In 100 years, we'll be riding motorcycles with听smart tires,听zero-emission听motors,听and听flexible frames听that change shape to steer. The machines will be so safe, in fact, that听we won't need any听protective听gear. That's BMW's vision, at least.听
The company's celebrating its听100th birthday by envisioning what a motorcycle will look like in a century. The initiative听isn't limited to BMW: the听German carmaker has听tasked each of its brands鈥擱olls-Royce, Mini, BMW, and BMW Motorrad鈥攚ith predicting the kind of vehicles they might make 100 years from now. For the motorcycle concept, BMW听turned to its very first bike for inspiration. The听BMW听Motorrad听Vision Next 100 draws heavily from the 1923 BMW R32鈥檚 rigid frame, boxer motor, and art deco design.听听
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IndefinitelyWild is a lifestyle column telling the story of adventure travel in the outdoors, the vehicles and gear that get us there, and the people we meet along the way. Follow us on听,听, and听.鈥淭he BMW Motorrad Vision Next听100 embodies the BMW Group鈥檚 vision of biking in a connected world鈥攁n analog experience in a digital age,鈥 explains Edgar Heinrich, the head of design. As other vehicles become autonomous, they see the听motorcycle increasingly fostering a connection between man and machine.听
One-hundred听years is a long time into the future鈥攎uch longer than any vehicle designer can accurately听predict鈥攕o this concept bike is more a flight of fancy, a giant 鈥渨hat if,鈥 than a conglomeration of realistic ideas. Take the flexible frame鈥攄esigned to eliminate steering linkages and joints鈥攖hat relies on materials that have yet to be go into production. Suggesting that suspension duties can be handled by auto-adjusting tires is simply make-believe. That a rider will be able to safely operate a motorcycle free of a helmet, gloves, or other safety gear is likewise听wishful thinking.听
The exciting thing here is that BMW sees a future for the motorcycle at all. With autonomous driving, shared vehicle ownership (or no ownership at all), and zero emissions being the three main trends shaping transportation鈥檚 future, a dirty, dangerous relic of the past is here re-imagined听to still provide听some element of involvement and risk in an otherwise soon-to-be sanitized human experience.听
Granted, those three trends remain key听components of this future motorcycle鈥檚 design. The power source for the accordion-like expanding motor isn鈥檛 specified, but is presumed to be electric. While the rider will ultimately be in control of the motorcycle, they鈥檒l benefit from the enhanced decision making made possible by autonomous motoring. And听ownership is presented as a recreational pursuit, rather than practical transportation.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/oW0ShDRggts
鈥淭he bike has the full range of connected data from its surroundings and a set of intelligent systems working in the background, so it knows exactly what lies ahead,鈥 says Holger Hampf, BMW鈥檚 user experience designer. 鈥淏y collating the data it has gathered, it can suggest ideal lines and banking angles听or warn riders of hazards ahead.鈥
Rider comfort is addressed by a suit said to heat and cool its wearer, as needed, while an eye-shielding visor delivers heads-up data, including a feed from a rear-facing camera.听鈥淩ider and machine form a single functional unit to offer a more intense riding experience than ever before,鈥 touts Heinrich. 鈥淭he best of both worlds, digital and analog, the great escape.鈥
Of course, the motorcycle used in was really a Triumph dressed up to look like a BMW. What can that tell us about the future?听