BMW’s motorcycle concept is so smart you won’t need a helmet to ride it

Motorcycles aren’t exactly safe, but BMW envisions a future where two-wheel vehicles have enough onboard intelligence to make it possible for drivers to use them without protective clothing. The emphasis here is still on the thrill of the drive, but intelligent driver assistance features will help make it possible for the ride to maintain its thrill while adding a lot more safety.

The so-called Motorrad VISION NEXT 100 vehicle is one in a series of BMW concepts that aim to anticipate where its future vision is going, and how incorporating new technologies and connectivity features will change the driving experience.

With the Motorrad, the answer is less a path to full autonomy, as you might expect with four-wheeled cars, and instead represents a natural conclusion based on the aspects of motorcycle riding that people value. That means the end-user experience is more about the freedom of the open road, with issues like safety handled by on-board artificial intelligence systems.

1. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238730_highres

   
   
   
   
2. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238733_highres

   
   
   
   
3. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238702_highres

   
   
   
   
4. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238696_highres

   
   
   
   
5. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238693_highres

   
   
   
   
6. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238689_highres

   
   
   
   
7. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238753_highres

   
   
   
   
8. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238745_highres

   
   
   
   
9. 
   
   
   
   

   p90238738_highres

   
   
   
   
10. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238728_highres

    
    
    
    
11. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238727_highres

    
    
    
    
12. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238719_highres

    
    
    
    
13. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238715_highres

    
    
    
    
14. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238706_highres

    
    
    
    
15. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238703_highres

    
    
    
    
16. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238747_highres

    
    
    
    
17. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238701_highres

    
    
    
    
18. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238700_highres

    
    
    
    
19. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238699_highres

    
    
    
    
20. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238692_highres

    
    
    
    
21. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238749_highres

    
    
    
    
22. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238717_highres

    
    
    
    
23. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238714_highres

    
    
    
    
24. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238709_highres

    
    
    
    
25. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238741_highres

    
    
    
    
26. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238691_highres

    
    
    
    
27. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238750_highres

    
    
    
    
28. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238739_highres

    
    
    
    
29. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238732_highres

    
    
    
    
30. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238718_highres

    
    
    
    
31. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238697_highres

    
    
    
    
32. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238735_highres

    
    
    
    
33. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238729_highres

    
    
    
    
34. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238721_highres

    
    
    
    
35. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238712_highres

    
    
    
    
36. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238694_highres

    
    
    
    
37. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238755_highres

    
    
    
    
38. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238746_highres

    
    
    
    
39. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238744_highres

    
    
    
    
40. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238711_highres

    
    
    
    
41. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238707_highres

    
    
    
    
42. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238705_highres

    
    
    
    
43. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238752_highres

    
    
    
    
44. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238748_highres

    
    
    
    
45. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238734_highres

    
    
    
    
46. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238716_highres

    
    
    
    
47. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238704_highres

    
    
    
    
48. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238690_highres

    
    
    
    
49. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238751_highres

    
    
    
    
50. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238737_highres

    
    
    
    
51. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238736_highres

    
    
    
    
52. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238713_highres

    
    
    
    
53. 
    
    
    
    

    p90238698_highres

    
    
    
    

View Slideshow

PreviousNextExit

The appeal of a motorbike you can ride without having to heap on layers of protective gear, including a huge cumbersome helmet, is indeed an amazing proposition. BMW says the Motorrad’s systems will anticipate the road ahead and offer drivers guidance on what to do to avoid incidents, and even step in and take over to prevent anything from happening if necessary. It also uses a self-balancing system that absolutely prevents the possibility of a tip-over, either when in motion or when standing still.

There is some headgear involved, even though the helmet is gone in the concept – it’s a lightweight visor, however, and it’s made to keep the wind out of your eyes but also to overlay important information on your view, including anticipated twists and turns. Powering everything is a zero-emission electric drive train.

Again, this is a concept so it’s far from being a real thing, but it is a very cool vision of what might be next for the motorcycle industry in a future where autonomy is king for cars.