Just when you thought motorcycles couldn’t get any wilder, Yamaha dropped the sci-fi inspired Y/AI prototype. It is built in partnership with Netflix for an anime called Overtaking Tokyowhich takes place in a dystopian Tokyo 100 years in the future.
With this concept, Yamaha is giving us a glimpse of what future transportation could look like in the 2120s. And who better to turn to to help realize this vision than Yamaha.
The show, now available to stream on Netflix, examines how artificial intelligence has permeated daily life and how technology has changed the way people live in cities. It explores a faction of bikers who continue to use old automobiles powered by internal combustion engines in an ultra-optimized age where everything is controlled by algorithms and autonomous mobility is the rule of the road.
Yamaha
Also at the show are the R1 and VMax, two well-known models from Yamaha’s more recent past. There is a fairly detailed recreation of these motorcycles, with Yamaha providing 3D models, renderings, and even audio of the engine and exhaust sounds of these motorcycles.
In the show, these vehicles, trackless and autonomous, represent liberation from a largely regulated society. It contains six episodes and could make for an interesting watch if you like sci-fi and/or anime.
More about the oddly shaped motorcycle: The Y/AI concept motorcycle looks as futuristic as one would expect. Its semi-transparent spokeless wheels emit a strange blue light, while the motorcycle’s engine is hidden in the bridge fixed between the two wheels, giving it a sleek, minimalist look.
Yamaha
A hoop that wraps around the front connects the handlebars, which you’ll find on the side of the fork. Those forks, along with the dramatically lowered tail and geometric, minimalist body, further add to that sci-fi appeal. A metal “bridge” connects the two wheels, and a pointed “fork” at the rear acts as taillights. It sports a unique Y-shaped frame, which I’ve never spotted on a concept before, but it definitely looks cool.
But that’s all we can decipher from the prototype. The Y/AI debuted at the Bangkok Motor Expo 2024, which took place from November 29 to December 10 in Bangkok. This gives you a glimpse of what the future of two-wheelers could look like.
And AI-infused superbikes like Y/AI may be closer than you think. With AI already taking hold in cars, large-scale adoption in two-wheelers could also be near.
Yamaha
The Y/AI definitely looks cool, but it’s nowhere near what Yamaha currently produces – take a look at the retro TW200For example. It still sports halogen headlights in 2024. Hell, even electric motorcycles have a hard time gaining widespread acceptance.
But concept bikes are meant to push the boundaries, and what seems weird today could become commonplace tomorrow – or 100 years from now.
Source: Yamaha
