Hey there riders, Moto Journo Kris here and BMW have revealed a concept machine
that is an interesting glimpse at the possible future of motorcycling. I say
possible because it looks like an option designed to prompt the kind
of legislation that would support its existence and widespread use.
Which is a bit of a gamble, although BMW seemed to have baked some features into the design
that governments are likely to like, or may just be a sign of other things to come…
The BMW Vision AMBY is basically the cross between a bicycle and electric motorcycle.
It weighs 65 kg which is very heavy for a bicycle but very light for a motorcycle, and the range
they are claiming is up to 110 km. The caveat to that is a top speed of 60 km/h, which would
make this a viable urban commuter, but pretty strictly restrict it from higher speed roads.
It is definitely more closely aligned with a bicycle in many ways, when you look at that seat,
which doesn’t scream comfort, or even looking at those lights, which are fairly small,
although LEDS are very bright. The wheels are again closer to a bicycle or maybe a trials bike,
with massive rims and fairly chunky tyres. Brakes are disc units at both ends and fairly
flimsy by motorcycle standards but again, the Vision AMBY is light and power is limited.
Naturally it’s essentially an auto, with a turn and go throttle which makes it very inviting.
There’s no bicycle pegs either, instead running ‘pegs and the ride triangle looks
very compact between the seat and pegs, but more generous to the ‘bars,
looking at the rider they’ve got on the bike in the pictures supplied.
That seat height is also 830 mm, which is pretty normal for a sportsbike, although being so narrow
the reach to the ground on this is likely to be a little easier than people may expect compared to a
motorcycle with a similar claimed seat height. BMW describe the fork system, as bicycle style
too, however they look like a small diameter set of forks you could find on a motorcycle, while the
rear runs a swingarm with single shock unit. Final drive is a belt, which would be fairly efficient,
and we’ve got to assume the amount of servicing for a machine like this could be very limited.
There’s no storage or rack in evidence though, which would seem a good inclusion for something
envisioned as the future of urban mobility, while the ‘bars are again very bicycle styled.
Interestingly there’s no mirrors which I’d have thought were a necessity for use on the road,
for simple safety, but then if I was riding this on the road I’d want a bigger headlight,
indicators and mirrors. Granted I’m not a cyclist, so maybe that’s just me.
Where things get interesting is in how BMW envisage this electric motorcycle being used,
where three automatic modes would determine the speeds you’re capable of, with that being
for instance 25km/h for use on bicycle lanes or cycle paths, while a 45 km/h and 60 km/h setting
would cater to lower speed suburban or more regular multi-lane roads respectively.
They also mention that naturally a helmet and license plate would be required,
but also suggest that performance could be linked to your license type. For instance if
you’ve got one of these as a family, now whether that means younger family members could use it
limited to 25 km/h for instance, essentially as a bicycle, is again quite interesting.
This would require being linked to your mobile for instance, which would include
stored license data to activate the appropriate modes, with some mention of ID verification, such
as Face ID to ensure it actually is you riding. So the idea of an e-cycle in this form is actually
pretty cool. I reckon commuting around Sydney I could make do on a vehicle like this, although a
top speed of 70 or 80 km/h would be preferable if the vehicle had the stability and handling to do
that with confidence. Maybe that’s not the case, but that would cover most road conditions.
With the low power bicycle mode essentially it also has a lot of potential being able to be
used by different family members with different restrictions. Although whether you’d let someone
without a motorcycle license of some form ride a cycle weighing as little as 65 kg
is a valid question. That with rider weight is enough to do some damage if you hit someone,
especially a pedestrian or cyclist. While manually switchable modes is mentioned,
the Vision AMBY runs an integrated plate which displays the current speed mode, which is probably
envisioned as giving those around you confidence you’re not doing 60 km/h in a bicycle lane,
which if shared with pedestrians or even slower bicycles could be quite dangerous.
The other system mentioned is geofencing, where GPS and road recognition software
would determine if you’re on a cycle path and limit you to 25 km/h, or a multilane road.
I’m assuming a lot more would go into this system, like the auto driving systems we’ve seen,
as I know from experience in Australia that GPS can struggle to tell which road you’re even on.
Travelling at 60 km/h and your bike suddenly thinking you’re on a cycle path could be
as dangerous as doing 60 km/h on a cycle path afterall, although I’m sure there’d be
safeguards and the testing to get something like this passed would be extensive.
It’s not that hard to see either, with Europe introducing legislation
that will be incorporated into new vehicles to stop people from speeding,
those systems will likely use GPS and road signage to determine what’s allowed, with some even
questioning whether the systems may just shut down your vehicle if you’re naughty, or perhaps notify
the local authorities of your behavior so they can come find you and appropriately punish you.
Also mentioned by BMW was the idea of your mode being matched to your insurance cover,
although they also talk about insurance cover on an on-demand basis, which actually makes me wonder
if these may be intended not just as something you’d own, or even primarily so, but perhaps as a
rental type vehicle that would be left in charging bays in the city, where you could walk up, pay,
demonstrate an appropriate license type and maybe get on demand insurance for that specific trip.
This would certainly benefit from the ID system to get the bike activated and the mentioned
immobilizer system for ensuring no one nicks it, say if you’ve parked it in a charging bay.
I’m sure insurance companies are also licking their chops at the idea of this
kind of insurance system, where they could charge on a ride-by-ride basis, with the
onboard logging system no doubt also used to see whether they could get out of paying a claim.
The bureaucracy of ID checking, insurance checking, automated speed limitation and such is
sure to be very attractive to governments who are increasingly pushing fairly Orwellian policies,
because they’ve just got our best interests at heart, and it’s all about
safety for our own good. Now putting aside my cynicism,
the Vision AMBY really is an excellent concept, with BMW saying it’s intended
as a blueprint to drive forward conversations about future orientated travel in cities.
Personally I’m not a fan of the connectivity, oversight and concept of automated speed controls,
but with manual modes and the ability to use this as a bicycle – legally – this would
be pretty amazing, while swapping to a low power e-motorcycle at the click of a button
would be incredibly convenient and fun. There’s probably an argument to be made that
over in Europe this kind of thing is just part of playing the game when introducing
new mobility ideas that will need accompanying legislation to support multi-use vehicles.
It’s also worth mentioning that BMW also revealed an i Vision AMBY,
which is much closer to a bicycle, including pedals, a more traditional bicycle style frame,
very low bars and a pretty tall seat, while in comparison it apparently offers a 300 km range,
depending on the riding mode used. In comparison it only weighs 30 kg,
has a smaller battery unit by the looks of it and a 2000 Watt-hour capacity,
and that range gets broken down to 300 km plus at 25 km/h, 180 km at 45 km/h, or 75 km
range at 60 km/h. Charge time – fast charging that is - is also revealed as three hours.
Anyway let me know what you think in the comments, do you reckon this kind of hybrid
vehicle could work, would you buy one, or would you rent one if they were available that way?
Thanks for watching and stay safe out there.