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[mrwilsn]

What do you guys think of this BMW concept?  I would personally love to see what BMW could do in an e-bike but I can't help but think all that empty space above the battery could be used for more battery or a storage tank or both.  I can't imagine a production bike would leave all that space unused.  The dual motor concept sounds interesting.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/bmw-e-boxer-bmw-electric-motorcycles-ebikes-concepts-up-to-speed

[Erasmo]

I'm just wondering what is in those lumps on the side.

[KrazyEd]

If you lift the hood on some electric cars, they resemble conventional engines.
I guess they don't want to scare people all at once. Maybe they are doing the
same thing. Trying to keep the Boxer "Engine" visual.

[PhreaK]

I'm just wondering what is in those lumps on the side.

From the article:

The idea is simply to attach two electric motors to a central transmission, with one poking out each side of the bike just like the cylinders on a boxer twin. The transmission rotates their drive by 90 degrees to allow the use of a shaft drive, again in conventional BMW style. To boost the look, and to take advantage of the fact the motors are hanging out of the sides of the bike, the patent indicates that air-cooled motors are likely to be used, complete with functional cooling fins on their aluminum cases, which would help complete the illusion.

[JasonS]

Ok, well I REALLY like the way it looks But, obviously, I'm biased.

I think the write-up is trying a bit too hard to justify the outlandish looks (oblong motors?  Really?  Turning one off to reduce friction?  Really?) but I do like it. 

I don't expect the real thing to look much like it.  And if there ever is a real thing, I hope they dump the transmission (though I'm not against the shaft drive).

I would think the "cylinders" would be a good candidate for motor-controller placement, if adequately water-proofed.  And I agree all that 'wasted' space is just not likely, though the implied lower CG would be welcome.

[Ranga]

BMW designers like to come up with electric bikes, but every time they do, they leave massive open gaps in the body.  They assume some sort of super battery will occupy the remaining mass.  I want  to get a collection of every electric concept that has a BMW badge.

[Ranga]

[PhreaK]

Wow, the geometry is all sorts of wrong on some of them. Physics says no.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CrashCash]

Wot? No Telelever? You go 21st century on the drivetrain and 19th century on the suspension?

That rear suspension is heavy as hell, with mechanical losses not only in the shaft drive, but also in the multiple power direction changes. When you compare it to "two sprockets and a belt"... oy veh.

OTOH it's got a functional rear fender :-)

Seriously tho, the more I look at this, the more I'm impressed with Brammo & Zero packaging those huge battery bricks well enough to still look like a motorcycle.

[mrwilsn]

I like the way this one looks the best.  I don't understand how you turn the bike though? But it looks like it could be all wheel drive with a shaft drive coming out each side of the motor....one to the front wheel and one the the rear...that would be interesting.

[mrwilsn]

I'm just wondering what is in those lumps on the side.

From the article:

The idea is simply to attach two electric motors to a central transmission, with one poking out each side of the bike just like the cylinders on a boxer twin. The transmission rotates their drive by 90 degrees to allow the use of a shaft drive, again in conventional BMW style. To boost the look, and to take advantage of the fact the motors are hanging out of the sides of the bike, the patent indicates that air-cooled motors are likely to be used, complete with functional cooling fins on their aluminum cases, which would help complete the illusion.

I guess it depends on which lumps you are talking about.  If you look closely it looks like there is a motor below the pegs sticking out the side but not excessively and it looks like they are plugged right into the shaft drive.  Towards the front of the bike there are lumps sticking out that have chrome at the top....I think stylistically they were trying to mimic the cylinder heads that stick out both sides on almost every BMW motorcycle....they probably put some batteries or electronics in there and it helps keep the CG low.

[Ranga]

I don't understand how you turn the bike though?

It's a concept sketch.  It doesn't need to function or be well thought out or do anything really, just look cool.

[chdfarl]

I like the way this one looks the best.  I don't understand how you turn the bike though? But it looks like it could be all wheel drive with a shaft drive coming out each side of the motor....one to the front wheel and one the the rear...that would be interesting.

There were a couple of functional concept bikes in the 80's with that front suspension. It works like the jsteering knuckle on a car but Suzuki had a design that looked like a ball that it pivoted on. The steering was actuated by a push pull cable but a few used hydraulic. It was never put into production due to cost and complexity. Bimota may have actually produced an actual bike like that.