The Tokyo Motor Show is next week, and while we expect Honda to debut the Honda Gold Wing F6C at the show, it looks like Yamaha is set to make some waves as well. Teasing four concept motorcycles, two have caught our interest. First up is the Yamaha PES1 concept, which is an electric sport bike with a DC brushless motor and lithium-ion battery.
Yamaha is light on details, and we can imagine that the concepts are meant more to illustrate that the tuning fork brand is “thinking about” electrics, as is the vogue with OEMs at the moment. However, the design is interesting, especially with Yamaha suggesting that the battery pack, called the Yamaha Smart Power Module, is swappable on the sub-100kg machine.
Built with a monocoque structure that functions both as the bodywork and as the frame, the Yamaha PES1 features a transmission with manual and automatic modes and various types of “smartphone information service functions” — whatever that means. The news of a transmission is interesting, as it seems Yamaha is following Brammo down this path, though we will believe when we see it.
What is clear though is that OEMs are not content to let companies like Brammo, BRD, Mission, and Zero play in this two-wheeled space without them. This could get interesting.
Technical Details of the Yamaha PES1 Concept:
Length×Width×Height = 1,918 mm×640 mm×1,000 mm
Motor type = DC brushless motor
Battery type = Lithium-ion
Transmission = Switchable between manual and automatic
Vehicle weight = under 100 kg
Source: Yamaha
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