Remember Jonathan Brand? He’s the New York artist I wrote about back in January 9, 2015 who decided to make his own 3D-printed 1972 Honda CB500 because he couldn’t afford to buy one. Today, I’d like to introduce you to Maurizio “Mao” Casella, a fellow artist who may as well be Brand’s kindred spirit. See, Casella’s into 3D printing, too. But instead of going ham on a life-sized CB500, he took the simpler route of 3D printing a Vespa Primavera 125cc scooter->ke2256.

Unlike Brand’s life-sized CB500, Casella’s 3D-printed Primavera isn’t scaled to its actual size. Some of you might be disappointed at that, but before you dismiss Casella’s work, understand that the final product still looks pretty cool. We don’t chance upon a lot of 3D-printed items these days so seeing a replica of the Primavera using this technology is real treat to the senses.

Casella’s 3D-printed Vespa Primavera is made more interesting by the fact that he only used 14 unique files on the bike that can be printed and assembled in no time. Since it’s not scaled to actual size, and because it doesn’t have an actual engine, this 3D-printed scooter is relegated to being more of a showpiece than anything else. But like I said, how many times will you be able to show your friends a 3D-printed Vespa Primavera sitting comfortably in your living room?

It’s not as intricate as Jonathan Brand’s 3D-printed 1972 Honda CB500, but Casella’s 3D-printed Vespa Primavera is still pretty cool to look at.

Continue reading to read more about 3D printing and what it could do for the motorcycle industry in the future.

Why it matters

First of all, let's give a hat tip to Maurizio Casella for a job well done creating this 3D-printed Vespa Primavera scooter. It takes a man well-versed in the art of 3D printing to create something like this.

But let's dive into what 3D printing could mean for the motorcycle industry. Now I'm not an expert in this kind of technology, but I know well enough to say that 3D printing is slowly making some waves in the automotive industry. Look no further than Swedish megacar builder Koenigsegg, which admitted to using 3D printing in the creation of the One:1 megacar.

Is it possible then that the same application that Koenigsegg used, albeit done differently for the purpose of motorcycles, can actually be used in motorcycles in the future? Could there be a time when motorcycle manufacturers like Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, or BMW relay heavily on 3D printing bike components like fairings, fenders, clutch and brake levers, or frame sliders, instead of actually building them using traditional methods?

I'm a forever optimist so I'm going to lean on the possibility of seeing a future wherein 3D printing becomes an essential part of building motorcycles. Whether or not it does happen remains to be seen, but if a company like Koenigsegg can tap into the technology to help build the One:1, who's to say that a motorcycle manufacturer can't do the same in the future.