BMW Just Dropped the Mic with the Motorcycle of the Future
Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.
BMW‘s motorcycle designers went back to the future when creating the Vision Next 100 concept motorcycle, whose triangular frame layout, absence of suspension and low-slung horizontal power unit are all tributes to the original BMW motorcycle, the R32 of 1932.
The Vision Next 100’s frame is wrapped in black textile material to lend it the black color of its antecedent’s frame, while active tire sidewalls provide the give to soak up bumps in place of suspension. The black frame provides a background for the illuminated blue-and-white BMW roundel badge.
The bike uses an electric motor, encased in a housing whose sides extend outward while riding to create the appearance of a classic BMW horizontally opposed boxer twin. This will let riders avoid barking their shins on the unnecessary faux cylinder barrels because they will retract at parking lot speeds when they would put their feet down to back the bike into a parking space.
The rider will wear special glasses that convey all relevant information about the bike when they glance downward, while providing crucial safety data while the rider looks ahead. This, combined with the bike’s self-balancing gyroscope, makes helmets unnecessary, BMW asserts.
“Normally, when we develop a motorcycle, we tend to think five to ten years in advance,” explained Edgar Heinrich, head of design for BMW Motorrad. “On this occasion, we looked much further ahead and found the experience especially exciting. There are some very attractive prospects. I firmly believe the BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100 sets out a coherent future scenario for the BMW Motorrad brand.”
Buried within the Vision Next 100 concept’s bodywork is a self-balancing system that can keep the bike upright when stopped and can assist novices keeping the shiny side up while learning to ride. The system’s assistance makes the bike’s handling feel lighter, so even experienced riders can enjoy a benefit from the system, according to BMW.
Unfortunately, in the future, we apparently don’t use our motorcycles to attract people on dates with us, because the Vision Next 100 lacks a passenger seat. Maybe that’s the Vision Next 101.
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