Yamaha's Tokyo Motor Show premiere models
Motorcycle manufacturers have traditionally used the motor show as the forum to release prototypes — the bike show not so much — and 2015 will be no differentYamaha is set to unveil six "world premiere" models at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, including a leaning three-wheel concept, a couple of electric bikes, car concept and an introductory bike called the Resonator 125. There's also an autonomous motorcycle-riding robot…
Tokyo's motor show has become the preferred place for the motorcycle arms of Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha to showcase prototype models in recent years, with the city's motorcycle show becoming the poor second cousin.
The "leaning multi-wheel technology" is certainly not a new one, and we've seen it in previous Yamaha concepts via the 'GEN' platform. The teaser image of the latest design doesn't paint a massive picture, but the vignette tells us that it has dual telescopic forks, both with their own brakes. It looks kinda sporty, also.
The two e-bike concepts are the PES2 sports bike and PED2 dirt bike, evolutions of the PES1 and PED1 introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show two years ago. They share a new power unit (Yamaha Smart Power Module) with a lithium-ion battery and are built around a monocoque frame structure. The PES2 also has an additional motor in the hub "to make it a two-wheel motorcycle", and it weighs less than 130kg. Specs haven't been unveiled, but Yamaha says performance will be on a par with 50–125cc motorcycles.
Here's what Yamaha has to say about its café racer-vibey Resonator 125 concept, which is powered by an air-cooled 125cc single-cylinder engine: “With a lightweight, slim and compact chassis and an instrument panel assembly using an innovative device, this model melds elements of the near future with the nostalgic for a new fusion of motorcycle eras.
"It also sports wood panels on the fuel tank and seat cowl with authentic wood grain material used in guitars and engravings on the muffler, fuel tank cap and more done with same intricate techniques used for brass wind instruments.”
The car concept only entails one image and a sentence at this stage: "This design concept is inspired by motorcycles and expresses the Unique Style of Yamaha." The company does have ties with Toyota, so we'll wait and see on that one.
The 2015 Tokyo Motor Show formally gets underway on Thursday, October 29, with the press getting their first glimpse of the models on Wednesday, October 28.
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