BMW Motorrad presents breathtaking ‘Concept 101’

Ohh dear! Another eye candy from behind the barn doors at BMW Motorrad, the ‘Concept 101’ surfaces with panache. This radical looking thing has been created to be displayed at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este for a get-together on the shores of Lake Como, Italy.

BMW Motorrad design head, Edgar Heinrich, states that this is a new design theory from the ground up in BMW concept motorcycles. The Concept 101 is based on the ‘American touring’ philosophy, freedom on open highways that is.

Power

Engine being the heart and soul of this behemoth, he name ‘Concept 101’ states the 101 cubic inch capacity of its engine. That spreads across 1,649cc capacity across six cylinders.

BMW says power and acceleration figures are something that the Concept 101 has risen past and these become mere numbers. The most necessary part being the riding experience provided to the rider exuding beefy power. A very satisfying torque surge from that in-line 6-cylinder is available across the rev band under any circumstances you fancy.

The other thing that name signifies is that the motorcycle has been created quiet near Highway 101, at the design studios of the BMW Group subsidiary Designworks in Newbury Park, California. "We had a clear vision when we were designing the bike: under the motto "The Spirit of the Open Road" we wanted to build a high-performance, emotional and highly exclusive 6-cylinder vehicle that would make every ride a special experience. A bike that would make the moment so special, you would forget your destination," states Ola Stenegard, Head of Vehicle Design, BMW Motorrad.

This being developed in the USA, it is BMW’s expression of a ‘bagger’. This is a type of custom motorcycle chiefly popular here. The long streamlined body looks absolutely stunning from a distance, typical for bagger, a drop-shaped silhouette touching the highest point at the front trim.

Character

The curvy flow lines starting from the front to the rear expresses the riding experience that it offers. Mind you, behind this soft smooth silhouette lies and athletic body with elaborately modelled design underneath. Ride and handling is what baggers are all about, and BMW is one of the best when t comes to understanding that.

The front trim uses brushed aluminium for a classy appearance that neatly gets tucked away with the overall flow of design. The aggressive front has an integrated headlamp with circular appearance gives the front section a powerful but subtle expression. The two large side panels enclose the front of the engine displaying its broad shoulders and asking you to step away from its path. And just look at those exhaust pipes.

They are placed on both the sides, each of which has three outlets. Sound is a very important aspect of motorcycling and the potential of that smooth 6-cylinder engine is further accentuated by that exhaust system.  Another highlight hard to go amiss is the unusual rear light clustering which is a frame for the dark-coloured rear section as two LED bands.

Exclusivity

The whole design sits together with the use of accurate colours and materials. They display strength flair and appeal of this bagger. The side trim too has two colour tones, a lighter silver surrounding the surface while the inner section darker silver with more metal effect.

The paint job on the Concept 101 has a unique shadowy effect which gives the hand applied line marking much greater depth towards the inside of the bike. Now midst all this brushed aluminium and carbon inserts sit carefully inserted dark wood elements which might not sound much, but work wonders by adding flair to the design.

This wood has only been treated with oil and is focussed on the horizontal side section with a rare grain. And for all your exclusive bums, the seat has two leather qualities on it, a fine-grain black leather of the side sections and the perforated black leather on the seat itself. I’ll say, go bagging...