The Saline Bird Concept is a concept bike designed by five design students - Charles-Edouard Berche, Ugo Spagnolo, Adrien Fuinel, Frederic Dobbelstein and Jean-Philippe Paries - at the ISD of Valenciennes (France) as a design exercise for their 2010-2011 final project. The bike has been designed as a race bike for the "Les Triplettes de Bonneville" and get sits inspiration from the shape of a skier as he flies down the slope.
The Saline Bird Concept is powered by a compressed air engine fed by three air tanks with a total capacity of 27 liters. It sits on a carbon fiber frame with leather skin parts in place of the conventional body panels. This leather skin can be slipped on and off "like a sock" in order to switch between body panels or no body panels. The bike can be turned into a road model by replacing the handlebar.
Technical partners of the project include MDI (engine), LUXFER (air tank), and BRM.
At the recent EICMA Show in Milan, Italy Husqvarna brought the Mille 3, a "concept study that demonstrates Husqvarna’s ability to design with highly diverse technical solutions, creating a dynamic and seductive contrast."
"It is an alloy of emotion, curiosity and anti-conformism, molded in an original form. A bike that is complete, but stripped down, elegant but slightly threatening. An explosive mix that appeals to all the senses and sets a new benchmark for future Husqvarna bikes."
The Mille 3 Concept is powered by a fuel-injected 933cc V-3 engine with the cylinders and heads taken from the Husky’s off-road bikes.
"The lines are flowing, the breaks decisive, the shape is streamlined. The vaguely retro rear blends effortlessly into the sculpted side panels. The overall look reinterprets and evolves the stylistic features and architecture typical of Husqvarna design. All in all, it is a winning combination of style and technology that amply expresses the project philosophy—whatever is not functional is superfluous and discarded."
The second concept Honda Motorcycles brought to EICMA Show is the V4 Crosstourer. The concept combines the phenomenal V4 engine and the revolutionary Dual Clutch Transimission and will deliver all the fun and excitement of a road sports bike; but with the comfortable upright riding position and manoeuvrability of an adventure machine.
The VFR1200F was the first model to utilize the new iconic V4 engine that signified the beginning of the new era in Honda’s engine line-up. The V4 Crosstourer Concept will utilise the same engine as the Road Sport category VFR to bring the benefits of this world-beating engine to a new type of customer. This will be the first time an Adventure Tourer bike has been fitted with a compact and powerful four cylinder V-engine unit.
The new bike is the second Honda to be fitted with this innovative transmission system after the VFR1200F and it is the first time this award-winning technology has been seen in this category.
Honda Motorcycle has brought the New Mid Concept to the EICMA Show in Milan, Italy. This concept combines innovative thinking and new technology to create a multi discipline machine.
The Honda New Mid Concept combines the latest engine technology with the advanced Dual Clutch Transmission technology which, up to now, has been exclusively offered on the VFR1200F. It also gets newly designed 17 inch wheels with pro link rear suspension and front fairing air vents coupled with the larger wheels that deliver greater stability when riding at higher speeds.
Taking the spirit of a sports motorcycle and the comfort of a scooter into a totally new format, the New Mid Concept will offer the energetic riding sensation of a motorcycle but with the ease and convenience of a scooter. This sector shattering combination of features creates a bike that is both visually dynamic and enjoyable to ride.
BMW has revealed the new Concept C today at the EICMA Show in Milan. The Concept C is BMW’s vision of the big scooter with the C in the name standing for "commuter." We’re all getting a little crowded nowadays with the number of people going to and from their homes, jobs, etc., and this concept is BMW’s response to that increasing traffic situation. They say the Concept C represents "the prospect of an innovative, sporty big scooter for the future premium segment."
The new Concept C presents the so-called “split face”, a visual tripartite of dynamic response extending from the front silhouette to the front wheel cover and beyond. In the style of highly sporty BMW Motorrad models, such as the S 1000 RR, Concept C also features a twin-tipped front spoiler.
Also, the Concept C features a highly complex monolever mechanism with hollowed-out shaft connected to a suspension strut visible from the outside. In this study, front-wheel control takes the form of an upside down fork. The stable twin disc brake at the front features two radial brake calipers that also underscore the dynamic sportiness of Concept C. In addition, the single disc brake at the rear and the BMW Motorrad ABS provide the maximum possible safety during braking maneuvers.
Ducati might not really think at building a single-cylinder naked for the crowd of beginners and motorcycle enthusiasts looking for an affordable and fuel-efficient two-wheeled commuter, but – as this sketch reveals – they don’t know what they’re missing. The concept, designed by Oberdan Bezzi and called Ducati Desmolight 450 is dedicated to all adrenaline junkies out there, so it should be sporty and versatile, just the way riders expect an Italian bike to be.
Using Ducati’s distinctive styling and an entry-level approach towards the bike’s every single aspect (forget the Brembo brakes), any bike looking like that as it comes out the Borgo Panigale’s factory could really make it in the real world. But in the end this remains only a very plausible concept bike.
Having “smelled” the recent frenzy generated by the launch of the all-new Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré and Ducati Multistrada 1200, which come as direct competitors for the BMW R1200GS, Oberdan Bezzi decided to bring a fourth player to the game in the form of the Honda Africa Twin 1200. He so revives the Japanese enduro legend that was only produced with a middleweight engine (750cc) through the 1990s and up until 2003.
In order to make it on today’s much more competitive market, the new bike would have to develop around 140hp and rely on an extremely versatile chassis, just to start with. Comfort, good looks and many touring accessories should tip the scale in favor of Honda if they ever decide to revive the Africa Twin in the upgraded form demanded by today’s enduro standards. We believe Obiboi’s sketch marks the spot.
What we like the most about the Duka electric motorcycle is the fact that although it retains the timeless lines of cruisers, it is actually conceptualized as an electric machine of the future. Obviously, it won’t sound mean, but the two compact and efficient DC motors are claimed to allow the Duka to ride freely on the highways and yet remain manageable around the city.
Featuring an inside-out aluminum frame structure based on structural I-beams, this should be a safe and durable cruiser with a low center of gravity and a forgiving riding position. Also, interchangeable components named “Pods” should ease maintenance and upgrades, but we would have to see at least a prototype before we start drooling.
As hard as it may be to believe for those not directly involved, scooter riders love their small and buzzing machines, so because it “wouldn’t be the same without it,” designer Marc Graells Ballve has created the armadillo-inspired armor for scooters.
Called ‘Protect 486′ the system is easy to attach to the scooter’s bodywork and then be wrapped on top of it, protecting the thing from sun, rain and even thieves. Yes, it even has an alarm that goes off if anyone tries to go past the attractive looking orange protective shell.
There’s nothing wrong with the idea of protecting your ride and this actually looks like a practical concept despite the fact that it makes any two-wheeler look like the half of a pimp’s Cadillac.
For the NaSty concept, GPDesign has taken Suzuki’s entry-level naked bike, the Gladius, and made their best in turning it into a supermoto version. Focusing on technology and innovation to enhance the design and emphasize safety, the NaSty concept also has the purpose of keeping riders interested in the bike as it is claimed to be very versatile.
Among its most important features we find the 2.75-inch taller seat. The sporty looking unit is actually made of alcantara leather and it is water resistant, so quality was definitely taken into consideration. Also, they’ve added supermoto handlebars with handguards and everything. These lasts together with the tall front fender and front plastic body parts do make the Gladius in its NaSty form even easier to love.
At the back, an aftermarket exhaust and a new plate holder do the trick. What’s best about this concept is that it features fluorescent paint on the rims, tank and handguards, which makes the thing more visible at night and implicit much safer to ride. Good idea!
