This electric motorcycle is an Eames Lounge Chair for the road
Artful prototype bike uses iPhone instead of a gauge cluster.
The Expemotion E-Raw may be more of a one-off kinetic sculpture than it is an attempt at a new production electric motorcycle, but the startlingly beautiful French two-wheeler illustrates an important point: Breaking away from traditional internal combustion is amounting to a tabula rasa for motorcycle designers.
Compact motors and reconfigurable battery packs mean that component placement isn't as fixed as it is with traditional gas bikes, and people like E-Raw designer Martin Hulin are responding with flair.
The Expermotion's most striking feature is clearly its layered-wood laminate saddle, an Eames Lounge Chair for the helmet and leathers set. Its graceful hollow form literally outlines that there's no fuel tank onboard, and the cantilevered design suggests that there's some built-in compliance through a passive suspension of sorts.
Despite the handcrafted seat, the Apple iPhone as gauge cluster and the electric power train, the E-Raw is not so relentlessly futuristic that it isn't readily identifiable as a motorcycle. Its disc brakes, standard front fork and handlebars, along with a round headlamp thoughtfully meld traditional and futuristic cues.
According to Hulin, "Aesthetically, E-Raw fits the logic of transparency and clarity. I wanted all structuring components to be visible in order to reveal the mechanics of the motorcycle."
Despite what looks to be some gravity-assisted rolling footage in the video above, the E-Raw isn't actually powered at the moment -- its motor and battery pack are nothing more than sculpted foam.
But this isn't some CAD drawing, the E-Raw exists in the real world. Hulin tells CNET, "Motorization will be the next stage. We are looking for financing and technical partners."
Battery technology and specs like acceleration times and range aren't ironed out yet, but more information is promised soon. In the meantime, the video above does a nice job of chronicling the 50 days it took to realize E-Raw's current state.