It’s a truly unique vision of what two-wheeled power could look like in the not-so-distant future. Noemi Napolitano, a student at IAAD (Institute of Applied Art and Design) in Turin, threw away the rulebook when designing the Yamaha Double Y - the two Y’s standing for Young & Yamaha.
Seeking to create a base model that will both thrill younger riders and make it as accessible, undemanding and natural to use as possible.
Taking inspiration from the human body - specifically the profile of a swimmer in motion - the Double Y has the visually striking elements that may appeal to younger people, and when combined with the innovative controls that make use of your forearms we’re left with a truly unique form of two-wheeled transport.
To briefly explain the forearm riding approach, the entire riding position is adjusted in a way that your arms are resting forward on supports (that retract when parked up). Moving your forearms in, out, left and right will guide the movement of the bike.
Saddle height is given as 800mm, there’s a 21-inch front wheel & 17-inch rear with a 1328 wheelbase. It’s thought to be an electric final drive system, which in turn gives the vehicle fewer parts to house, and therefore the ability to embody an entirely new aesthetic.
Given that the Double Y is just a concept, we won’t be seeing a futuristic design like this on the roads. However, Yamaha has intentions to be a forward-thinker with future mobility, announcing their plans to be carbon neutral as a company and explore electric mobility options going forward.
Does this concept Yamaha Double Y show the possible future for electric motorcycle style?
So despite this being a concept, it does make you consider the potential for electric vehicles to re-imagine the two-wheeled form. I suppose that’s a big tick in Noemi’s thesis ‘Transportation Design’ box.
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