There’s something undeniably fun about folding electric motorcycles. They’re small, a little weird, and impossible to dislike. You look at one and instantly get that “I need to try this” feeling. The Icoma Tatamel Bike taps into that energy in the best way. It folds into a suitcase-sized block you can roll around like luggage, then unfolds into a tiny electric motorcycle you can actually ride.
Icoma is a small Japanese outfit founded by Takamitsu Ikoma, who used to design toys at Takara Tomy, the company behind the iconic Tomica scale model cars. And once you know that, the whole concept makes perfect sense.
The Tatamel Bike feels like a Transformer someone accidentally turned into a real product. Icoma isn’t trying to be a big player in the e-bike world. They’re more interested in fun ideas and oddball engineering, which is what makes them worth paying attention to.
The Tatamel Bike has been floating around as a prototype for a while, but it’s finally a production model now. Folded up, it measures about 27 inches long, 27 inches tall, and 10 inches thick. Open it up, and it becomes roughly 48 inches long, 39 inches tall, and 25 inches wide. That size puts it right between “tiny urban runabout” and “fun-sized minibike,” which is a sweet spot for riders who want something compact but still usable.
It weighs 139 pounds, so it isn’t something you’ll want to lift every day, but the aluminum frame and folding hardware make up most of that. It rides on a proper front fork and a rear monoshock, so it doesn’t have that cheap stand-up scooter feel. The wheels are mismatched in a quirky way. The front is 10 inches, and the rear is 6.5 inches (good luck finding tires for that), and it’s rated to carry up to 220 pounds, which covers plenty of adult riders just fine, especially for Asians like me who are on the smaller end of the spectrum.
Power comes from a 600-watt motor with a 2,000-watt peak, or about 0.8 horsepower with quick bursts up to roughly 2.7 horsepower. It tops out at around 25 miles per hour, which is more than enough for neighborhood rides or short city hops. The 600-watt-hour LiFePO4 battery has 51.2 volts and 12 amp hours, good for around 18.6 miles of real-world use. There’s a USB port too, letting you use the bike as a tiny power station if you need to top up a device.
The flat side panels are 3D printed and swappable, so you can change colors or graphics whenever you want. It’s a small touch, but it fits the Tatamel’s vibe. The whole bike feels like a gadget you can customize, which is part of why it stands out among other compact e-bikes.
Of course, the big question is whether you can really treat it like a suitcase and take it on a plane. The short answer is no. The battery is way bigger than what airlines allow. The FAA caps mobility device batteries at 300 watt hours, and the Tatamel’s pack is literally double that. A lot of airlines also have blanket bans on anything that looks like an e-bike or electric scooter. So this is a trunk bike or apartment bike, not an airport bike.
Used for what it’s designed for, it makes a ton of sense. It’s small enough to store inside, fast enough for errands, and built with real suspension so it doesn’t feel like a toy. It lives in the same mental space as the Honda Motocompacto, but with more power, more personality, and more of that minibike feel. Pricing starts at 498,000 yen, which is about $3,300, although US buyers will surely pay much more once shipping and import fees are added.
At the end of the day, the Tatamel Bike captures the best part of compact electric mobility. It’s clever, playful, oddly practical, and way more charming than it needs to be. Folding electric motorcycles and bicycles will always have a place among riders who want something tiny and joyful, and the Tatamel leans all the way into that idea.
Source: Icoma
