Concept Bikes

The importance of local culture in shaping a marketplace was never more conspicuous to this Western mind than at the Bangkok Motor Show when Honda showed two concept bikes that are so far from the normality of Western markets that they will challenge your thinking as they did mine. The highlights of Honda Thailand's massive exhibition were a Chopper-styled scooter and a Grand Prix Racer-styled mini-bike meant for the road.  Read More

The curved drop handlebars long found on racing bicycles are pretty nifty, right? If you want to get down low to reduce your wind resistance you grab hold of the lower part, and if you’re climbing a hill and need to get a bit more weight and leverage on the crank you can shift your grip to the top bar. The Continuously Ergonomic Race Vehicle (CERV) concept bike takes things a step (or two) further with a design that dynamically adjusts the position of the handlebars based on the terrain being covered, all without changing the seat-to-crank height.  Read More

Jordan Meadows is best known for his automotive work such as the Award-winning Kaan, Mazda Kiyora and Mazda Furai, but his portfolio includes some remarkable work such as the Hellfighter VTOL aircraft and Hydroplane Racer concepts. His latest concept is the Metalback cafe racer motorcycle, fashioned to exist where substance and sustainability meet speed and style. The engine is a V4 diesel running on environmentally-friendly bio diesel fuel, while the frame and skin are crafted from recycled aluminum.  Read More

BMW released stunning images this week of a new concept motorcycle that nobody saw coming, featuring the resurgence of an engine configuration we all thought was long-dead. In recent years Triumph has stamped itself as the master of modern triples, and now BMW has made a clear statement of intent that it's bringing the inline six back to the bike world. The Concept 6 showcases a brand-new 1600cc engine that's four inches narrower than any previous production six, and produces truly prodigious power and torque throughout the rev range. And it's housed in a cafe racer body that has to go down as the sexiest motorcycle design BMW have ever produced. Sensational stuff... We can has production model plz?  Read More

Big change is afoot at BMW's motorcycle division. After unleashing the ferocious K1300 series, the crazy HP2 Megamoto and the instantly-competitive S1000R superbike, BMW today showed a bruising concept bike to the fascinated crowds at Milan's EICMA motorcycle expo. Reminiscent of the certified bad-ass Confederate Hellcat, the 1200cc Boxer-engined Lo-Rider is a nasty-looking stubby musclebike that takes BMW's conservative image and beats it to a pulp behind the school toilets. The Lo-Rider is nearly ready for production if interest is high (which it will be) - and BMW are already talking about a mix-n-match sales process that lets customers choose their own headlight, seat and tail units, pipes and paint schemes for a true factory custom vibe.  Read More

Honda have released a new concept sportsbike at Intermot that frankly has us completely stumped. The V4 Concept Model is meant to showcase Honda's intention to "use the power of dreams to take motorcycling somewhere it has never been before" - somewhere, presumably, where motorcycles do away with things like tyres, suspension, brakes, axles and final drive systems. Can YOU figure out a single piece of relevant information this machine is signaling about tomorrow's Hondas, or is it a simple styling exercise?  Read More

Providing a futuristic showcase platform for the company's upcoming technical and styling directions, Aprilia’s FV2 concept bike incorporates a fly-by-wire injection system, traction control, ABS, electronically adjustable suspension and carbon fiber construction with a 1200cc, 90-degree v-twin engine that we are likely to see in the RSV and Tuono in the next couple of years.  Read More

November 16, 2005 Ducati used the opening of the EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan yesterday to show two new motorcycles – one you can buy and a concept that Ducati is considering for production. The bike you can buy (as a 2007 model in 2006) is the new king of the naked bike class, the MONSTER S4RS TESTASTRETTA, a minimalist machine powered by the legendary Testastretta engine which has won several World Superbike championships and puts 130 brake horsepower on the tarmac (150 bhp with an optional exhaust). Equally as delectable and appealing as the S4RS was the Hypermotard concept machine – an extension of the supermotard class of machines using an air-cooled 1000 Dual Spark engine and weighing in at just 175 kilograms. EXTENSIVE IMAGE LIBRARY OF THE NEW MACHINES  Read More

Styled in the likeness of a Pit Bull, it has a supercharged version of the most powerful motor in mainstream motorcycling, the frame, brakes and suspension of a MotoGP racer, plus the most sophisticated digital electronics and communications package yet assembled for a bike - it is the Suzuki B-King concept bike, shown in 2002 for the first time by Suzuki and the world is still waiting for it to materialise in production form. Another first with the B-King is that it will be the first motorcycle to come with its own helmet - the B-King is the first motorcycle to be designed for use with a heads-up display, so the rider does not need to unfocus from the road to read the the speedo, tacho or navigation instructions from the GPS system. In keeping with its macho image, Suzuki has banished the use of plastic in the construction of the machine - it is made entirely of carbon fibre, metal and leather. Unofficially, the bike is producing 250 horsepower, and hence it's not surprising it wears a very wide set of road  Read More