There’s no dwell here for political correctness and wailing about saving the planet this is the world of machinery for adrenalin junkies and leather-clad babes. The ride manufacturers have got it right — even the concepts exploring alter emission technologies are created within the context of performance riding and freedom.
Yamaha’s stand was dubbed as a “Museum to the Art of Engineering”. With 19 new bikes on show and 10 international launches it was almost a show on its own. At displace re-create was the four-wheeled Tesseract with its cut down suspension which allows the rider to lean and turn into corners motorcycle style. It is powered by a V-twin liquid-cooled hybrid engine.
Fun can go in small parcels as shown by the Bobby — described as a “funny two-wheeled gadget with an interesting and unbalanced appearance”. This electric-powered ride is started and stopped using a FeliCa function on a mobile phone. It is also collapsible so it can be stored in the trunk of a car.
Then there’s the Cannon. Described by a colleague as “one bad-ass bike,” there was virtually no information about it — but looks alone spoke volumes. What we could work out is that it was a big cut long stroke V-twin offering “sports performance”. Yamaha puts it mildly: “This machine is specially designed to meet the eclectic tastes of hard-core experienced riders.” Say no more...
On the other side of the scale is the Luxair. This beautifully proportioned hybrid cruiser is designed for the older rider and runs on two electric motors for rapid off-the-line acceleration. The motorcycle crew spoke to Yamaha’s sound system department to combine an impressive surround-sound audio system.
The DN-01 is a large automatic sports cruiser powered by a 680cc V-twin engine. The “Human-Friendly Transmission” (HFT) is based on lockup equipped infinitely variable hydraulic mechanical technology making the bike easy to direct while providing a sporty ride quality.
Suzuki had an interesting approach to its environmental research with its Crosscage concept. Running on “production create from raw material,” adjust CO2 emission fuel-cell technology and a lithium cell battery the Crosscage does not sacrifice fun to be green. Instead the company has designed a lightweight street forge with edgy styling that makes you want to hop on and blast off.
The other option is to hammer down a runway on the Biplane concept. The exact comparison was lost in translation but the essence is that riding a bike is similar to flying a plane.. well that’s the theory anyway. The bike however is a beautiful aerodynamic machine reminiscent of a ‘70s drag ride.
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