Honda Oree Concept Electric Motorcycle

At the 2008 INTERMOT Bike Show in Cologne, Germany, an exhibit called “Innovation Cafe” was one of the favorites for many attendees. At that exhibit were concept designs for 2-wheeled creations. One of those was this concept bike, the Oree, sponsored by Honda.

Two design students, Nike Albertus and Andre Look (Academy of Art and Design), designed the Oree as a “concept bike for dynamic road riding.”

The design is pretty cool, being very spare and futuristic. I think the official term for this, in the art world, is “minimalist.” At the center of the design is the electric motor, which is surrounded radially by battery packs. The designers, pointing out the performance possibilities of electric motors (high torque at low RPMs, instant acceleration, no need for gearbox/clutch, etc.), said they wanted to feature an electric concept with a sparse style.

Honda Oree electric motorcycle

The Oree is belt-driven, very thin, and extremely open. So open, in fact, that the rider would be able to see not just the road, but how it’s affecting the suspension as the bike moves.

This bike is very innovative-looking and, I think, very cool. I don’t know that I’d want to sit on it for very long, though, given the thin saddle and the weird, hanging mirrors (which I imagine vibrate a lot). The open belt just reaches out to pull your pants into it as well.

All that said, though, this is a concept. A nicer one to look at than most too, I think.

Via Zoomilife