The SMC-360 Off-Road Motorcycle Concept Does Things We’ve Never Dreamed Of

The reason why I chose to use the word turbulent when describing the design before you is because, well, you'll see. But before I get into the thick and thin of things, a little bit about the mind behind this highly dynamic device.

Wei Chi Chen is a designer from Tainan City, Taiwan, with a fresh mind for design. Having a look over his Behance page reveals that this is not the only concept this young designer has been working on. From wine bottle corks to inner city urban solutions and off-road vehicles like the 360, nothing is left untouched by this creator’s eye.

Why did I choose to bring forth this design? Simple. It’s supposed to do some amazing stuff, in theory anyway. What you thought this was a real bike you can go and buy right now? No, not yet. And the reason I say not yet is, because deep down, I'd love to ride something like this. It’s just that there’s really a whole lot to work out first.

The reason the SMC-360 looks odd is because it includes a design assembled unconventionally and is even supposed to perform some pretty amazing tricks. The idea was to create an off-road motorcycle of the future that’s meant to perform certain actions aimed at offering an adrenaline packed ride.

Looking closely at the SMC you can see that the main body and motor housing has been broken apart from the tail-end and a third component has been added. It's this third “body” that brings all the fun. By breaking apart the frame, Wei was then able to add pivoting joints, and extra suspension qualities to the cycle.

The rear wheel is now set up on a central-pivot swing arm and two shocks complete the suspension. However, these two shocks also hide one of the three actions the bike can perform. One you push the handlebars forward, the shocks expand and propel the motorcycle forward, causing it to “bounce” in the process. Why I would ever use this, I don’t know, but it sure looks like a lot of fun.

Another action found at the rear is a “sliding” action. Again, with an movement of the handlebars, the rear swings left or right and causes the bike to begin sliding. Remember, that’s theory so far. One thing to mention about the rear wheel is that it’s a hubless wheel, not that there is any mention of an effect on the overall ride, but it does look cool.

The third and final action is all about the front of the bike, manifested from that central component again. The final action is called “crushing.” When activated, the rear of the SMC remains unshifted while the front tilts to the left and right, a technique that’s supposed to offer greater stability in a turn.

One thing we do know is that this odd vehicle is one that runs on fossil fuels: score one for gear heads. Two, the motor is that segment that holds the rear rim, and all power that this concept is supposed to produce, comes from there.

Now, I understand it’s a long-shot design, but the fact of the matter is that it actually won a silver award at the 2021 KYMCO Design Challenge Championship. What more could you want from a render and model concept? A stop-motion animated video? Sure, just check below.