NMoto’s Golden Age Concept Will Soon Be Reality

[Hugh Janus]

Scooter or motorcycle? Either way, the Golden Age concept is pretty clear about where it gets its design influences. (NMoto/)

You could say Alexander Niznik is something of a BMW fanatic. Why else would a serial entrepreneur go to the trouble of starting his own design studio to recreate the iconic BMW R7 with an R nineT as the platform? His studio/shop NMoto won plaudits and worldwide recognition for that Nostalgia/R nineT project when it was released several years back, but now NMoto is on to a new concept. Dubbed Golden Age, the sleek prototype isn’t based on an iconic BMW model this time, but seeks instead to channel the Courtney Streamline motorcycle, a pure concept machine built in 1936 by one Orley Ray Courtney. That deco masterpiece used an existing machine—a Henderson KJ Streamline model—for its base, and NMoto’s Golden Age also relies on a modern foundation, with a C 400 X scooter to carry its curvaceous bodywork (and keep the BMW theme intact).

Related: NMoto’s Nostalgia Channels The Iconic BMW R7

The long, flowing bodywork rides atop a BMW C 400 X scooter chassis. (NMoto/)

The Courtney Streamline’s sleek profile was made possible by the Henderson donor bike’s compact inline four-cylinder drivetrain, and the finished prototype featured high-profile balloon tires to smooth out the ride. Courtney was a big fan of Chrysler’s just-released Airflow model which integrated the new streamlined art moderne style of the era, and his motorcycle prototype carried many of the same elements. The bike’s sheet-metal panels wrapping the modified Henderson frame and engine were meticulously shaped by Courtney himself with a power hammer, and the builder was awarded a US patent for his streamlined, one-off work of art.

This one-off prototype by O. Ray Courtney served as prime inspiration for NMoto’s design. Underneath the sleek sheet metal is a 1930 Henderson KJ Streamline. (Andrew Cherney/)

With the Golden Age concept bike, NMoto leveraged the C 400 X’s slim dimensions to similar effect, taking advantage of the midsize scooter’s simple tubular steel frame and single-cylinder engine layout as an accommodating base for all those flowing art deco-inspired forms. The liquid-cooled 350cc engine is rated at a claimed 34 hp, and the C 400′s dimensions and modern mechanicals fit the Golden Age concept too, with a 30.5-inch seat height and CVT gearbox promising accessibility and an easy-to-ride quality, all while providing thoroughly modern features like ABS and ASC (automatic stability control).

NMoto’s concept rounds over the sleeker bits for a VW Beetle-like effect. Not sure if those rear pods are for storage or not, but the seat looks pretty plush. (NMoto/)

NMoto says Golden Age’s low center of gravity, reasonable running weight (the C 400 X claims 450 pounds ready to ride), and ample power mean it will be nimble and practical for city streets, but we’re guessing the buyers of this thing will be pretty stoked on the visuals as well. “NMoto have always been inspired by art deco design. But we’re also futurists as much as we are classicists,” Niznik says.

The C 400 X scooter comes with CVT transmission, ABS, and ASC as standard equipment, but we’re as yet unsure if its 6.5-inch TFT display will transfer to the NMoto model. (BMW Motorrad/)

As the renderings show, the bike’s design is complete and the company says production of the first prototype is underway, but no pricing, specs, or details were available at this time. What we do know for sure is that Golden Age will look like nothing else out on the streets when it’s finally produced —though the Honda NM4 does have a similarly wild aesthetic and some closely related features too. Guess it all depends on what era you’re looking to riff on. NMoto says a public reveal will happen in spring of 2021.

For more information, visit: nmoto.com/golden-age/.

How’d you like to spot this BMW-shaped grille in your rearview mirror? (NMoto/)

Source

[XTreme]