AMBY goes where no electric bike has gone before

Vision AMBY represents is a hybrid of a different kind, a combination of electric bicycle and motorbike.

It is one of five different concept vehicles that BMW Motorrad plans to show at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich.

AMBY stands for “Adaptive Mobility” and defies all existing categories, the company claims.

Its design is rugged and adventurous, with the expressive style and layout of a BMW Enduro motorbike.

Chunky rubber wraps a 26-inch wheel front front wheel and 24-inch rear wheel a wider, more rounded tyre.

The firmly integrated seat, sitting at a height of 830mm, is typical of a motorbike along with the fixed footrests.

Vision AMBY and partner the i Vision AMBY are both battery powered, with three speed levels for different types of road.

The drive allows up to 25km/h on cycle paths, up to 45km/h on inner-city roads and a top speed of 60km/h on multi-lane roads and out of town.

A helmet, insurance licence plates and relevant driving licence are required to travel at higher speeds.

While the i Vision AMBY requires constant pedalling in order to gain assistance from the electric drive, Vision AMBY responds to a throttle grip and has footrests instead of pedals — like a typical motorcycle.

The modes available to the rider are stored in an app on your smartphone.

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BMW Motorrad says manual selection of the speed level is possible, as is detection of the road by means of geofencing technology — allowing the top speed to be set automatically.

It says as there is currently no legal basis for such a vehicle, the idea behind the AMBY vision vehicles is to prompt legislation that will enable this kind of setup.

“The BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY takes us into new territory,” Head of Design, Edgar Heinrich, said.

“For us, the focus is on user behaviour. The question is: how will customers want to get around in the future?

“What will they expect their vehicle to be capable of? This was precisely the starting point of our deliberations.

“Our aim was to develop an extremely emotional vehicle for smart mobility in and around the city that offered maximum freedom.

“BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY really does enable our customers to experience urban life in a whole new way, cover distances more flexibly and break free of the city from time to time, too.

“At the same time, BMW Motorrad is consistently pursuing its electromobility strategy for urban conurbations.

“It’s a fascinating introduction to the world of BMW Motorrad that also promises maximum riding pleasure.”