Yamaha has wild stuff planned for Japan Mobility Show
Here’s a look at some of the weirdest and most futuristic ideas that Yamaha will have on show.
Not to be outdone by Honda’s apparent plan to reveal a second electric two-wheeler, Yamaha is planning to showcase a number of weird and futuristic concepts at this month’s Japan Mobility Show.
Formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japan Mobility Show takes place in Tokyo from 29 October to 9 November. It is often used as a platform for displaying a company’s most forward-thinking projects.
Yamaha being Yamaha, it is planning to show off everything from bicycles to electronic drum kits. But the things tickling our fancy are the two- and three-wheeled vehicles that will be on display - its concept vehicles in particular.
Most of these vehicles are electric in one form or another, so it’s probably best to refresh ourselves on the different types of electric vehicles:
BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle - This is what most of us are picturing when we talk about EVs, a vehicle powered solely by a battery.
PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle - These are vehicles that have a large electric motor and a traditional petrol engine. The battery for the electric motor can be charged at an EV charging station.
HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle - Also known simply as a hybrid, an HEV has an electric motor to assist the petrol engine. The battery for said electric motor is charged off the petrol engine.
MOTOROiD:Λ
What is this even? You may remember that back in 2017 Yamaha trademarked the name MOTOROiD as a kind of catch-all term for pretty much any futuristic riding aid on pretty much any kind of two- or three-wheeler.
Now in 2025 it’s serving up this dystopian hellscape madness. Do you sit on it? If so, how? Yamaha’s description is less than helpful.
“MOTOROiD:Λ is capable of learning and evolving autonomously through reinforcement learning. The system trains in virtual environments and then applies its skills in the real world using Sim2Real techniques. By giving the machine a degree of independent decision-making, MOTOROiD:Λ represents another step toward a new relationship in which it can grow alongside its user. The model’s main features include optimized, organic movements generated through AI-based learning… MOTOROiD:Λ aims to redefine the world of two-wheeled vehicles and pioneer an entirely new future.”
Thankfully, all this is still in the concept phase. Which is where it should stay. Forever.
PROTO BEV
Far less terrifying are Yamaha’s plans for an electric motorcycle. Yamaha says this working prototype maximises “fun” in the form of an easy-to-use EV supersport bike.”
Seemingly aligning with the philosophy behind a recent patent to develop a fake engine for the sake of authentic sound, the PROTO BEV features “an instrument display visualizer and sound device that communicate the bike’s status both visually and audibly.”
PROTO PHEV
Perhaps in an attempt to answer every old boy’s flame comments about EV range, Yamaha has developed an R&D prototype plug-in hybrid that, it says, “fuses together the draws of internal combustion engines with EV technology.
“It combines high environmental performance while retaining the well-established fun of sporty motorcycling, connecting the still-untapped potential of internal combustion engines to the future.”
PROTO HEV
Yamaha claims this chunky hybrid two-wheeler “offers the special joy of freely switching between two distinct performance characteristics: ‘Serene’ and ‘Spirited.’”
Yamaha says the use of both a petrol engine and electric motor help to improve fuel efficiency by 35 percent.
Tricera
Looking not wholly unlike a Polaris Slingshot, the Tricera is an electric vehicle that uses a quirky three-wheel steering system. In other words, the rear wheel moves, too.
“Focusing on the quick cornering response and mid-corner driver connection typical of all-wheel steering vehicles, the turning control system has been tuned with a human research perspective to maximize driver fun and achieve a new level of driver–machine unity,” says Yamaha.
And, again, the company offers up an audio device that “tweaks and tunes the electric motor’s sound to amplify the excitement and further draw the driver into the experience.”
Of all the projects drawing our attention, this one looks the most finished and, thereby, probably the most likely to go into production in the next few years.
H2 Buddy Porter Concept
Buddy Porter sounds like the name of a 1960s jazz musician (Checks internet. Discovers that it is, in fact, the name of a famous hairstylist). But for Yamaha, it’s the name of a hydrogen-powered take on the ‘scooter with a roof’ idea that the Germans seem to love so much.
Developed in conjunction with Toyota, the vehicle claims a cruising range of “over 100 km.” That’s roughly 62 miles. There are less than a dozen publicly accessible hydrogen stations in the UK. We’ll pass.
For more motorcycle news from motorcyclists, stick with Visordown.
Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
