The BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster was recently unveiled. BMW Motorrad, which is the automaker’s motorcycle division has done away with the flat-two engine. The Beemer’s flat-two gas engine is replaced by an electric motor and battery.

Electric motorcycles are not really new. Companies like Harley Davidson are incorporating the 21^st century technologies into their products. The BMW Motorrad motorcycles were traditionally into combustion engines, but they too have realized the need to get into electrification.

BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster is BMW’s electric motorcycle. The BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster was unveiled at BMW’s NextGen event in Munich, Germany.

The design of the bike was inspired by the BMW R 32 which was developed by Max Friz in1923. The design of the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster is the same as the company’s two-cylinder boxer engine.

BMW has taken its iconic two cylinder boxer engine and given it a twist. The BMW Motorrad Vision D C Roadster has a battery fitted in, instead of the boxer engine. BMW did not want to do away with its past completely, so they shuffled things a bit to give the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster a resemblance of an internal combustion engine.

The aim was to retain the protruding design and fit in an electric motor. This was fairly challenging as in the IC engine, the size of the motor is dependent on its capacity.

What is the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster?

The BMW Motorrad Vision D C Roadster does not have a gas engine and hence there is no necessity of a gas tank. This allows for more room for its design. In the case of an electric motor, the requirements are different when it comes to installation and space. The batteries take up lots of space whereas the electric motor is fairly compact.

The engine bay is replaced by a vertically fitted battery that uses the protruding cooling ribs and integrated ventilators as its cooling system.

The cooling elements of the  Motorrad Vision DC Roadster are exposed and are on either side of the bike. The cooling elements are kept in the air stream so that the temperatures are maintained. That cooling elements move outward when the bike starts. The Motorrad Vision DC Roadster comes with a universal shaft instead of a chain to drive the rear wheel.

The Motorrad Vision DC Roadster is sharp and aggressive and gives it a cool look.

The electric drive is encased in an aluminum frame and carbon fibre and aluminum components to lessen the weight. To add to the cool look, there are fluorescent elements on the sides of the tires that create designs when the bike is in motion.

The rider’s gear has built-in magnets to which a rucksack can be attached. In the event that the rider requires anything from the bag, he has to only pull and detach the magnets.

With the unveiling of the  Motorrad Vision DC Roadster, the future of the BMW’s motorcycle division seems interesting.Without doing away with the cool design and introducing the latest technology, the future seems bright.