Muji has produced vehicles before: The Muji car 1000 since 2001 is the product of cooperation with Nissan. Limited edition 1,000 pieces without badges Nissan Parade simply furnished, offered only in “white marble” and only available online as an exercise to test the company’s web marketing system.
Muji also has a history of creating simple two-wheelers—its 1982 H-Type bike shares the aesthetic of the symmetrical design used as the inspiration for this MS01. In a way, this new motorcycle brings Honda back to its roots by creating simple mobility solutions for the masses, to try and recapture some of the magic of the Super Cub.
Raw aesthetics = Raw experience
When the bike arrived at my house, it had no instructions or instructions on how to use it. This is where purity begins to shine: By removing the technology and sometimes difficult application linkages of other motorcycles, you simply climb up and on. That’s exactly what I did, and I was quickly circling the streets near my home in Shanghai.
Photo: Muji
Hewn from a solid piece of aluminum alloy, the simple handlebars, without the decorations or tentacles typical of competitors, feel solid and most of all make me believe in my ability. controller of the motorcycle. There’s a small, basic LCD screen framed in the middle of the handlebars that shows my battery level, trip info, and driving mode. However, when approaching the first corner from my house, I noticed no indicator lights or wing mirrors. Without them, horseback riding becomes as simple as possible, but you’ll feel a bit nervous going to work in the morning in a city of 24 million people.
Photo: Muji
Photo: Muji
Most electric motorcycles like the NIU have small wheels, but the MS01 comes with large, 17-inch tubeless wheels, with disc brakes at the front and rear. Push off the kickstand, rotate the handle and you’re off—quickly at first thanks to the 400 W motor, then with power that fades after about 15 km per hour, up to a limited top speed of 25 km per hour (admittedly 15 mph for pedestrians). I easily beat the other motorcycles out of line, but soon ran out of breath. All this to save battery—removable lithium batteries rated at 48 V/20 Ah—have a range of up to 65 km (40 miles) and can easily last a week on the road simple commute in the city.
I noticed that the plastic trim didn’t creak or shake, which is common on other cheaper competitors’ motorcycles. However, above all, everyone looked at me. The clean black frame on the pure white background of the bodywork really stands out from the sea of motorbikes that are colorful, cheap plastic, and run on lead-acid batteries.
Hidden under the saddle is a single shock absorber that helps to soften bumps from bumpy roads. However, every time I gently accelerated past 15km an hour, a non-stop beeping sound every 5 seconds, likely reminding me to keep my cruise speed intact. It does nothing more than annoy and spoil the driving experience somewhat.
