Don’t call BMW’s futuristic new concept motorbike a scooter

This looks like a scooter, but it’s actually the BMW Motorrad Concept Link, the latest in BMW’s series of exhaustingly-named Motorrad concept vehicles, which imagine a not-so distant future in which we all travel around in angular, sci-fi style.

The Link offers an electric drive, which makes possible the lower seat that BMW says facilitates easily getting on and off the vehicle. It has a reverse gear, which is not typical of many motorcycles, letting you negotiate city spaces more easily. There’s onboard storage under the seat bench, and it has cutaways that let you see the technology powering it within.

There’s no instrument cluster on the Link, but that’s because it projects information like speed, remaining charge and navigation information right onto the windscreen. The windscreen can also be swapped out for other options for greater personalization. There’s also a secondary display below the handle bars that offers touchscreen input, and the handlebars have built-in touch sensitive controls for easy access to favorite features while en route.

BMW goes beyond the bike to include a design for rider equipment, including a lightweight jacket with hidden protection. There’s also motion controls built in that let you open the luggage door with a wave of your arm.

These Motorrad concepts aren’t likely to enter production anytime soon, but instead provide some insight into where BMW thinks the industry is headed. I could go for a flash future scooter, so this one makes sense to me.