This recumbent motorcycle looks like it has been strongly influenced by the Japanese movie Akira. These renderings are very cool but since I do not read Japanese I can’t tell you anything about it. From the looks of it, it appears to be powered by an electric motor, which could be the cylindrical object behind the front wheel, there are also no obvious exhaust pipes anywhere.
If any of our Japanese readers or anyone else who can read Japanese cares to elaborate on the writings from the site, please do.
If someone designs and builds a functional electric motorcycle like this, I’m in.
Thanks to Bob Horn for the tip!
Link: Znug Design via BlackJoe
bott says
I always liked a lot recumbent motorcycles. This one looks more like a scooter than like a motorbike. My favourite is the BMW designed by Hans-Joachim Maier in 1987: http://bottpower.com/eng/?p=22
Also, the Aprilia Magnet concept designed by Heikki Naulapää is superb, although it has 3 wheels:
http://www.naulapaa.com/degree04.html
Year by year japanesse scooters are becoming longer and lower. From an aesthetics point of view I think last japanesse creations are moving towards some kind of “futuristic chopper scooters”, not only regarding aesthetics, also regarding sound. I find them really cool.
greer says
That bmw is really cool, the znug design, meh… i really like the idea of recumbent motorcycles as well, the only major drawback i see is that its so low to the ground. It seems like it would be very dangerous in traffic because the riders vision would be completely blocked out by cars on the road, not to mention that people in the cars would have an even harder time seeing you.
Dru Paulson says
What about this:
http://www.allamericanracers.com/alligator/alligator_home.html
looked interesting when I first saw it years ago
akbar says
I guess I am just missing something… The Znug and the two links above are all cool looking, but at what point do they simply become a car? And if a car, why not be able to come in, come out of the rain?
Matt in NC says
One of the biggest complaints I’d have riding one of these is visibility, both mine, and that of others around me to see me before changing lanes. Both my old MG as well as my old Volvo P1800 had seating so low it made you feel like you were in a go-kart, but it also made driving in modern SUV and commercial vehicle laden traffic a daunting experience.
Another aspect is suspension. Without your legs under you to actively predict and react to changes in road surfaces your lower spine is going to be completely at the mercy of the rear end of this ride. Rear travel better be more than pictured.
I love to see forward thinking in design though, so I hope these designers keep rethinking motorcycles.
Erik says
How much dangerous is a recumbent motorcycle in an accident? It looks like it would be very tough to get off of quickly.
But it does look cool and I bet it is super comfortable. As Matt notes, visibility would be an issue and its already a problem on a regular bike (don’t ask me how people cannot see a pair of headlights coming at them but they, apparently, cannot).
MadScience says
It just breaks my heart how buildable most of those designs are. Those bikes could be built and riding on the street with existing technology. The people with the skill don’t have the capital and the people with the capital aren’t interested in seeing change in the motorcycle industry.
Erik says
woops, how much MORE dangerous….
Hugo says
We thought about a concept like this also, like BOTT says (we called it the Torpedo). The idea behind it was that in the beginning motorcycles were bicycles with an engine. If you study the evolution of bicycles it starts with normal wheels, then a big front wheel ( http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/starr/Andrea/History%20of%20the%20bicycle/highwheeler.gif )and small rear wheel and ends with the current recumbent bicycles (like http://www.adventuresofgreg.com/HPVlog/photos/05-19-06/big/finalPosition.jpg ) which are very good regarding aerodynamics. I transferred this process to the motorcycle and the Torpedo was the concept which came out. That these concepts can work is described in the artivle by Tony Foale: http://www.tonyfoale.com/Articles/FF/FF.htm
Jim says
Adding to Matt’s concerns: These are very long vehicles, I can’t imaging they are very nimble. Where would a passenger sit? If you tour or used the bike for commuting, how would luggage be mounted?
When the Gurney Gator was introduced a significant benefit sited was superior handling of the recumbent design, if this is true why hasn’t any manufacturer tried a similar design in Moto GP, other than the rules may prohibit the design?
John says
It seems that very much unlike in ‘Akira’ these kinds of bikes would be great as cruisers – very comfortable and VERY cool.
It also seems that straight line speed would be ridiculously fast due to aerodynamics? Someone feel free to correct me though.
I say, bring ’em on!
Michael says
And they look like GREAT fun to powerslide on, sitting that far rearwards
Johan says
In Switzerland there is a company which takes the concept a bit further, a passenger is no problem.
http://www.peraves.ch/
http://www.monotracer.com/
taxman says
the Znug is one of my favorite designs now for the recumbent style motorcycles. but it’s a shame that it has such a long wheelbase. i like the monotracer link. having a completely enclosed motorcycle would be great for everyday commute, but i prefer the openness. http://www.projectvf.com/ is a site i’ve been following for a while, i’m hopping this guy has something great when he’s done.
Royce Creasey says
I’m pleased that most people like the idea of ‘recumbent’ style motorcycles. We’ve been calling them “Feet First” (FF) two-wheelers since the 1970’s and there have been lots of different models since then – see http://www.bikeweb.com the global compilation site. FF’s are safer, faster, more economical, comfortable and easier to ride (test results, not opinion), but are banned in racing. Manufacturers? BMW “We don’t want to be first” (1985) Honda “We would never adopt an innovation we did not create” (2003) etc. etc. My own FF, in daily use, will be twenty years old next February. Our ‘road going’ designs have a similar seat height to cars (15-17″) so visibility isn’t a problem, you look through the car windows.
The FF is perfect for electric drive and I’d like to construct an ‘EFF’ prototype.
Royce Creasey
Jeff says
I must agree with MadSience there some really beautiful FF bikes out there in concept form that can be built and made street legal. I am working on my own FF bike its electric. similar to the Znug bike but fully enclosed and not as long. Ace King’s project Vf is sweet I can’t wait to see that complete.