BMW Patents Reveal Covered Scooter Design

Latest patent images filed by BMW reveal a new type of modular scooter which can be ridden both with the roof intact or removing it and riding it like a conventional scooter. The base of the new bike is the BMW C Evolution electric scooter, which was first introduced in 2014, with a carbon fibre and Aluminium superstructure covering the rider. The roof can be removed by simply removing some bolts from the structure to give it the conventional scooter design, and for some protection from the elements, the roof can be bolted back on.

The roof of the scooter can be removed easily by unbolting the safety cage

The idea of a covered scooter is now new, and BMW had introduced the C1 covered two-wheeler nearly two decades ago, but production was stopped just two years later after disappointing sales. As with the C1, the new covered scooter will also focus on safety as one of the selling points, including crumple zones, four-point harnesses and even airbags to provide safety to the riders. The advantage of the new design is that, if required, owners can also opt to unbolt the safety cage for some wind in the hair fun.

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Active aerodynamic winglets, marked "32" on the image above, have been designed to tackle stability issues

There was also another problem with the C1 apart from the fixed crash structure, and that is weight. With a 185 kg kerb weight, and the performance of a 125 cc scooter, the C1 didn't inspire any confidence in its handling or performance. Now, BMW intends to move around the problem of mass, by swapping the original Aluminium safety cell for a carbon fibre design. While the carbon fibre will address the weight issues, the new design also seems to address forces of side winds, with the use of active aerodynamics.

With the roof removed, the modular design allows the rider to use it like a conventional scooter

Unlike a conventional two-wheeler, where the rider can move his weight around, side-winds may push the bike off line, and this is where the winglets will counter the force. As many as four active winglets will alter their angles in response to inputs from the bike's inertial measurement unit (IMU) and stability control system. With such high-tech features, including the IMU, active aerodynamic winglets and the carbon fibre roof, complete with airbags, seat belts and crumple zones, the new covered BMW scooter will not likely be at the affordable end of personal mobility. What is clear from the patents is that BMW may be seriously going down the development line, and it may be only a matter of time, before we see a concept or a pre-production prototype.

(Source: Visordown, Bennetts)