Bikes don’t come much meaner or more stripped-down than this. The BMW Concept Roadster is a motorcycle distilled down to only what is necessary to have a great time on two wheels.
Unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, alongside the Mini Superleggera Vision concept, the BMW Concept Roadster (wouldn’t it make more sense if they switched the names of the two?) is a concept bike that reconstructs several BMW two-wheeled hallmarks into one stripped down, yet thoroughly modern package.
Like the bikes BMW began making following WWI, the Concept Roadster is powered by a two-cylinder boxer engine displacing 1,170 cc producing 125-hp and 92 lb-ft of torque. The engine also forms the visual and structural center of the bike, and provides mounting points for the tubular space frame, aluminum seat pan and one-sided swing arm.
The sculpted gas tank and minimalist LED headlamp assembly are nice touches, but our favorite part has got to be the unpolished exhaust sprouting proudly like a Viking battle horn from in-front of the rear wheel.
It’s just concept for now, but it’s a safe bet we’ll be seeing many of the Concept Roadster’s coolest bits making their way to future bikes in BMW’s Roadster line-up.
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