Concept Bike

Triumph Speed Twin concept

EXCLUSIVE Here’s the most exciting new motorcycle concept we’ve seen in a while—and it doesn’t come from an in-house design studio. It’s the work of two young English designers, Roy Norton and Tom Kasher, in a collaboration with Triumph Motorcycles and Barbour Outdoor Clothing. The base platform is the Triumph Bonneville, heavily restyled and fitted with girder forks. 



The idea for the Speed Twin started when Norton and Kasher were in their final term at university. They started sketching ideas for “a bike taking retro themes in a modern direction”. After landing a placement with motorcycle design studio Xenophya, the pair contacted Triumph. Product Manager Simon Warburton liked what he heard, and agreed to get involved. He wrote a brief requesting a modern re-interpretation of a classic theme: “A bike based around our 865cc air-cooled parallel twin, styled to appeal to younger riders.” Warburton wanted to see “the bike the Bonneville might have evolved into, in an alternative universe”.



After visits to the Ace Cafe London and the National Motorcycle Museum, Norton and Kasher set to work, taking inspiration from cafe racers, bobbers and Triumph bikes of old. They agreed a design direction with Triumph, and a ‘digital tape’ was created: Photoshop images of the proposal in side projection, which allows the design to be evaluated against the vehicle package and check constraints such as seat height, tank volumes and ergonomics. According to Norton and Kasher, “Triumph provided huge amounts of support and guidance through the design stage,” ensuring there would be no engineering, manufacturing or homologation issues.



The motorcycle in the images we’re looking at was created using a mixture of model board, foam and Automotive Styling Clay—a wax-like substance that can be shaped by tools to create the tank, seat unit and swing arm. “A design can become a three-dimensional object quickly. The nature of the material means it can be molded and sculpted very easily to refine and perfect the design.”
The frame of a production Bonneville—supplied by Triumph—was heavily modified. Chopped and refabricated, it’s the basis for a strong and contemporary look. The contrast comes from the front, where girder forks pay homage to the bikes of the past. Barbour cloth is used on the seat fabric and grips, adding durability and style to the finish of the Twin, and the filler cap and instruments were also redesigned.



Once the basics of the model were in place, the bike was transferred from the Northumbria University studios to Xenophya Design. The prototype was refined and painted, transforming it from a blend of clay, foam and metal into a full-scale model. Firestone tires, inverted levers and Thruxton brakes were added to round out the build.
Triumph is pleased with the result of the project. “The bike looks great,” says product manager Warburton. “Some elements may have an influence on some of our future projects.” And Norton (right, bottom) and Kasher (left) now have an insight into how production motorcycles are designed, at the highest level in the industry. They’ve landed full-time jobs at Xenophya, which means their work is likely to hit the streets in the future, in the form of production motorcycles. Judging by the aesthetics of the Triumph Speed Twin, that’s good news indeed.

 

Triumph Bonneville concept

Dan Anderson is an Australian industrial designer who, in his own words, is “nuts about bikes”. His Voltra electric sportsbike concept has been attracting attention on the interwebs, but this latest concept is the one we’d rather have in the Bike EXIF garage. It’s a stripped-down, bobber-influenced Bonneville derivative that could be produced by Triumph with relatively little fuss. The frame is untouched but the rear end is reworked to great effect, with a bobbed fender and truncated seat pan. At the front, dropped bars and chunkier tires lower the visual center of gravity. The exhaust system is similar to that of the 2010 production Bonneville T100, but running both pipes on the same side gives the machine a much sportier look. It’s surprising how relatively small changes can have such a big impact, and it’d be fairly easy for mechanically-minded Bonnie riders to recreate this look for their own bikes. Any Triumph owners out there feeling inspired?

Husqvarna MOAB scrambler

Of all the motorcycles revealed at the EICMA show in Milan, this is the one that got my heart beating fastest. It’s the Husqvarna Concept MOAB, and it’s billed as a “modern re-interpretation of the scrambler”. If the colors look familiar, it’s because they replicate the paintwork of Steve McQueen’s 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross. According to the blurb given to the press, “The red tank, the spacious seat, the yellow side panel number holders, the simple stripped-down frame … these all form the essence of the new incarnation of the Husqvarna spirit.” And that’s fine by me.




The engine is the proven Rotax/BMW 650 unit, which helps to keep the bike compact and the seat height low. Wheels are 17” front and rear, and fitted with Pirelli MT60RS dual-sport tires. The ‘bars are high and wide, and the long seat will make the riding position even more comfortable. Hi-tech touches come from the instrument panel and the LED lights in the front number holder and at the back. Husqvarna hasn’t said whether or not it’ll put this bike into production. But the response at EICMA was enthusiastic—in contrast to the mixed response the newly productionized Nuda 900R has been getting. My gut feeling is that the Varese-based company has judged the market well this time, and we’re due for a resurgence of interest in scrambler-type motorcycles. After all, it’s a bike you can ride into the city during the week, and down the firetrails on Sunday. If it went on sale for less than $10,000, I’d pony up the cash. Would you?
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The “new” Vincent Black Shadow

In October 2002, a press release made motorcycle enthusiasts around the world sit up with a jolt. It announced the return of Vincent, one of the most iconic names in motorcycling. At a palatial house in San Diego, self-made millionaire and long-time Vincent aficionado Barney Li whipped the covers off five prototype motorcycles: a ‘Phase 1’ machine based on the Black Lightning, and four modern interpretations—including the Black Shadow pictured above. The modern bikes were built by Roush: they had that distinctive, low-slung Vincent look, and there were neat touches throughout, such as the large vintage-style headlight hiding several projector-style beams. The engine was Honda’s RC51 fuel-injected V-Twin, pumping out around 136 horsepower, and the lure of the Vincent name was so strong that Honda was prepared to sell its engines to an American maker. But American investors were uncomfortable with the idea of a Japanese motor in a resurrected Vincent. And the 19-liter fuel tank forced the wheelbase out to 62.5 inches—the same as a Harley Dyna Super Glide. So Li took a breather, and scouted around for alternatives. In the midst of this search, he went out for a ride on the morning of Saturday 3 May, 2008. Out of sight of his riding buddies, he crashed on Highway 260 in Eastern Arizona and died as a result of his injuries. That was the end of the latest Vincent dream, and although the Vincent Motors website is still online, it’s little more than a memorial to what could have been. [For a review of the Black Lightning S variant,

MotoMorphic JaFM

In the holiday spirit of not taking things too seriously, here’s a curve ball to throw into the Bike EXIF mix. A lot of strange contraptions come my way, but this Rotax-engined number is one of the most extreme motorcycles I’ve seen for a while. It’s built by Jim Davis of MotoMorphic—based in San Rafael, California—and costs $100,000 or more, according to specification.
Inspiration apparently came from ‘four seemingly disparate things: streetfighters, a fat tire, American muscle cars, and fighter planes.’ The design started with the tires, namely Avon’s Venom: There’s a 250 on the front and a whopping 300×35/18 at the back. So does it handle? ‘There are a few idiosyncrasies with the JaFM,’ say MotoMorphic, ‘but nothing that precludes the enjoyment of the ride. Due to the wide nature of the front tire, the JaFM tends to stand up under front trail braking. It can easily be compensated for, and trail braking should be exercised with caution on any motorcycle.’


To match the huge tires, the main frame has 5” diameter tubes, with the secondary tubes at 4”. Gas is stored in the tubes, nearly seven gallons of it, and the massive air scoop is modeled on the belly scoop from a WWII P-51 Mustang. The motor is a dry-sumped Rotax V990 with an integrated 6-speed transmission and slipper clutch. (It’s the same Austrian-built V-twin unit that powered the Aprilia RSV Tuono and still does service today in the Can-Am Spyder three-wheeler.) MotoMorphic uses a Dynojet Power Commander III to optimize the mapping, and claims 110 hp and 70 ft-lbs of torque at the rear wheel. Suspension is Öhlins at the front and Penske at the back, and the adjustable handlebars reportedly feel ‘natural’.
My first question was, Why? But there’s an answer to that in the entertaining MotoMorphic FAQ: ‘If you have to ask, you won’t understand. No, really.’
[Via La Repubblica. Thanks to Cristiano Bertacchini.]