BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY.

Photo: BMW Motorrad

As a completely new concept between bicycle and motorcycle, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY opens up new possibilities for the innovative, urban mobility of tomorrow.

As a completely new concept between bicycle and motorcycle, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY opens up new possibilities for the innovative, urban mobility of tomorrow. It is one of five different concept vehicles on the basis of which the BMW Group is demonstrating its vision of individual mobility in and around the city at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich.
Under the common umbrella of electromobility, digitality and sustainability, these five groundbreaking concepts form a versatile and sustainable mobility mix on two and four wheels that comprehensively addresses a wide variety of mobility needs.

BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY and BMW i Vision AMBY.

AMBY stands for "Adaptive Mobility". The BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY as well as the BMW i Vision AMBY (see press release BMW i Vision AMBY) interpret the basic idea of adaptive urban mobility on two wheels in different facets. Both vehicles have an electric drive with three speed levels for different types of roads. The drive enables up to 25 km/h for use on cycle paths, up to 45 km/h on inner-city roads and up to 60 km/h top speed on multi-lane roads and out of town. For the higher speeds, however, helmet, insurance license plate and a corresponding driving license are required. While the BMW i Vision AMBY, a high-speed pedelec, has to be constantly pedalled to get the support of the electric drive, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY accelerates with throttle grip and has typical motorcycle footpegs instead of pedals.

Which modes are available to the driver is stored via an app on the smartphone that is connected to the respective "AMBY" vision vehicle.

A manual selection of the driving stage is just as conceivable as the detection of the road by geofencing technology and the associated automatic adjustment of the maximum speed. Since the legal framework for such a vehicle with a modular speed concept does not yet exist, the "AMBY" vision vehicles want to be an impulse for legislation to stimulate such possibilities. The BMW Group is thus demonstrating that it will continue to be part of the mobility offering in major cities in the future and is leading the way with innovative solutions.

New impulses for emotional mobility on two wheels.

"With the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY, we are breaking new ground. For us, the focus is on user behavior. So the question is, how does the customer want to get around in the future? What requirements does he place on his vehicle? This is exactly where we started with our considerations. We wanted to develop an extremely emotional vehicle for smart mobility in and around the city with maximum freedom. With the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY, our customers can literally experience the city anew, cover distances more flexibly and sometimes "break out" of the city. At the same time, BMW Motorrad is consistently pursuing its electromobility strategy for urban conurbations. It is an exciting entry into the world of BMW Motorrad, which also promises maximum driving pleasure," explains Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad.

The design - the DNA of BMW Motorrad.

The BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY goes beyond all previous categories: Visually related to the bicycle world, it is a motorcycle at heart. The slim proportions promise robustness and adventure. In its design, it shows clear borrowings from the gestures and design of BMW Enduro motorcycles. With coarse-studded profiles on the thinner 26" front wheel and the wider 24" rear wheel, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY clearly shows that it wants and can go anywhere. The firmly integrated seat with 830 mm seat height is just as much a typical motorcycle feature as the fixed footpeads.

In the further course, the seat pulls as a design element over the flat rising upper frame area and draws a striking flyline. This creates a completely new and fresh look for BMW Motorrad, a link between e-bike and motorcycle world.
In the center of the frame, the large energy storage unit and the drive unit form a dark graphic block.

The large bicycle fork on the front wheel with its protectors makes the entire front end appear more massive and powerful. A small headlight with the U-shaped
BMW Motorrad light signature clearly shows the roots of this concept, just like the double LED element as a rear light. The BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY is also typically accelerated by throttle grip, as is usual with a motorcycle.

With a total weight of only around 65 kg, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY is significantly lighter than other motorcycles and therefore maximally manoeuvrable and agile.

Color and material concept with depth and unexpected details.

Compared to a conventional combustion engine, the electric drive of the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY offers little visible mechanics due to its concept.
His technical heart is therefore deliberately disguised and almost machine-like strikingly staged. All the more reason to highlight the colour and material concept developed with a high degree of detail, which clearly goes beyond the traditionally dark basic colours and the use of white accents.

Already when using the materials, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY uses cross-references to two other concept vehicles that will also celebrate their world premiere at the IAA Mobility 2021: the BMW i Vision Circular and the BMW i Vision AMBY. The material of the "Floating Grey Polymere" energy storage cladding is also used in the bumper of the BMW i Vision Circular. It is made of recycled plastic and can be returned to the material cycle after the end of the product life cycle. The material used on the seat can also be found in the saddle of the BMW i Vision AMBY and in the tyres of the BMW i Vision Circular. With recycled plastic granules and its exciting terrazzo look, it shows that several materials in new form and function are given a second life here.

Asymmetrical design of the vehicle sides.

In keeping with the unexpected and self-confident character of the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY, the two sides of the vehicle are deliberately designed differently. On both sides, the white "AMBY" lettering catches the eye above the bright drive unit, which makes a striking statement as a stylized graphic on the energy storage fairing. While on the left side the lettering is given additional optical depth by a color-shimmering, iridescent drop shadow, the lettering on the right side is shown without drop shadows. Below the energy storage, two iridescent elements set a further accent.

On the right side of the vehicle, three turquoise blue tubes emerge visibly from the silhouette and thus clearly refer to the electric heart of the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY. Next to it is a quote from Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad: "Electromobility will be of great importance for the future of motorcycling. We see a number of upcoming products with a focus on electric drive, especially in the field of urban mobility. I am not only thinking of classic scooters, but also of alternative modern, emotional products. Electromobility on two wheels must be really fun and exciting. And it is precisely such products that we will develop."

In many places, the interaction of the technoid pixel font with the classic serif font shows the attention to detail at second glance. Together, like the vision vehicle itself, they build the bridge between the past and the future. The coordinates on the right refer to the BMW Motorrad design studio in Munich, where the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY was born. On the opposite side, the letters AMBY are also represented in Morse code, only that dashes visualize the dots. In their perfect interplay, all these thoughtful details create a unique graphic and highly modern appearance.

The smartphone as the key.

By means of a specially developed app, the user can
Activate the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY for driving, read in your stored driving licence classes and use the appropriate, necessary insurance cover on demand. Thus, the app takes over the classic key function and uses the usual identification options in the smartphone.B. Face ID. Basic functions and status queries (e.B. current state of charge) are available similar to the BMW app. Customers receive further developments and adjustments in the software at any time thanks to over-the-air updates.
The smartphone shown in the vision vehicle charges inductively on the magnetic holder in the lower field of view. In addition, these connectivity options could also be used to offer theft protection or an immobilizer as a basic function.
The answer to the question "Where is my BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY?" would also be just a click away on the smartphone.

Geofencing as a key technology.

Instead of choosing the driving mode yourself, geofencing technology in combination with the detailed HERE map service could create the decisive parameters for the automatic adjustment of the speed level (25/ 45/ 60 km/h) and the corresponding insurance benefit. This allows the vehicle to detect the type of road, cycle path or traffic-calmed area currently being used and automatically adjusts the maximum permitted speed. This allows the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY to transform from an S-Pedelec-like vehicle to a more motorcycle-inspired vehicle. It is not possible for the user to override the mode. The required license plate is implemented via an innovative display surface. The mode selected at this moment is thus easy to read or recognize for the other road users.

In addition, further technological innovations are conceivable in the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY: an optimised ABS system could further increase safety, as could an automatic high-beam or brake light assistant, as well as daytime running lights. A tyre pressure monitoring system, which is already available as an option on BMW Group motorcycles, is also conceivable. A distance radar with a range of up to 140 m warns visually and acoustically in the app of vehicles approaching from behind and rounds off the possible safety features.

The BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY shows a new approach to what modern, urban mobility of tomorrow can look like. It sees itself as a stimulus to promote discussions about future mobility in the cities.

Data of the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY.

Battery: not specified

Performance: not specified

Vmod1: up to 25 km/h

Vmod2: up to 45 km/h

Vmodmax: up to 60 km/h

Range: approx. 110 km (combined according to WMTC)

Rims: coarse spoke wheel with 26 inches front and 24 inches rear

Seat height: 830 mm

Empty weight: approx. 65 kg