Concept Bike

Micro, the Switzerland-based electric-mobility company, premiers a brand new concept for EV fans who prefer to have their fists in the wind – the Microletta. It’s an electric scooter that combines the fun of a tandem-seat two-wheeler with the safety and stability of a Delta trike, and is not entirely unlike Piaggio’s MP3 in its configuration.

Kawasaki hit 2019 EICMA with a number of interesting items, but I think the most notable entry may be the sleeper-hit of the year; the EV Project. That’s right sports fans, Kawasaki Heavy Industries is showing us that they are looking at displaced-carbon/electric motorcycles, and the “Electric Concept” gives us our first glimpse of what the concept is like moving forward.

As a general rule, Aprilia’s sportbike line falls in the superbike displacement range, but the factory ventures into new territory with its Concept RS 660 supersport. That’s right; Piaggio’s racebike subsidiary has designed an all-new ride around an equally-new, mid-size, twin-cylinder engine. The new engine borrows from the 1,100 cc V4 that powers the Tuono V4 and RSV4 1100 Factory for both its design and its electronics to make this a very well-rounded road machine. Add some comfort-related features and you’ve got yourself a fun-bike with some real potential. Details are still a bit sparse, but here’s what we know as of now.

No doubt about it, electric bikes are becoming more viable all the time, and even the Harley-Davidson Motor Company is getting in on the action. Milwaukee has teased us, literally for years, with tantalizing tidbits from its Project: LiveWire initiative. It finally announced a 2020 release for its streetwise spark-o-matic not long ago, and immediately went about the business of teasing us with two more EV bikes. Well, now we have the skinny on them. The MoCo was at the 2019 X-Games in Aspen, Colorado, and it brought the two new rides for the crowd’s consumption. They’re still in the concept phase, and as such are not necessarily what the production models will look like, but ya’ gotta’ start somewhere.

Triumph inducted two models into the Triumph Factory Custom (TFC) line and takes what were already iconic bikes into legend. The TFC offerings for 2019 are the Thruxton and the Rocket III with 750 numbered editions of each model in new custom designs.

As much fun as it is to see all the new bikes that are already slated for production and release, it’s the [concept bikes-<mot297] that really do it for me. The EICMA show presents a number of such items, so join me while I give a run-down of some of my favorites.

Continue reading for a look at my favorite concept bikes from 2018 EICMA.

It might not be the best of times for the Milwaukee brand these recent years. It has recently come under the hammer from Green activists opposing the waiving of pollution fines, and before that, slow growth and lack of customer demands forced the company to decide on closing its factory in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2019.

Luckily, Harley has a few tricks in its arsenal to keep the excitement ticking amongst its enthusiasts. And after nearly three months of building and a month of online voting, the Harley-Davidson Battle of the Kings (BOK) has finally culminated with five finalists from the UK dealer builds (The BOK is conducted for the European dealers only).

If you think you have mastered the arts of two-wheels, think again. This two-wheeler is not your regular pick of the mill. What it is, is a weird looking scooter that can do things no other motorcycle can on a surface no other motorcycle can go on.

Called the Biski, it’s a 55hp twin cylinder engine scooter that runs on land like a normal moped, but a flick of a button gets it riding on water in just under 5 seconds. This amphibious scooter is made by Kiwi chaps who go by the name Gibbs Amphibians, who specialize in amphibious vehicles.

If you were a kid born in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, this is your opportunity to restore that youth. Lego has just approved to make a full-scale model of the Tron light cycle after the model gained 10,000 supporters.

Based on the Disney film, Tron Legacy, we saw Sam Flynn move around the battle scene in a futuristic motorcycle we’ve all loved. Lego Ideas, impressed by the number of people voted for this design made by Devon-based, Brick Bros UK, will produce the Lego model this year.

If you find that name weird, don’t coax yourself. Even I needed a while to familiarize myself with the Spanish brand.

Active for a very brief period from 1924 to 1982, OSSA (Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anónima) first made movie projectors and then shifted to being a motorcycle manufacturer only in 1949 that was best known for producing lightweight, two-stroke-engined bikes used in observed trials, motocross, and enduro.

Paying tribute to the brand and the OSSA 250 Monocasc GP motorcycle, the folks at a Barcelona design company concocted an electric concept bike that according to my tastes is the most soothing looking thing ever made on two wheels. It is almost as if your eyes can just flow over those curves. It’s called the Monocasco.

We saw Yamaha’s fancy new Leaning Multi-Wheeler (LMW) launched at the 45th Tokyo International Motor show last year. A stunning three-wheeled machine called the Niken which is based on the hugely popular MT-09 platform.

Crazy as it might sound, it looks like the Niken is slowly feeling the heat of the competition. And it is coming from none other than its green nemesis, Kawasaki with a new electric-powered concept.

Coming hot on the heels of Yamaha acquiring leaning front-end technology from the Norway-based Brudeli Tech Holding AS this week, Kawasaki has teased the J concept motorcycle/three-wheeler in all seriousness. And it comes with an “Attack mode.”

For the year 2018, America’s oldest brand will give the world a brand new lineage of motorcycles that are sophisticated and technologically packed while keeping the core values of being the vintage charmers intact.

Then there are these Swedish chaps, who take things a bit seriously when it comes to paying tributes. They went and built a 200 hp turbo-charged Indian Scout in remembrance of the co-founder of Indian, Oscar Hedström.