Yamaha unveils a disjointed electric motorcycle, without handlebars and boosted with AI
Yamaha’s Motoroid2 concept gives an idea of what the motorcycle of tomorrow could be. However, there is still a long way to go before a manufacturer releases an electric motorcycle without handlebars and equipped with a pivoting rear arm.
After Suzuki and Honda, Yamaha in turn unveils its program for Japan Mobility Show, which will open its doors on October 25, 2023. Several new features are announced on the manufacturer’s stand. Among them, a motorcycle concept that is astonishing to say the least: the Motoroid2.
Through this confusing machine, Yamaha is trying to imagine the motorcycle of tomorrow. As such, the Motoroid2 is powered by an electric motor, located in the rear wheel hub. But what really makes it interesting is its Active Mass Center Control System (or active center of gravity control system in plain French), which allows it to balance on its own.
The centerpiece of this device is the pivot of the swinging arm, which separates the front from the rear. The movements it allows automatically stabilize the motorcycle.
The sequel to Yamaha Motoroid1
To better understand how the system works, you need to rediscover the Motoroid1, a concept developed around the same main axes. During its presentation in 2017, Yamaha published a video showing how the bike behaved when running. We also discovered that the Motoroid could move forward alone at reduced speed.
The front part of the Motoroid2 also has a surprise in store, since the handlebars have simply disappeared. To hold on to the motorcycle, the driver must hold on to two handles placed near his legs. And to manage the trajectory, we don’t really know what he has to do, since Yamaha avoids the question.
A “smart” motorcycle
Yamaha has paid a lot of attention to the issue of the human-machine relationship. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the Motoroid2 manages to recognize its driver and can interact with him. We can imagine that this same artificial intelligence is also used in a possible autonomous driving system, although this is not stipulated.
Even if this new version of the Motoroid is more accomplished than the first, it remains too extravagant to one day arrive on our roads. The principle of self-balancing, on the other hand, seems to have a certain future in the two-wheel industry. In any case, Yamaha is not the only company interested in it.
