Every superhero/supervillain has an origin story, so do these bikes! Origin stories are the emotional bonding that ground us and while we make tons of memories with our bike over the years, it always helps to have that one more factor to help you connect with each design better. Be it your favorite vintage automobile or even the design brand you always look up to, the bike designs here are guaranteed to awe you!
Brent Walter, who describes himself as the “maker and builder of a variety of things”, created the VW Mini Bike, or what he fondly calls the ‘Volkspod’. Much like its name, the automotive is a little pod-shaped two-wheeler. The Volkswagen Beetle Type 1 or the ‘Bug’ has gained iconic status since it’s release. Its adorable bulbous structure had won almost everyone’s heart in the mid to late ’90s, with production lasting until 2003. Paying homage to the Bug, Walter used the fenders from each corner of the car to build the mini motorbike. The four vintage fenders merge together to form the head and tail-light system of the Volkspod. Power-packed with a 79cc engine, the Volkspod promises to be as or even more dynamic than the Beetle Type 1.
If it were up to King T’Challa, the MIMIC e-bike would be fitted with vibranium tech, but we’re going to stick to an electric power-train for now. This crouching-jungle-cat of a bike is a concept designed by Roman Dolzhenko. Outfitted with what looks less like a body and more like armor, the MIMIC e-bike comes with a rounded, Tron Light Cycle-inspired form with rounded elements and just an overall absence of straight lines or sharp edges. The e-bike has a dual-lamp headlight fitted on the front, looking almost like a menacing pair of eyes, and a dashboard that lays flush against the e-bike’s curved panther-esque body. Wakanda Forever!
It’s been almost 10 years since James Dyson’s consumer electronics company first introduced its bladeless fan! Known as the Dyson Air Multiplier, it shook up the tech world with its unusual characteristic: it did not have any visible blades. The impact felt by this innovation is being felt even today, as seen in Saharudin Busri’s Dyson Inspired Concept Motorcycle. Though it is still a concept, it did incite a tangible excitement when we first got a glimpse of the design! Mimicking Dyson’s bladeless fan, Busri decided to remove the spokes of the wheel from his bike, leaving the center of the wheel completely hollow. An added homage to Dyson would be the fact that the engine is also inspired by the aesthetics of the motor we see in most of their vacuum cleaners such as the latest V11 model.
Switch Motorcycles is a new electric bike company and they have just unveiled the eScrambler which is their very first product and we have to say, it’s quite impressive! To share some context, we expect nothing short of this from custom motorcycle veteran Matthew Waddick who teamed up with designer Michel Riis (former Yamaha Japan Advanced Labs Industrial Designer and past Danish Flat Track champion!) The first thing you’ll notice is that it has a sturdy, angular build, almost like the flat trackers and classic bikes of the ’70s or even the Tesla Cybertruck, making it stand apart from the usual slimmer electric bikes. To complete its big-guy aesthetic, it has 18-inch wheels wrapped in chunky tires, KTM forks, and a central mono-shock. Being a vehicle in 2020, it has all the tech you’d want in a bike – a digital display, cruise control, a battery level indicator, integrated GPS tracking, three power modes, and in-built Wi-Fi which truly sets it apart. However, we don’t encourage being on the ‘gram or making Tik Toks while you ride!
A combination of aerodynamics and futurism, with an overwhelming amount of chrome-finishing, the EVE LUX by Bandit9 is a bike that’s better enjoyed as a spectator than as a rider. Probably one of the most visually memorable bikes of the decade, especially when viewed from the side, the EVE LUX was designed exclusively for Hong Kong-based luxury house, Lane Crawford. Channeling futuristic, feminine energy with its elegant sideways-teardrop design that seamlessly goes from tank to tail, the bike comes with a 125cc 4-speed semi-automatic engine with a top speed of 68mph (110km/h).
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