A futuristic concept motorcycle has been revealed by Frank Stephenson Design (FSD), the company of the former Ferrari designer.
Stephenson’s motorcycle, the FSD 59, is immediately striking in its appearance, with the single-piece fairing rising above the handlebar and running back to the front of the seat. There are transparent pieces in the top part of the fairing, running over the ‘tank’, which are removable. FSD says the design is “a pure aerodynamic design that minimises drag and maximises speed,” although how exactly the rider fits into that aerodynamic package is unclear since none of the drawings includes a rider.
Despite its obviously sporty appearance, FSD says the bike incorporates customisation so hypothetical riders could change the bike to meet their needs through an adjustable seat, bars, pegs, and the angle of the screen is adjustable, too.
However, if the rider’s needs include a decent-sounding engine, they’re out of luck. As you might expect from something aiming to be ‘futuristic’, it’s an electric.
The battery is designed to form a part of the chassis, which isn’t a revolutionary idea (CFMoto’s in-development 125cc-equivalent electric sports bike is designed with the battery as a stressed member of the frame, for example), and the bike is said to be “light and agile”.
While we’ve seen plenty of electric motorcycle concepts before, the inclusion of augmented reality (AR) in its heads-up display (HUD) is something new, at least to motorcycles, although its function on the FSD 59 is not detailed.
FSD does assure, though, that the bike “is not just a concept, but a realistic prototype that has applications for the real world.”
The FSD 59 is on-show to the public at this week’s Geneva Motor Show, which runs until 3 March.
Frank Stephenson, Founder and Creative Director of Frank Stephenson Design said: "Our team has been working hard behind the scenes to present this to the world and we are very excited to share it. We look forward to announcing more news on this in the future."
Stephenson is perhaps best known as a former car designer for Ferrari, where he worked on the Ferrari F430 supercar. He also designed the Maserati MC12 (which was basically a rebadged Ferrari Enzo built as a kind of homologation special for the GT1 class of sportscar racing), and the McLaren P1.
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