BMW is outpacing other brands with its #NEXT100 campaign, unveiling a motorcycle designed to replace today’s two-wheelers. It won’t be long — plans for mass production are already in place — and BMW claims that by the century’s end, such a vehicle will be as commonplace on city streets as corporate sedans are today. The new machine was unveiled at a conference in Los Angeles, held in a historic hangar.

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Year 2060: BMW’s vision

Imagine this. It’s 2060. You wake up, coffee brews itself, and weather and atmospheric conditions appear on your apartment window. On your way to work, you hop on your motorcycle. During the ride, a personal "virtual assistant" handles everything, while a specially designed helmet — providing protection — also delivers all necessary travel information.

Self-driving, but not autonomous

Motorrad — the name of BMW’s newest concept motorcycle — will be self-driving, but not fully autonomous. According to the brand’s designers, in about 20 years, the driver will serve as a mere supervisor, overseeing a ride deemed safer and more efficient than one controlled manually.

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Design inspired by R32

BMW Motorrad self-driving motorcycle — a vision for 2060

The engineers also focused on a new design. Interestingly, the bodyline is a nod to BMW’s 1923 model — the R32 — the company’s first motorcycle.

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Summary

BMW unveiled its conceptual Motorrad motorcycle at a Los Angeles event, part of its #NEXT100 campaign. The vehicle is designed to be self-driving, but not fully autonomous — in about 20 years, drivers will merely supervise, as the ride is considered safer than manual control. A virtual assistant will accompany the journey, while a special helmet delivers all essential information.

Notably, the styling pays homage to the R32, BMW’s 1923 debut model. The company believes that in 100 years, such a vehicle will be as common as today’s corporate sedans.