Explore our best motorcycle and scooter designs of 2023

Some of the best motorcycle and scooter designs that came out this year, be they fuel-based or electric, exude distinctive visual flair that may make them memorable and striking to their viewers. Take the Sprinter motorcycle that brings together different parts from various vehicles, like spare car wheels and a Kawasaki KZ250 engine, or the adjustable engine of the custom café racer named Helios, a clear homage to the Greek God of Sun. These couple of top motorcycle and scooter designs of 2023 are just the beginning.

Even conceptual rides tease the motorcycle and scooter fans of what might sweep into their sight in hopes of throwing in a bit of design zest onto their on-road cruising. With Suzuki’s MOQBA, unveiled during the Japan Mobility Show 2023, the transport vehicle looks like a four-legged animal and just like it, the scooter can climb stairs, so it can be used for emergencies too. Even Yamaha’s MOTOROiD2 concept model takes the experimental motorcycle to a whole new level by making the ride park itself using smart technologies.

Exciting news about the release of the real-life models of the rides within our TOP 10 motorcycle and scooter designs of 2023 include the kawaii return of Honda’s Motocompacto, a modernized version of its 1980s predecessor, and Naoto Fukusawa and MUJI’s collaboration for the minimalistic Gogoro electric scooters. Read more about our best motorcycle and scooter designs of 2023 below as we continue our annual BIG Stories round-up.

HONDA’S MOTOCOMPACTO MAKES A KAWAII RETURN

Honda Motocompacto | image by Honda | read more here

Honda brings back the Motocompacto from the 80s but with a modern twist—an adorable electric scooter with foldable parts. This compact scooter takes inspiration from its 80s predecessor, the Motocompo, and features a sleek design that can be neatly folded to fit in small spaces like a car trunk or cabinet. When folded, it resembles a stylish briefcase with an engine and wheels. Ideal for city and campus rides, the Motocompacto’s aluminum frame houses the battery and charger, and its handlebars cleverly turn sideways for easy storage. 

The seats and wheels also fold inward, making it a breeze for riders to carry their portable electric scooter. Safety is a priority, with features like a bright LED headlight, taillight, side reflectors, and a robust heat-treated aluminum frame ensuring durability. Honda aims to enhance the user experience further with a dedicated app, allowing riders to customize settings like lighting and ride modes via Bluetooth.

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NAOTO FUKASAWA AND MUJI DESIGN MINIMALISTIC GOGORO E-SCOOTERS

Gogoro e-scooter | image by Gogoro | read more here

Gogoro, known for its urban mobility battery-swapping systems, has teamed up with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa and Tokyo-based brand MUJI. Together, they’ve launched the Gogoro VIVA ME and Gogoro VIVA MIX ME scooters, along with a range of merchandise and accessories. These e-scooters, designed by Fukasawa, feature simplified designs and utilize recycled polypropylene for their body components. The collaboration aims to offer an urban mobility experience that is straightforward, comfortable, and environmentally friendly.

The scooters embody the ‘Just Enough’ philosophy, embracing simplicity and sustainability in everyday urban commuting. Designed with a welcoming beige palette inspired by nature and a cozy grey palette reflecting urban charm, the vehicles and accessories align with MUJI’s minimalist style. Naoto Fukasawa emphasizes the importance of design integrity towards people, the environment, and life, highlighting the collaboration as a natural fit between two popular brands. Gogoro’s previous initiative of using recyclable polypropylene plastics in their vehicles paved the way for this eco-friendly collaboration with MUJI.

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CITY SCOOTER WITH 3 WHEELS TUCKS INSIDE A CANISTER

MG – X | image by Benjamin Miller | read more here

Bike sharing is getting an upgrade with MG – X, a three-wheeled city scooter that folds into a battery-shaped ride and fits inside a portable canister for easy sharing in cities. Designed by Benjamin Miller, MG – X draws inspiration from city games that bring people together. The scooter has a playful and fun appearance, influenced by design elements found in racing games. When not in use, MG – X resembles a compact battery or a stylish boombox, enclosed in a silver and steel container. Benjamin Miller cleverly designed foldable and modular sections for the mini scooter, allowing it to transform into a compact, portable ride.

The two front wheels, with a sliced-donut style, can be tucked in front of each other, maximizing space. The long handlebars, mini footrests, and the concealed third wheel contribute to the scooter’s space-saving design. MG – X has an additional playful feature – it can pump up and down to handle bumps on the road or add a bit of excitement during city rides. While manual folding is currently required, the possibility of an automatic folding system in the future adds to the innovation of Miller’s MG – X.

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TAMARIT DIVINIZES TRIUMPH INTO GOD-LIKE HELIOS CAFÉ RACER

Helios | image by Tamarit | read more here

Tamarit Motorcycles, a custom motorbike workshop in Alicante, Spain, has crafted a café racer named Helios, paying homage to the Greek God of Sun. The personalized Triumph bike, bearing the divine style of Helios, is a labor of love with features like an adjustable engine, a unique monocoque frame, and custom headlights. The project kicked off with Tamarit’s team refurbishing the original engine to meet the owner’s specifications, involving tasks like adjusting valve seats, installing oversized pistons, and planning cylinder heads.

What sets Helios apart is its hydraulic monocoque, an innovative feature that allows easy lifting for convenient access to bike components. The distinctive sound of Helios is achieved through a dual exhaust system tucked under the cowl. With 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels, featuring a lenticular rim, the bike aims for reduced turbulence and enhanced stability, especially at high speeds. Helios, bedecked in multiple orange layers reminiscent of a sunset, exudes the classic aura of a café racer.

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BMW MOTORRAD INTRODUCES R18 THE CROWN MOTORCYCLE

BMW Motorrad marks its 100th anniversary with a special creation, The Crown, designed by Dirk Oehlerking, the founder of Kingston Custom. The centerpiece is the R18 ride, featuring a large boxer motorcycle with distinctive elements like a curved aluminum sheet over the front-wheel suspension and a double-sided swinging arm with a central suspension strut. Dirk Oehlerking, renowned for his work on ‘R18 Spirit of Passion,’ embarked on this by stripping down a new BMW R18 and crafting its design using hard foam and cardboard to sculpt the shape and lines.

The objective was to achieve a powerful, elegant, and fast look with an innovative touch. The team meticulously worked with 2mm-thick aluminum sheet metal, bending and sculpting it to form an 8-liter fuel tank and body parts of The Crown. The engine and rear suspension retained their original design, while handmade stainless steel exhaust manifolds added a bespoke touch. The intricate details, including the headlight, instrument, switch units, footrest system, clutch, handbrake fittings, and leather-covered saddle, were carefully integrated into the motorcycle, creating a unique and visually stunning piece to celebrate BMW Motorrad’s centenary.

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LAMBRETTA UNVEILS ELECTRIC SCOOTER WHOSE ENTIRE REAR LIFTS UP

Elettra | image by Lambretta | read more here

At the International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition (EICMA) 2023 in Milan, Lambretta, the Italian vehicle company, took the spotlight with Elettra, an electric scooter featuring a hydraulic rear end that lifts up like a kinetic sculpture. This captivating motion, exhibited from November 9th to 12th, reveals the motor and storage components of the scooter. Lambretta emphasizes that Elettra, with its cyber-city appearance, is now moving into production.

Elettra combines classic scooter design elements with modern upgrades catering to today’s urban commuters. An example is the LED lighting, with a semi-blue light strip that gives the electric scooter an eye-catching glow in the dark, adding a futuristic touch to the overall design. Lambretta’s silver electric scooter is set to enter production, offering fans of the Italian company the chance to experience Elettra’s T-shaped handlebars, which depart from the typical circular forms for a rubberless and geometric design.

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SUZUKI MOQBA IS A DOG-LIKE VEHICLE THAT CAN CLIMB STAIRS

MOQBA | image by Suzuki | read more here

Suzuki Japan prepared for the Japan Mobility Show 2023, and one intriguing concept in the lineup was the MOQBA, short for Modular Quad Based Architecture. It’s not a typical vehicle—it’s a four-legged creation that combines elements of a motorcycle and a transport vehicle. Resembling a dog, the MOQBA is designed to conquer stairs effortlessly and serve specific purposes like transporting objects or even patients on stretchers.

Its unique feature lies in its bendy legs, allowing it to adapt to the terrain and move smoothly over stairs, bumps, and obstacles. The MOQBA’s versatility is evident, as it can be ridden like a motorcycle, making it a potential addition to Suzuki’s mobility family. While currently a concept, Suzuki aims to explore the practical applications of this four-legged wonder, possibly turning it into a real motorized transport solution in the future.

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YAMAHA MOTOROiD2 BALANCES AND PARKS ITSELF

Yamaha Motor geared up for the Japan Mobility Show 2023 and had a futuristic surprise for their fans: the upgraded version of the MOTOROiD motorcycle from 2017. The Yamaha MOTOROiD2 concept model takes the experimental motorcycle to a whole new level by becoming self-operating. It can balance and park itself by kicking the stands on its own, and it is dubbed smart since it can recognize its owner from a distance and get itself ready for the ride.

The Yamaha MOTOROiD2 may feel like a buddy that knows what to do. When the rider asks it to park itself, it unfolds its kickstands all by itself, and when it’s time to hit the road, it smoothly folds them back up. There’s also something exciting coming up since Yamaha hinted at a feature where the motorcycle moves alongside the rider. While they haven’t spilled all the details, it sounds like the MOTOROiD2 might help the rider turn without leaning.

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ELECTRIC SCOOTER TOM FOLDS LIKE A SWISS ARMY KNIFE

TOM | image by To-Move | read more here

The TOM electric foldable scooter by Italian startup To-Move is designed like a Swiss army knife, folding up in less than seven seconds. Its bamboo frame cleverly conceals most of its parts when folded, turning it into a portable, compact package. This design allows the folded TOM to be easily moved around like carry-on luggage, providing a space-efficient solution compared to larger electric scooters that might block pathways.

The TOM scooter seems to draw design inspiration from electric bikes, featuring a bamboo frame with a sleek upward slope. Its generously cushioned seat seamlessly hides within the wooden frame, and the front wheel can be quickly assembled for riding by angling it downward. The adjustable handlebars add a customizable touch, letting the rider set the height as needed. The design also ensures proper ventilation for the batteries through a cleverly placed slit in the wooden shell, preventing overheating.

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FUTUREWAVE’S ELECTRIC MOPED IS HALF BIKE, HALF SCOOTER

Futurewave introduces the Yoda Bike, an electric motorbike hybrid designed to offer a sustainable and stylish commuting solution for urban areas. Weighing only 24kg, the Yoda Bike combines the agility of a bicycle with the power of a moped, making daily commutes easy with a range of 70km on a single charge. Its futuristic aluminum design not only looks sleek but also anticipates the mobility needs of the future.

The Yoda Bike goes beyond physical features, incorporating a removable battery for enhanced range and simplified charging and maintenance. Connected software provides real-time updates for users and fleet managers, offering security against theft, monitoring battery levels, and tracking directions. Designed with a focus on user habits and market needs, the Yoda Bike aligns with the fast-paced rhythms of modern urban life and addresses the challenges of mobility and sustainability, positioning itself as a game-changer in the green mobility segment.

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