BMW presents Vision DC Roadster
As electrification becomes the norm in the automotive world, it’s also reaching into motorcycling. In June, BMW Motorrad unveiled what an electrified version of their signature boxer twin engine might look like, presenting one interpretation in the form of the ‘Vision DC Roadster’.
“The Vision Bike shows how we’re able to retain the identity and iconic appearance of BMW Motorrad in distinctive form while at the same time presenting an exciting new type of riding pleasure,” explains Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad.
Battery Boxer
An electric powerplant has different packaging requirements to a conventional internal combustion engine, with the engine itself being relatively small and the battery taking up the bulk of the space.
Understanding this, BMW Motorrad designers fitted the Vision DC Roadster with a longitudinally oriented battery. To aid cooling, two protruding side elements feature cooling ribs and integrated ventilators, essentially serving the same function – placing the cooling elements in the air stream – as the original BMW boxer twins from the 1920s.
The cylindrical electric motor is positioned underneath this battery and connects directly to the shaft drive, which is retained as a nod to the similar final drive arrangement on the original BMW boxer twins.
Open Plan
While the drivetrain styling has echoes of BMW’s past, the rest of the Vision DC Roadster’s design is very much from the future, with a hunched-forward, streetfighter look to the overall design. Without the need to make allowances for traditional engine and fuelling componentry, the requirement to have a fuel tank is also removed, so this space is essentially open on the BMW concept, with an exposed tubular structure sitting above additional cooling vanes for the battery pack.
The “outer” section of this frame creates a more traditional motorcycle shape when seen in profile and flows over the drivetrain to form the seat and tail of the concept. Aluminium has been used for most of the frame, with carbon fibre elements also contributing to weight reduction.
A Duolever front fork on the Vision DC Roadster is another nod to BMW’s past, but the fork shrouds and radical headlight design do much to mask this familiar component. The headlight features an LED DRL in a ‘U’ shape, with two compact LED lenses on each side for the low and high beam.
The tail light, consisting of two C-shaped LED elements, is somewhat conventional, but a futuristic – and fanciful – touch is the “lighting” in the tyres. Made by Metzeler specifically for the Vision concept, each tyre features five fluorescent elements, each about the size of a postage stamp. While seemingly pointless, BMW Motorrad say these fluoro tabs increase the visibility of the bike when viewed from the side, while also conveying an exciting graphic effect when the bike’s in motion.
Hand Controls
What the brakes are made up of has not been revealed. There are a pair of large discs on the front end and a more compact disc on the rear, but no obvious calipers or brake lines. The electric powerplant removes the need for a clutch lever and gear pedal, so the levers control front and rear braking, as evidenced by the front and rear master cylinders fixed to the handlebars. Of note here, too, is that the concept features oval-shaped handlebars and grips. Whether these are more ergonomically efficient than traditional circular grips is unknown.
Another feature of note is the instrumentation, which consists of a smartphone-sized display nestled in the open framework. As with the braking, no information has been released on this, but the display appears to show functions like battery charge level and temperature, as well as a speedometer and tripmeter, all in bar graph form. Also apparent on this minimalist display is that the concept appears to have four riding modes – Eco, Road, Sport and Rain.
Images presented with the release of the Vision DC Roadster suggest it is a running and rideable bike, not just a static concept, with fully functional lighting, too.
Clever Clothes
As with some of their other recent concepts, BMW Motorrad have created riding gear to suit the bike, which in this instance is made up of a two-piece suit which has been designed to look like conventional riding gear.
Subtly-integrated protective elements, digital connectivity and various light functions are said to be a part of this gear, with a clever feature being an asymmetrical rucksack vest that’s fixed to the jacket with magnets, making it quick and easy to put on and take off.
