SubscribeSo I take great delight whenever a particularly striking example of how not to design a motorcycle turns up. After all, nothing demonstrates the principles of good bike design better than having something hopelessly incompetent to compare against.
Actually celebrating such disasters at the annual design awards with one dedicated to "The World's Ugliest Bike" seemed like a fun idea, but in the end the topic was just too sensitive to implement. Pointing the finger is not so amusing when it's your own design that everyone's laughing at, so in the name of diplomacy, public humiliation was replaced by a little backstage sniggering.But bad styling isn't just a matter of ugly shapes. Over-enthusiasm, especially when mixed with inexperience, can also spell disaster - even when all the right ingredients appear to be in place.
One wonderful example is the new Clipic Samurai. At first glance, the styling appears deceivingly acceptable, and other than a certain untidiness, there's little about the machine that is notably offensive when considered in isolation. The lines are fairly dynamic, the face aggressive, and the overall presence suggests an engine much larger than the 125 single inside. The model vaguely resembles a rather dumpy first-series Yamaha R1, albeit decorated with some gaudy after-market decals, but take a longer look and the problem becomes apparent. The parts just don't belong on the same machine.According to BMW, "The HP2 is the first model in a new, independent category of motorcycles being developed by BMW Motorrad", albeit it, the company warns, at a premium. Which presumably means we can expect further models of a similar pared-down philosophy introduced across the range. If so, the sports models promise to be very exciting indeed, and would give the company a real flagship in the supersports category - an area in which it has been noticeably lacking in recent years,
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