Much has already been said about the car that awaits us in the next ten years, and the road is already mapped out. Full electric propulsion; artificial intelligence that manages practically everything, including automatic driving systems; bodywork reduced to a minimum weight (because there will be virtually no more accidents); variable trim to adapt to different routes and different speeds when cornering. On infotainment, there is no need to digress further, because obviously, not being engaged in driving, passengers will have to pass the time somehow.
On the 21st century motorbike Instead, the sheet, if not quite blank, still has some room for the engineers' imagination. BMW presented a working concept that is a true manifesto (we talked about it here). Honda released images of a vehicle with some similar technology to BMW (although different in operation) but with a traditional shape. Kawasaki went further by completely revolutionising the motorbike form with a visionary concept (we talked about it here) but still a long way off the road. In this article we want to outline the most likely lines of development that will lead to the new motorbike of the future. The one we will be dreaming about in five years and riding, with our hearts in our throats, in ten.
Beyond two wheels
Let's face it: one of the biggest resistances to buying a motorbike is that there are very good chance that sooner or later you will fall and hurt yourself. The writer has been a motorcyclist for over 30 years and has lost count of how many times he has found himself stretched out on the asphalt. Fortunately, he always managed to avoid hospital. The causes of motorbike crashes are almost infinite: slippery asphalt (at least 10 other sub-items fall under this heading alone); poor road maintenance (read potholes); distracted drivers (a cause that is statistically on the increase) or carelessness; exceptional natural events (heavy rain, hailstorms, tornadoes, flying tree branches, etc. etc.). Counting on a firmer footing on the ground, i.e. on 3 or even 4 wheels, so that even in the event of a collision with a vehicle or emergency manoeuvre on a slippery surface there is no danger to driver and passengers, is something that alone can lower the market entry threshold and decisively increase sales volumes. BMW and Honda preferred to keep two-wheelers but create self-stabilisation of the motorbike. BMW with moving masses housed where the pistons of its famous boxer used to be. Honda with a robotic system that moves the steering column, increasing the wheelbase with continuous micro movements. It remains to be seen how well these systems will stand up to the reality of roads and traffic. In our opinion 3-wheelers are the most mature technology and economic.
Propulsion and traction
It is now generally agreed that in 10 years' time there will be very few cars with endothermic engines. Ditto among motorbikes. It is hard to imagine that petrol stations will remain open only for motorcyclists, and with the small tanks of motorbikes you have to be sure that you can refuel at least every 100 kilometres. So also motorbikes will soon switch to full electric and this will bring many advantagesThis includes the possibility of fitting the motors in the wheel hub, a frame that integrates the batteries as a structural element, the consequent lowering of the centre of gravity, the elimination of the gearbox and final drive (the chain has always been a pain in the ass) and then, above all... four-wheel drive! Which is another important factor in safety and also in fun, not only on the off-road.
Variable trim
There are essentially two schools of thought among motorcyclists: those who like the seated position (enduro, custom and grand touring riders) and those who like the forward position, with the weight of the body also bearing down on the arms (sport and track riders). Weighting the body forwards gives a greater feeling of control of the bike and greater sensitivity in cornering. The seated position is certainly more comfortable and affordable even for those who only ride a couple of hours a week. The chassis and suspension of the near future will therefore be variable in set-up and fundamental dimensions (stroke, wheelbase, centre of gravity height). Electronics and servomechanisms will take care of the set-up changes in real time, improving riding sensations and safety, especially when cornering. Of course, to assume that with the same bike you can race on a track at 250 km/h and then go for a jump on an enduro track is hardly credible, not least because these are completely different audiences. But the range of use of the vehicle will be much wider of the current one. Maybe with the same bike you can ride on the track and then in the summer, with a higher and more comfortable trim, take a trip with your partner sitting on the back seat and two nice suitcases on the sides.
Protection
Another factor that can broaden the market for motorbike buyers is weather protection. Let's face it: in winter the motorcyclist has a very meagre life. There is nothing like a week in a row of rain and freezing cold to make you long to leave your motorbike in the garage and take that nice hatchback with stereo and heating. A transparent, self-cleaning coverand perhaps retractable (it doesn't have to be structurally sound anyway because the bike will never fall over) is one of the erotic dreams of motorcyclists of all ages and latitudes.
Types and style
If there is one thing the current market has taught us, it is that the engineering contents of a motorbike (horsepower, weight, delivery, dynamics) have now taken second place to to the style and design of the medium. This trend will continue, and in addition to the classic product sectors of enduro, street, sport and urban scooter, we will have sub-sectors defined by the style of the vehicle: futuristic, vintage, eco-minimalist, steampunk, etc. etc. Here the future will surely surprise us, as fashions spread unpredictably, even for marketers, who often just chase public demand.
Infotainment
Fortunately, motorbikes will never have automatic driving systems (whoever buys a motorbike strongly wants to enjoy riding it) but information support systems, both for the mechanical diagnosis of the vehicle and for the analysis and usability of the surroundings (possible dangers, road maps, weather, topography, hotels and restaurants etc. etc.) are already easily implemented on special screens that do not distract from driving, of course.
