by Evelyn
The Red Dot Design Museum, in its new location alongside Marina Bay, features hundreds of carefully-selected objects that have adjudicated the path of design across modern history. It’s small and tasteful, and the quiet bubble of murmurs in the background serves as a perfect backdrop for energised contemplation. Everything catches your eye.
The section for the Yamaha MOTOROid was long and thin, sequestered in a corner but no less impressive. There was a small model, but it was the massive, life-size depiction of the machine that took my breath away: the raw strength exuding from the chassis, the deliberately-exposed sections, and the rugged but sleek look was a testament to a violent refusal of compromise in design.
The MOTOROiD, as shown on the Yamaha website.
With most designs, it’s often a debate of form versus function, and in many cases, one is often sacrificed for another. There is none of that here. The MOTOROiD is strong, smooth, and futuristic; even from the rendering in front of me I could imagine the powerful rumble it made. An immense level of thoughtfulness, love, and care went into this design - the ergonomics are top-notch and considerate, the electronics, motors, and batteries intensely technologically-advanced - and it wasn’t just impressive. The MOTOROiD is an exultation of what a motorbike of the future can and should be - an affectionate, adoring rendition of a commonly-used vehicle.
The MOTOROid asked what a motorcycle can do, and what a motorcycle can look like. Then it took all possible answers for both questions and it fused everything together into this gorgeous monster of a machine that shouldn’t work but does, and does so wonderfully. It’s no artistry, but a painstaking, conscious series of design decisions that perfectly merges every motorcyclist’s wet dream. The esctatic joy of the MOTOROiD’s design is in no way subdued by the deliberate, calculated designs the team made. It’s a stunning collaboration - an acclamation and homage to the beauty of design.
The MOTOROiD: https://global.yamaha-motor.com/showroom/event/tokyo-motorshow-2017/exhibitionmodels/motoroid/