The future of motorcycles, envisions BMW Motorrad, is its Vision Next 100 concept motorcycle that self-balances and is so stable it might one day eliminate the need for bulky, life-saving helmets.
Motorrad showed-off Vision Next 100 as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations. The bike has self-balancing wheels that keep the bike upright even at a complete stop. The stability of this zero-emissions machine should enable rides to ditch the helmet, claims Motorrad.
"Its self-balancing system will help protect the rider at any time," said Edgar Heinrich, design director of Motorrad. "Any late reaction from the driver will trigger and the vehicle will balance out.
"In the future, motorcycle riders will be able to enjoy riding without protective gear."
Motorrad's Vision Next 100 concept motorcycle was the last of four international stops of the "Iconic Impulses" event celebrating 100 years of BMW California a few days ago.
Despite Heinrich's confidence, Motorrad's management said riding without a helmet won't happen for now, at least, and might have to wait for the self-balancing motorcycle to hit the street. That event won't likely occur before 2030, said Motorrad.
While Vision Next 100 will be self-balancing, it won't be fully autonomous, said Motorrad.
"We do not envision autonomy on motorcycles," said Heinrich.
BMW the car maker, however, aims to commercialize fully autonomous vehicles by 2021. It's been working with Intel and the Israeli technology firm Mobileye to develop self-driving cars.
In 2015, BMW collaborated with its German rivals Daimler and Audi, the luxury subsidiary of Volkswagen, to buy Here, a digital mapping service from Nokia, to assist in their self-driving car effort.
The worldwide campaign to advance autonomous cars, however, has seen several setbacks, including well-publicized road accidents in the United States, Germany and China. An accident in the U.S. took the life of a driver. These accidents have mostly involved self-driving sedans produced by Tesla.