UNNO IKKI RACE
£10,195 A lightweight e-bike from a heavyweight design firm
UNNO have released their first lightweight e-MTB, the IKKI. Designed for folk who have reservations about e-bikes, it aims to give aggressive riders a natural, enduro bike-like feel, but with a helping hand back to the top.
THE FRAME
The IKKI boasts a distinctive, angular monocoque carbon fibre chassis, which provides 160mm of rear-wheel travel via a co-rotating twin-link suspension design. Due to the progressive frame kinematics (exceeding 42 per cent), UNNO recommend that riders run more sag than usual – 35 per cent.
Frame features include a neat chain guide, an aero-road-bike-worthy seat clamp and guided internal cable routing, via a custom headset cap. There are bosses on the down tube for a 500ml water bottle or a 160Wh range extender. The bike is designed around a mixed, ‘mullet’ wheel set-up (29in front, 650b rear). There’s no flip-chip for geometry adjustment or to accommodate a 29in rear wheel.
Pedalling assistance is provided by a TQ HPR50 motor, which delivers up to 50Nm of torque and 300W of peak power, and is paired with a 360Wh battery. There’s a display integrated into the frame’s top tube, and you can customise the assistance in TQ’s app.
We tested the middle of the three size options. This has a generous 470mm reach and 450mm chainstays, a 64-degree head angle and 77-degree effective seat tube angle. The seat tube is moderately tall, at 460mm.
THE KIT
This Race build may come in at over £10k but it’s the cheaper of the two specs offered. It still features quality kit, though, starting with a Fox 38 Factory fork and Float X2 shock. These are complemented by a SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission and Formula Cura 4 brakes. The bike rolls on DT Swiss HX 1700 wheels fitted with Maxxis rubber. Finishing things off are a combined bar/stem from UNNO’s parts brand DEUX and a OneUp post.
THE RIDE
Pedalling uphill, the geometry feels neutral. Even with the extra sag, progression ramps up sharply, so there’s not a lot of pedal bob once the bike settles into its stroke, and we didn’t need to use the shock’s climb switch. The increased sag also means there’s plenty of grip from the rear tyre on steeper terrain. While the TQ motor adds a helpful push up the climbs, it’s smooth and quiet, and doesn’t interfere with your pedalling. Despite the slack head angle, the front end doesn’t feel vague or hard to control on slow climbs, either.
Hitting the downhills, the IKKI is impressive if you’re a hard charger. Support feels firm from the sag point on, and the high progression means you don’t have to worry about slamming into rock gardens or flatlanding drops. Push the bike hard, and it’s got your back. Deeper into the travel, it maintains speed really well.
The UNNO is incredibly stable when going fast and has a high ceiling for speed. Through corners, it’s manoeuvrable, with plenty of grip. It’s not the easiest bike to hop, but the supportive suspension means you can pump jumps and rollers without losing momentum. We had fun on the IKKI, but don’t be fooled into thinking the high sag percentage will give a supple ride – it has a firmness that demands a commanding riding style. Luke
A hard-charging e-bike best suited to more aggressive riders