Wednesday, June 10, 2009

ZOOM Rih Sportsbike Concept


The vision behind the Rih sportbike concept from the ZOOM Design Agency becomes amply clear once you know that “Rih” is the Arabic word for wind. The German designer created this bike for a small production run targeted at racing enthusiasts. The challenge was to develop a competitive sportbike with no compromises in terms of performance, weight, aerodynamics and chassis design, but at the same time include unique and unusual design elements.

The windshield is fixed just above twin RAM inlets and a onboard camera for video recording is located were one would normally find a headlight. Membranes mounted on the fuel tank interrupt the endless flow of carbon fiber bodywork. Connected to the air box, these lung-shaped membranes “react” to the changing air pressure as it passes through the ram inlets and airbox and into the throttle bodies. This in essence gives the impression that the bike is breathing while in operation.

The frame and swingarm of the ZOOM Rih are of seemingly conventional tubular design, but their form is meant to invoke the impression of muscle strands and sinews. The logos on the tires are also decorated in a unique fashion as they are highlighted using thermochromatic pigments that change color depending on the temperature of the rubber, making it easier to recognize when the tires have reached optimum temperature. Power is derived from a 1000cc V4 sourced out of the Aprilia V4.

There is not much information on their website, but they have some other interesting products to browse through. No idea either if this design will actually move forward to production.

Source: The Design Blog, Diseno-art

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