- Skoda Slavia B concept electric bike unveiled
- Pays homage to Skoda’s first-ever motorcycle
- It might never go into production
After making cleverly packaged cars for so many years, Skoda has now taken the wraps off a new electric bike concept – the Slavia B. Interestingly, this is not the first time the company has plunged into developing motorcycles.
The new Slavia B concept harks back to the first-ever motorcycle with the same name made by the brand in 1899. Skoda was called Laurin & Klement back then, a tag reserved for the brand’s modern-day premium cars, and it started its journey by making bicycles in 1895. The first Skoda motorcycle had a 240cc, 1.7bhp engine that was capable of reaching a top speed of 40kmph.
The new Skoda Slavia B electric concept looks profoundly futuristic but brings in some visual reminiscence of the 1899 model. The design of the bike is the result of Skoda’s car exterior designer, Romain Bucaille’s imagination. The entire mid-section of the bike looks like the frame of its ancestor, which was essentially a bicycle with an engine strapped on. Since the new Slavia B is a café racer, it has clip-ons and a long fuel tank-like assembly culminating in a floating-style leather seat. Moreover, a leather tool bag sits flush into the panel just behind the frame. Interestingly, the frame has a huge hollow space at the centre, perhaps as a reminder of the absence of an ICE engine.
The Skoda Slavia B electric concept bike might never go into production. However, it’s a clear testament to Skoda’s creativity and design prowess, and it might inspire other brands to think in the same direction.
