With tightening restrictions, growing concern for the environment, and fewer oil reserves, cars and motorcycles are slowly shifting to other kinds of propulsion. Many are putting their bets on electric motors and batteries.
This one design, however, believes water could power bikes of the future. Industrial designer, Maxime Lefebvre, designed what he believes could be a future Yamaha dirt bike model. Inspired by the classic Yamaha XT 500 of the 1970s, he envisions a 2025 model year remake. Best of all, it’s not powered by an electric motor and batteries but by water.
Unlike some independent concepts we featured in the past, Lefebvre is actually working with Yamaha on this project. In fact, the motorcycle-maker had commissioned this project and has meet with him regularly for revisions.
The result is this eye-catching concept designed around the lightweight, capable, and easy to maintain qualities the original XT 500 was known for.
It’s powered by a closed-loop H2O engine. We’re not quite sure what that is but it could be a conceptual engine as well. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to see how water could power the bike completely. It doesn’t simply drive the engine, but even goes so far as propelling the back wheel as well. That means no gears or no drive chains. It’s still not clear where the water pump central to the H2O engine’s operation gets its power.
Nonetheless, the design is out of this world, and the idea of a water-powered engine is even more intriguing. Since Lefebvre is actually working with Yamaha, we might just see this concept (and revolutionary engine) unveiled in a motor show a few years from now.
