maier and the torpedo

I remember  very clearly when I saw this motorbike for the first time in a magazine, it was 1987. I was shocked. It is very easy to impress a 14 years old boy, but I still like it as much as  I did as a boy. From time to time some design catches me, to such an extent that it becomes a source of inspiration and motivation to try to create something new. This is one of those designs.

Generally I am mainly interested in racing motorbikes, and my interest are mainly technical. This is not the case, this is more an aesthetic/concept subject.

This bike emanates a very agressive feeling, and 20 years after its creation, I still find it a fresh and original design.

The rider is located very low, almost lying down, in some way it reminds me of the attitude that it would have in a very sporty car, it is also similar to the attitude in some megascooters, although I think that here everything is more exaggerated.

The bike was created by Hans-Joachim Maier, it was his final thesis.

I would like to design a motorbike in this way, as a street legal vehicle. I talked about it to Hugo van Waaijen, we like to talk a lot about motorbikes. He is a motorbike freak, and couldn’t resist the temptation of doing this cool 5 minutes photoshop proposal.

You can see that it is a fast sketch in some details, for example there is not too much room in the seat area. Personally, I would like a lower motorbike, with the rider located closer to the ground. And maybe a more agressive design, not so civilized.

 Regarding the engine, I think it would be interesting to use a V-twin, in this way the rider wouldn’t have to ride with his legs very opened. An engine with personality, like a Ducati or a Harley. Any suggestion is welcome.
We looked for a name for this project, and finally we choosed this one: TORPEDO.

[tags]maier, concept bike, design, feet forward[/tags]