Do we care about the laws of physics?
When it comes to industrial design, Newton’s laws are fairly key. But in the world of designer James Stumpf – these scientific trifles are secondary to aesthetics. And we have to applaud him for getting his priorities right.
“I’ve always had an affinity for the original Honda CB160 and have built several CB160 cafe racers over the years,” the designer said recently. “2015 is the 50th anniversary for the 1965 debut of the original Honda CB160 so the time was right to reinvent this iconic motorcycle.”
The fuel tank from the original CB160 is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable fuel tanks ever designed and Stumpf used it as the starting point for an electric CB160E concept. But how about those wheels?
“They are designed around the concept of MagDrive,” says Stumpf. “The triangular-shaped swing arms feature five reinforced polyurethane wheels arranged in a triangle formation to support and align the wheels. The perforated ring in the wheels features embedded magnets which are driven off of alternating electrical pulses from the swing arm.”
Stumpf’s design features a 10.1″ master touch screen that runs Apple CarPlay. Electronic steering, electronic twist throttle and electronic twist braking finish out the front end. The cycle features a 16kWh Li-ion battery pack which is apparently good for a 160 mile range.
A highlight of the whole project for us is, of course, the throwback advertisement for the 2016 concept.
You meet the nicest, most creative people on a Honda, after all.
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