A couple of years ago, SWM made international waves, particularly among Harley fans, when it first showed off its Stormbreaker 1200. And, I mean, as our own Enrico pointed out (and as anyone with eyes can see), it's pretty difficult to deny the idea that it's a Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 clone (in design, at least).
Fast-forward to 2025, and a Stormbreaker-based motorcycle design just took center stage, quite literally, at SWM's EICMA 2025 launch. It's called the Bumblebee Concept (or rather, BUMBLEBEE.Concept, to write it the way the company does), and SWM parent company Shineray describes it as, "the sci-fi mech-inspired concept beast." Alongside motorcycles, the company also took this opportunity to show off its first-ever ATVs to the world, but they don't seem to share any design language with our yellow and black friend here.
This video is entirely in German, but it's a nice walkaround of the concept in question, so you can take it in from every angle. That front brake disc is seriously giving saw blade, no?
And, I mean, apart from the fact that this song is now inexplicably lodged in my head for the first time in years, it's not a bad thing to look at, although I can't help but think of all the little water traps that are undoubtedly waiting for you if you're the one to wash it. I mean, the top of the tank alone has so many little nooks and crannies that will inadvertently serve as bonus hydration packs if you aren't careful.
Motorcycle designs that companies refer to as 'concepts' can have all kinds of paths. Some go through further development, and may even eventually find their way to market in some form or another. Others are 'concepts' in name only, and are already close to production. And still others will never, ever see the light of day, because they're simply too cool for this world.
According to Shineray, part of the purpose of showing off BUMBLEBEE.Concept alongside its other vehicles at EICMA was to demonstrate the potential power of its "cross-China-Europe R&D system," integrating its technology and manufacturing processes with design strengths. So, it's not entirely clear whether this concept is merely a design exercise, or something the brand plans to develop further with an eye toward production. Would you like to see it (or something like it, developed from it) on the road?
