[cycleworld.com] - Five Weirdest Motorcycles You Can Buy

[Ninjette Newsbot]

There are some weird and unique motorcycles out there for sale, here are five that we think really stand out.

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Bring on the odd, bring on the weird, we love some out-of-the-box thinking. (Husqvarna/)We were always told that if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. But don’t take the word weird to heart so seriously. Weird in this application more so means unusual, against the grain, unique. But when we decided we should compile a list of the five weirdest motorcycles that you can currently buy, we weren’t trying to be mean, we just wanted to highlight some standout motorcycles. Some on this list look odd, some are apparently in the middle of an identity crisis, and others are just engineered in such a way that function precedes form, almost to a fault. So here we go in no particular order.


The Bimota Tesi H2, is the perfect combo of weird and wonderful. (Ula Serra/Felix Romero/)1) Bimota Tesi H2

What do you get when you take one of Italy’s most iconic and rare motorcycles, the hub-center steered Tesi and mash it together with a supercharged Kawasaki H2. Well, duh, you get the Tesi H2. Bimota may be tiny, but it has survived more buyouts, and new owners than almost any other Italian motorcycle company, and trust us most have had a few. Back in 1991, Bimota tried to shake up the establishment with the Tesi and its alternative front suspension. Thirty years later, it’s still trying to prove that point. The most current twist in the company’s tale, was another brand-saving injection of cash, which came from Kawasaki. But the result is not only eclectic and crazy in appearance, but a marriage that can only be described as perfectly fitting. The $72,000 Tesi H2 is powered by Kawasaki’s 228 horsepower supercharged engine held together by the radical frameless chassis and then adorned with trick carbon-fiber bodywork and billet pieces galore. Read our most recent road test here.


Trike, three-wheeler, whatever you call it, the MP3 is hugely popular. (Courtesy of Piaggio/)2) Piaggio MP3

Okay, it’s a scooter, let’s get that out of the way, but it has three wheels, so yeah that instantly makes the weird list. Since Piaggio first released the MP3 back in 2006 the company has sold literally hundreds of thousands of them. Maybe the rest of us have a screw loose for not owning one. The recipe appears so simple, take away perhaps the one thing that is a potential intimidator to riders wanting inexpensive, compact urban transportation: learning to ride a motorcycle. With that thrown out the window, the MP3 appeals to a much wider audience, one that is not shopping for a high-performance alternative to a car, but just wants to get to and from work, and be able to easily navigate the urban congestion of large cities. That’s perhaps why Europe is littered with these Italian-interpretations of the trike. So why is the MP3 so loved? Easy, the twin front wheels double the contact patch up front and create stability that pays huge dividends when navigating slick cobblestone roads in rain, snow, and everything else. A powerful 530cc engine delivers 44 horsepower allowing it to easily smoke a Renault diesel through roundabouts. That right there spells success.


Fun, funky, and freakin’ weird. But BMW’s CE 04 is made to filter urban congestion. (BMW Motorrad/)3) BMW CE 04

We’re not going to pretend that the CE 04 isn’t just plain funky. But hey, it’s an electric scooter so it already has a chip on its shoulder. Once again, it’s the urban-transportation segment that is pushing the boundaries of styling, or maybe the designers over at BMW have watched the movie Tron one too many times. But like so many of the vehicles designed to infiltrate the urban grid, function defines form. For those looking to commute, get some groceries, drop a kid off at school, the CE 04 should be a totally practical and fun scooter to do the job. A long, flat seat offers plenty of room for a passenger, while a trunk resides under the seat with a door pivoting down to reveal a lit compartment that can swallow up a few bags from the grocery store or a full-face helmet. The permanent magnet liquid-cooled synchronous motor is rated at 42 horsepower, and good for a claimed 80-mile range with the 8.9kWh battery that is carried super low in the chassis in the floor. You can read our First Ride Review here.


A fun urban scrambler for under $6,000. Yes please. (Husqvarna/)4) Husqvarna Svartpilen 401

Depending on your tastes, you may not think that the Husky Svartpilen 401 is weird at all, and may even think it’s pretty awesome. We think it’s far less strange and more unique than anything. But what exactly is this odd-ball streetbike coming from a company renowned for its off-road chops? A few years back, Husqvarna decided that it needed a handful of streetbikes in its lineup that weren’t based on its enduros—before its Norden 901 ADV bike broke cover. There were a few midsized 701 versions of the Svartpilen and Vitpilen names, but the two bikes that have survived in the US are the 373cc-single powered Svartpilen 401 scrambler and Vitpilen 401 roadster. If you’re going to push the radical image, the Svartpilen’s chunky knobby-tire-shod scrambler vibe is pretty cool. An upright seating position is commanded by a moto-style handlebar, while the fat knobbies are definitely meant to open the door to backroad exploring and not just urban posing. For under $6,000, this is one cool bike.


All work and no play? Nope. The Cake Ösa+ promises both. (Cake/)5) Cake Ösa+ :work

Dang! Where do we even begin here? Well for starters, Cake, since its inception, has never been afraid to stray away from the visual perception of what a motorcycle should look like. Clearly, the Ösa focuses on functionality blended with whatever it is that influences Scandinavian design and creates forms that are minimalistic and simple. If you tripped over the Cake Ösa+ while lost in the maze at IKEA, you wouldn’t even bat an eye at it, it would be in perfect context. But after you’ve stuffed your face with Swedish meatballs, and rolled out from under the shadow of the giant blue and yellow box, the Ösa stands out a bit more. So, what is this thing and what is it for? This version of the Ösa is an all electric working machine. Not only can it get you there with a 56-mph top speed, and haul a ton of stuff (not literally) on its heavy-duty front and rear racks, but once you’ve arrived you can plug in to its integrated outlets to power your tools. The battery is a 70Ah / 3.5kWh unit that provides a claimed 70 miles of range. Think of this bike as the ultimate mobile urban workshop.