbing.
Setting up the IKKI takes a little bit of time because the leverage ratio is so different from most bikes out there. I ended up running 135psi in the shock to get 35 per cent sag for my 75kg weight. I turned the low- and high-speed compression fully open. Low-speed rebound was fully open and high-speed two clicks from open.
For the Fox 38 fork, I ran my preferred settings. These are 88psi, high and low-speed compression fully open, low-speed rebound fully open and high-speed rebound four clicks from open.
Pedalling the bike uphill, the geometry felt neutral. The 470mm reach is a touch longer than other bikes I've tested. However, the effective top tube felt comfortable for seated pedalling.
Even with the high sag setting, the progression ramps up sharply, so there's not an awful lot of pedal bob once the bike settles into its sag. Even when the shock was fully open, I didn't need to use its climb switch. That sag also means there's plenty of grip at the rear tyre when tackling steeper, more difficult terrain, which is helpful on an ebike.
The front end, even though it's slack when riding, wasn't vague or hard to control on slow climbs. Its climbing ability is decent and it's capable when pointed skywards.
Hitting the downhills, the bike is impressive if you're coming from a race background, thanks to its supportive rear end. Even though it runs plenty of sag, the support feels pretty firm from the sag point on. My test shock had Fox’s middle compression tune and the production bikes will have the lightest compression tune to help increase suspension sensitivity.
That high progression means there's no fear about slamming into rock gardens or flat landing drops. Push the bike hard and it always has your back. Once you get deeper into the travel during hard compressions, the IKKI maintains speed really well.
The biggest highlight of the IKKI is its stability. It's incredibly well-balanced when going fast and has a very high ceiling for speed.
Through the corners, I found it manoeuvrable and predictable. It stays planted to the floor, with plenty of grip. It's not the easiest bike to hop off the floor, but the support means pumping jumps and rollers is possible without sapping momentum.
I had fun riding the IKKI. Once set up, it's easy to jump on and ride fast thanks to its stability and its capable handling.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the high sag percentage is going to give you a supple ride though. It has a firmness to it that demands a commanding riding style.
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