Battery or No Battery? You Decide
Hybrid motorcycles are something that hasn’t really happened yet. BMW might be seeking to change that with a new bike. According to MoreBikes, the company recently patented a flexible gas tank. How does that indicate the bike could be a hybrid? Well, the flexible part of the tank would make room for a battery that’s removable if you wanted to.
Let’s take a look at how this could work. If you’re in town, you could ride around with an electric/gas power hybrid system. If you want to go out on the highway for a longer tour, you’d simply remove the battery that rests under the flexible gas tank and ride the bike around like any other motorcycle. Essentially you’d get the benefits of electric power only when you wanted it.
As MoreBikes points out, the patent doesn’t actually go into the inner workings of the hybrid system, so there’s some speculation there. However, the tank design does show some room for a battery, meaning BMW is considering adding some kind of electrified power source under the gas tank.
I doubt this one will get anywhere near production. While it’s an interesting idea, it’s not one that I think most people would be super keen on. I do applaud BMW for thinking outside of the box. One of these wacky ideas will pay off someday.