New York Bill Targets Illegal E-Motos, Gazelle Expands the Ultimate Lineup, Honda Shows Off an eMTB Concept │ TWR Ep 102

A new bill in New York would crack down on the sale of illegal e-motos, and it follows a rise in crashes across the state, including one in which two people died after an e-moto hit a bicycle head on.

The legislation defines an e-moto as a vehicle capable of exceeding 20 mph that isn’t covered by the Vehicle Traffic Law’s definitions of e-bikes or e-scooters, and that isn’t required to be registered with the DMV. It would also create a definition for an “electric off-highway motorcycle” and require that those be sold through licensed ATV dealers. On top of that, retailers would have to provide a disclaimer telling buyers that these machines aren’t legal on New York roads.

Assemblymember Diana Moreno, who is behind the bill, pointed out that these devices can top 50 mph and said the recent deaths confirm they don’t belong on New York streets. She also noted that many New Yorkers depend on e-bikes and other micromobility devices to get around or to earn a living, and that those riders deserve to be safe.

Our Take:

We’re glad to see a clear separation drawn between these machines and e-bikes. That distinction is the piece most legislation gets wrong, and when it’s missing, Class 1, 2, and 3 riders end up carrying the consequences of something they had nothing to do with.

Putting the burden on the point of sale is a smart angle too. Plenty of people buying these things genuinely don’t know what they’re getting, and a required disclaimer at the register does more good than a law most riders will never read.

Gazelle is adding three new Class 1 bikes to its Ultimate family: the Ultimate T10, the Ultimate C5, and the Ultimate C380. They’re built on the same platform and geometry as the Class 3 Ultimate Speed models the brand introduced earlier this year, but they’re aimed at a different kind of ride.

Gazelle described it this way: the Ultimate Speed models are for riders chasing speed and commuting performance, while the new Class 1 models are for everything else. More leisure and recreation focused, still sporty and dynamic, but tuned for riders who want a natural pedal assist feel. The company also pointed out that these are some of its bestselling models, now at a better price, and that the full lineup means there’s an Ultimate for however someone wants to ride.

The redesigned platform brings a few upgrades across the board. All models get wider tires, a suspension seatpost, and an air fork to take the edge off rough pavement. There’s full Bosch smart system integration, and riders get either a Kiox or a Purion display depending on the model. Gazelle describes the fit as an active but comfortable riding position.

Our Take:

These look like solid additions, and we’d love to get our hands on them. Gazelle taking its best-selling platform and offering it in a Class 1 flavor at a lower price is a sensible move, especially for riders who never wanted 28 mph in the first place.

There are a lot of people out there who just want a good bike that feels like a bike. An air fork, wider tires, and a Bosch system tuned for a natural pedal feel is a pretty appealing combination for that rider.

Honda brought an e-MTB concept called the RN0 to Sea Otter Europe, developed in partnership with German bike company Rotwild.

The spec sheet is serious. It’s built around a full carbon frame with a Shimano EP8 mid-drive, and it’s kitted out with a Shimano XTR groupset that includes a 12-speed drivetrain, a wired-in Di2 derailleur, and 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes. It runs a mullet setup with a 29″ front wheel and a 27.5″ rear, plus Fox suspension including a Fox 36 fork.

Honda said the bike uses a lightweight carbon monocoque frame inspired by its motorcycle engineering, designed to balance rigidity and flexibility for precise handling, confident cornering, and good rider feedback. The company also said the suspension layout is built to climb efficiently while staying composed on demanding terrain. Honda described its approach as a “Man Maximum, Machine Minimum” philosophy, which seems to point toward a lower-powered unit meant to enhance rider effort rather than overpower it.

There’s one more wrinkle. BikeRumor noticed that Honda’s teaser video for the bike showed a motor that doesn’t match the standard Shimano production unit on the display model.

Our Take:

That motor detail is the most interesting thing here. If Honda and Shimano are working together on something that isn’t the current EP8, that’s a bigger story than the concept bike itself.

As for the RN0, we’d expect nothing less than a well-sorted bike from a Honda and Rotwild collaboration, and the build reflects that. Concept bikes are concept bikes, though, and there’s a long distance between a show floor in Europe and a bike you can actually buy. We’ll be watching to see if this one goes anywhere.

Basecamp’s HT-10 helmet, made by Tongyang Cycling, is being recalled because it doesn’t comply with safety standards governing impact attenuation and positional stability. In plain terms, the helmet may not stay in place during a crash, and it may not absorb impacts the way a helmet is supposed to.

The helmets also fail to meet certification requirements, and they don’t carry the required labeling warning against ingestion of the included button cell battery. In a crash, or if the battery is swallowed, the results can be serious injury or death.

There are 315 units affected. They were sold on Amazon for $34 between July 2024 and July 2026. If you have one, stop using it, cut off the straps, take a photo of the destroyed helmet, and contact Tongyang Cycling with that photo to get a full refund.

Our Take:

The unit count here is small, but the failure is about as fundamental as it gets. A helmet that doesn’t stay on your head or absorb an impact isn’t doing the one job you bought it for, and the missing button cell warning makes this worse if there are kids in the house.

If you’ve got one of these sitting in the garage, cut the straps and get your refund. A $34 helmet isn’t worth the gamble, and the recall process here is about as easy as these things get.

Wet season is coming, and Showers Pass sent over a handful of pieces we’ve been putting to use.

The Syncline CC Jacket is a lightweight waterproof and windproof outer layer made from a mix of Artex fabric and recycled nylon. It has Scotchlite reflective material for visibility, two vents for breathability, and a hood cut to fit under a helmet. It comes in six sizes and two colors. Ours is leaf green, but there’s also a firecracker red/orange. It runs $199.

The Cloudburst Jacket is the hoodless option, and it’s soft, stretchy, breathable, and waterproof. The standout feature is how small it packs down. It stows inside its own back pocket. It’s made from lightweight eliteAIR fabric and recycled polyester, has large vents that double as pockets, and has a slimmer fit with 4-way stretch. Six sizes, two colors, and ours is pear, with black also available. It’s $239.

The Cross Point Waterproof Knit Gloves in Pro Wool use a 3-layer construction that’s both breathable and waterproof, with a Merino wool liner for warmth. Showers Pass puts them in the 30 to 50 degree range. There’s silicone on the palm and fingertips for grip, and conductive yarn on the index finger and thumb so you can use a touchscreen. They stretch like socks. Six sizes, three colors, and $59 per pair.

The Cross Point Waterproof Socks in Sport use the same 3-layer breathable, waterproof construction. They have full-length cushioning on the footbed, a synthetic liner for moisture wicking, an antibacterial treatment for odor control, and reinforcement at the heel and toe. Four sizes, two colors, and $52 per pair.

Our Takeaway: If you ride through fall and winter, this is the kind of gear that decides whether you actually go out or make an excuse. The Cloudburst is the one we keep reaching for, mostly because it packs into its own pocket and lives in a bag without taking up space.

The socks and gloves are the sleeper picks here. Cold, wet hands and feet end a ride faster than a cold torso does, and both of these are priced in a range where they’re easy to justify.

• Does slow charging actually make an e-bike battery last longer?
• Why were we so easy on the N+ Ford Mustang e-bike, and what does our testing and review process actually look like?
• Should throttle speeds be limited to less than 20 mph?
• Which folding e-bike should a high-mileage rider pick to replace a Lectric XPremium without spending $5,000?