the Honda Motocompacto is the Worst Thing You Can Buy for $995

 

Some say that it’s the best thing to come out of Japan since sushi. Others say that it’s a glorified toy for grown-ups who never learned to ride a bike. I say that it’s the Honda Motocompacto, and it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.

The Motocompacto is a folding electric scooter that Honda claims is the perfect solution for urban mobility. It’s supposed to fit in the trunk of your car, on the bus, or even in your closet. It has a top speed of 15 mph, a range of 12 miles, and a price tag of $995¹. It also looks like something you’d find in a Kinder Surprise egg.

The first problem with the Motocompacto is that it’s not very compact. When folded, it measures 28 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 14 inches high². That’s about the size of a large suitcase. You’d need a pretty spacious trunk to fit it in, and good luck carrying it around. It weighs 44 pounds², which is more than a bag of cement. And don’t even think about taking it on a plane. You’d have to pay extra for the oversized luggage fee, and then explain to the security staff why you have a metal contraption with wires and batteries in your bag.

The second problem with the Motocompacto is that it’s not very comfortable. The seat is hard and narrow, the foot pegs are slippery and awkward, and the handlebars are too low and too close to your knees. The ride quality is harsh and bumpy, and the brakes are weak and spongy. The digital speedometer is tiny and hard to read, and the charge gauge is unreliable and vague. The only thing that works well is the LED headlight, which is bright enough to blind oncoming traffic.

The third problem with the Motocompacto is that it’s not very fun. The electric motor is silent and soulless, and the throttle response is sluggish and jerky. The steering is vague and wobbly, and the suspension is stiff and jarring. The battery takes 3.5 hours to charge², which means you can’t go very far or very fast without stopping for a long time. And if you run out of juice in the middle of nowhere, you’re stuck with a useless lump of metal that you can’t even fold properly.

The Motocompacto is a modern, all-electric take on the Honda Motocompo, which was a folding petrol-powered scooter from the early '80s³. The Motocompo was designed to fit in the back of the Honda City, which was a tiny hatchback that looked like a shoebox⁴. The Motocompo was quirky and cute, and had some charm and character. The Motocompacto is bland and boring, and has none of those things.

The Motocompacto is supposed to be an innovative approach to personal electric transportation¹, but it’s really just a waste of time and money. It’s too big, too heavy, too slow, too expensive, and too impractical. It’s not a scooter, it’s not a bike, it’s not a car, it’s not anything. It’s just a joke.