Through the years we've designed and developed quite a selection of cool stuff on wheels and on our blog we bombard the world with our personal - sometimes odd - favourites in automotive design on a daily basis. Sustainable mobility has always been one of our key specialties.
Recently one of our designers, Niels Caris, gained an even keener interest in motorbikes (got the license, bought the wheels) and started looking out for both established designs and inspiring concepts in the motorcycle industry. "My goal was to create a contemporary electric bike in a cross-over class that allowed me to freely incorporate style cues I love from different segments.
Applying the bison-like posture of the amazing Yamaha MT-01 felt like a fitting way to combine raw performance looks with a streetfighter attitude as seen in Ducati and KTM bikes. In addition to this, the more refined, polished features reminiscent of a sports tourer help create an overall more sophisticated image that fits the technologically advanced character of an electric vehicle."
Creating an electric bike allows you to reconsider the order and proportions of volumes in the product. The absence of a fuel tank and combustion engine pave the way for a new visual archetype (obviously you’ll get an electric motor and battery in return). The challenge here is to retain a visual reference to performance bikes.
The BOLT design concept consists of a modular trellis / cast aluminium frame, fibre glass body paneling and features a single-sided rear suspension and upside-down front shocks. Sufficient braking power is obtained by large dual 380 mm discs and radial caliper brakes. The bike is powered by a set of two electric motors positioned as low and centered in the bike as possible, putting out a total of around 80 kW and above all an amazing amount of torque, which is of course typical for electric propulsion. A heavy duty lithium-polymer battery pack supplies the motors with energy. A clear digital dis
