Back in 2013, Yamaha debuted two electric motorcycle concepts: the Yamaha PES1 street bike and the Yamaha PED1 dirt bike. This was a big deal, because Yamaha said it planned to bring an electric motorcycle to market by 2016.
Well, here we are just a few weeks from the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, where 2016 models from the Japanese manufacturers would typically debut…and it seems Yamaha has more electric motorcycle concepts for us.
The Yamaha PES2, as the name suggests, is an evolution of the PES1, though it does look slightly more ready for production than its predecessor.
At the core of the machine is what Yamaha calls the Yamaha Smart Power Module, which is a removable battery pack that doubles as a structural element of the motorcycle frame, thus making the PES2 have a monocoque frame design.
More interestingly, Yamaha has added a hub motor to the front wheel of the PES2 design, thus making the Yamaha PES2 concept a two-wheel drive electric vehicle. As such, Yamaha says that the PES2 is “designed to pioneer new boundaries of performance never experienced before.”
The front suspension and steering linkage is also of note, with Yamaha employing a single-sided fork leg setup. It will be interesting to see this arrangement more closely, once the bike is on display at the Tokyo Motor Show.
We’re not sure how far out Yamaha is from bringing something like the PES2 to market, though it’s interesting that the Japanese brand has chosen the decidedly low-tech option of using DC brushless motors for its concept here.
Quite fetching to the eye, in a very futuristic sort of way, the PES2 looks to be more than just a thrown together concept, and at 286 lbs at the curb, the Yamaha PES2 could be a peppy machine to ride.
Hopefully we’ll see something soon that we can flog around. Stay tuned.
Source: Yamaha
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