If you really want to glimpse the two-wheeled future, skip the retail showrooms and go directly to the big international motorcycle shows.
While the Tokyo Motor Show offers its share of wild rides, Italy's EICMA is the world's largest motorcycle show, serving as the epicenter for some of the most significant bike debuts on earth.
At this year's Milan show, Ty van Hooydonk from Discover Today's Motorcycling served as our man on the street, reporting on the latest goods like Husqvarna's McQueen-inspired Moab concept, Honda's V-Four-powered Crosstour adventure-tourer, Kawasaki's big-engined Versys 1000, and KTM's petite 200 Duke.
Check out the latest from Milan in Ty's Virtual Tour of EICMA's Concept Bikes and Big Debuts.
Photo © Ty van Hooydonk; click for gallery
Unlike the auto industry, where concept cars are bizarre on a level that defies logic, and bare zero resemblance to anything we’ll ever see on the street, this batch of concept bikes looks very much grounded in reality. There appears to be models that have, or will, or should make it to market. I’ve seen the NC700S in the flesh…it’s actually pretty cool. That 1199 Panigale Tricolore is off the @#$%^&! charts…OMG that is gorgeous!
I see more than a few very big scooters…did the industry not learn anything from the train wreck Honda DN01? BTW…that’s short for Do Not Own 1. Maybe they’re OK across the puddle. Over here? … Not so much. I see the scooter version of the NC700…don’t anyone in US / Canada hold ur breath. Ain’t gonna show up. But you can get a helluva deal on a DN01 !
I would love for that Versys 1000 to come here! It has potential to be my next bike.