If Skoda Built a Motorcycle, it Would Look Like This

Yep, one of the earliest Skoda machines to compete in a race was a motorcycle and not a car. Specifically, it was the Laurin & Klement-produced Slavia B.

The original Slavia B has a 240cc single-cylinder engine, which produces a claimed output of 1.5bhp and provides a top speed of just 25mph. Meagre performance by today's standards, but in the time of the pioneer bikes in the 1900s, that was about as good as it got. The bike was built to race from Paris to Berlin in 1901, with its rider, Narcis Podsedníček, making history as he became the first (and only on that occasion) motorcycle rider in his class to complete the event.

That history is something Skoda wants to celebrate, and they tasked Skoda car designer Romain Bucaille with the job of reimagining this vintage bike in modern form. As you’d expect from this kind of project, the wheezy old side-valve engine is gone, and in the void where it would usually sit resides the battery pack to provide power to the electric motor. To keep some of the design elements of the 1899 Slavia B, the modern bike retains the drop in the bottom frame beam, something that was a common feature on bikes of the era.

Another nod to the OG bike is the use of a hipster-spec leather saddle bag, mounted in front and below the seat. The single seat is also finished in a distressed leather, again aping the look of its much (much!) older sibling.

Speaking about the bike, Bucaille said:

“I wanted to do something unique and go back to the brand’s roots. I work on cars every day, and since I also love motorcycles, creating one was really a refreshing change.

“I started with pencil sketches to find the right proportions. Since it was a motorcycle, I had to practice a bit - it had been a while since I last drew one! The great thing about paper is that you can sketch anywhere, anytime - no need for a tablet or computer. It was a process of exploration. I kept sketching until I was happy with the result.”

While the machine designed by Bucaille is a concept motorcycle, in the purest sense of the word, it’s interesting to see that Skoda has even gone to the trouble of allowing one of its lead designers the time and freedom to take on a project such as this. Does that mean a two-wheeler from Skoda is on the horizon? Only time will tell, although given that many car manufacturers are switching to electrification in the coming years, adding electric bikes to an existing four-wheeled range wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

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