The Caterpillar All-Terrain Motorbike

This is an off-road motorbike with a difference, being that it runs, not on oh-so-passé wheels – Wheels? They’re so 20^th century – but, rather, a seventy-seven piece segmented caterpillar track, similar to those used on tanks. This bike can literally go anywhere.

Designed by Tilmann Schlootz, a 26 year old designer from Frankfurt am Main, Germany for the 2006 Michelin Design Challenge, the Hyanide is only a concept at present and realistically it appears that it will unfortunately never enter production, but one can live in hope.

Steered by both the rider’s hands and feet, using steering pins on the front and back axles, the Hyanide is based on a 500cc liquid cooled single-cylinder engine which is housed in a chassis that flexes to facilitate cornering and rough terrain. With a top speed of 80KPH it’s not by any means as fast as comparably powered bikes but, for aesthetics alone, why would something as piffling as its top speed be of concern?

Is this the shape of all terrain bikes of the future? I hope so.

Either ways, this is undoubtably a dream machine and I desperately want one – and I suspect that I’m not alone in that respect.

For further information and imagery of futuristic designs, the Michelin Design Challenge page, which is already running the 2007 Design competition, can be access via this link.