BMW Motorrad concepts have caught our eye in the past for their absolute design prowess and futuristic appeal. Think BMW Vision Next 100. Such is the weight of the brand that industrial designers are drawn towards BMW Motorrad namesake for their two-wheeled inspirations. The KF33 electric motorcycle by Rodrigo Magro Mañas is a cyber bike that gives a purview of the automotive industry a decade into the future. Rodrigo provides the motorbike with a fat belly to accommodate all the mechanical parts and, of course, the battery.
Looking at this bike, the first thought that struck my mind was the above-mentioned battery/motor compartment. It is humongous! Given that the designer intended it to be a café racer, I’d imagine the “fuel tank” to be much smaller. You will need the bike to bounce from one café to another with plenty of time in between to charge it, while you hang out with your café buds (or bud-lights). Given the availability of rapid battery chargers already, I’m sure an arrangement can be made to compromise the form of the tank.
A concept bike typically encapsulates a unified design and a strong silhouette. The bike looks too front-heavy compared to the section from the rear swingarm and beyond. Just scroll down to the second picture below and cover the rear half with your hand to see what I mean. Given our love for BMW-inspired futuristic bike designs, Rodrigo’s imagination of an evolved café racer is a hit and miss. His focus also lies in a bold design since the motorcycle is envisioned for a future where reliable electric rides will dominate the industry. Of course, it will be a performance motorbike because who wouldn’t want one? Hence the sleek body encapsulates a powerful engine and a high-performance battery. The combination of power and performance means a lot of heat is generated. As a solution, Rodrigo has reinterpreted the famous BMW boxer engine shape for heat dissipation where the body cover is designed to release heat, with the telescopic fork and the Cardan cover protection also assisting in heat dissipation. The designer has imagined separate sections for the battery and engine while having a wishbone front fork and the Cardan integrated with the body.
With some tweaks, this could be a BMW cyber bike that could become the design inspiration for a future BMW Motorrad café racer, and we are excited to see it come to life!
Designer: Rodrigo Magro Mañas
