yamaha unveils concept superbike Y/AI with ‘sci-fi’ wheels that glow in the dark

Y/AI by yamaha, a concept superbike with spokeless wheels

Yamaha Motor introduces Y/AI, an AI-inspired concept superbike with spokeless, futuristic wheels that glow in the dark. The motorcycle appears in the Netflix anime series, Tokyo Override, which is also the starting point of the concept model. Netflix reached out to the motor company to request the use of their select motorcycles for the sci-fi anime series. Yamaha said ‘yes’ and delivered 3D data, images, and sound recordings of two of their motorcycle models: the YZF-R1 superbike and the VMAX muscle cruiser.

Combining the designs of these two, the Y/AI concept superbike was born. It’s as futuristic as its name sounds. It has spokeless and semi-transparent wheels that emit blue light as the rider cruises it, and the engine is nowhere to be found because it is hidden in the attached bridge between the two wheels. While it’s for the Netflix series, Yamaha has also produced a full-scale concept model of the Y/AI, and it has premiered at the Motor Expo 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, which runs from November 29th to December 10th.

concept motorcycle in netflix’s tokyo override

The Netflix series Tokyo Overide explores the Japanese city 100 years from now and where AI has been (fully) integrated into daily life. Everything is automated, and this includes Yamaha Motor’s concept superbike, Y/AI. It drives around the streets of Tokyo in action and style and can preview the potential future design inspiration of the company’s motorcycles. Next-generation models then can bear two forks at the front of the vehicle and have a geometric, minimal body shape. The tail ends abruptly with a drop, but it’s this fall that makes the look aggressive and progressive. The handlebars are on the side of the forks, joined by an arch that circles around the front.

With the recent technologies and their non-stop updates, manufacturing AI-inspired superbikes like Y/AI may just be feasible, and they’ll no longer be dubbed as just concepts. The YZF-R1 superbike and the VMAX muscle cruiser also appear in the series along with Y/AI. Aside from designing an AI-inspired concept superbike for the show, Yamaha has also assisted the production team in building the anime’s 100-years-from-now utopia and provided them supervision with the sound effects in terms of riding the superbikes. Viewers can see and experience these Yamaha contributions when they watch Tokyo Override, which is shown on the streaming platform starting November 21st, 2024.

project info:

name: Y/AI

company: Yamaha Motor | @yamahamotoreu

streaming: Netflix | @netflix

series: Tokyo Override