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BMW’s Concept 101 is elegant, sinister, and futuristic at the same time

Ronan Glon
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BMW Motorrad, the Munich-based automaker’s motorcycle-building division, has introduced a new bike called Concept 101 at the annual Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance that took place last weekend on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. The Concept 101 was unveiled alongside BMW’s retro-flavored 3.0 CSL Homage concept.

Built on the existing K 1600 platform, the Concept 101 was designed jointly by BMW and California-based Roland Sands Design as the perfect embodiment of American touring. Visually, it adopts a striking, futuristic design with a tall front end, a drop-shaped body, and a tapered rear end. All told, the Concept 101 is markedly more aerodynamic than the K 1600 on which it’s based.

The sleek body is accented by two integrated side cases that are aerodynamically designed to reduce drag, thin LED tail lamps, sculpted surfaces, and a pair of long exhaust pipes with three outlets. Brushed aluminum, dark wood, and carbon fiber trim adds an elegant touch to the overall look while creating a visual link between the Concept 101 and BMW’s four-wheeled machines.

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The instrument cluster is made up of two easy-to-read analog gauges, a small driver information screen, and four speakers that let the rider listen to his or her favorite tunes while cruising down highway 101.
BMW Concept 101

Although BMW Motorrad is famous for its flat-twin engine, the Concept 101 uses an evolution of the 1.6-liter water-cooled straight-six engine that powers the aforementioned K 1600. Precise technical details are not available, but the engine makes 160 horsepower at 7,750 rpm and 129 foot-pounds of torque at 5,250 rpm when fitted to the K 1600 GTL.

BMW has not revealed what the future holds for the Concept 101. It could be merely a one-off bike that showcases the talent of BMW Motorrad’s design department, or it could accurately preview an upcoming addition to its lineup of two-wheelers. If launched, the Concept 101 will be aimed primarily at the North American market.

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Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
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