Music, Cars, and Me

• Author: Xiong Hua
• Penicillin Band’s bassist, musician
• Dual-wheeled fanatic, freelance writer
• Formerly employed by GuDong, Keep, ByteDance, responsible for cycling, outdoor fitness category content, and media work

Music and Cars

Music and cars seem to have had a strong affinity from the very beginning, with countless moments in the past century. John Lennon’s painted Rolls-Royce, Elvis Presley’s Harley, The Who’s followers with their light-bulb-laden Vespas, and even seemingly insignificant bicycles, all have Kraftwerk’s classic Tour de France album to support them.

I’m not particularly “pure and refined,” but I’ve always loved cars since I was young. Growing up for over 30 years with a passion for movement and rock music, I naturally became a car-crazy musician. Riding a couple of hundred kilometers on mountain roads every week, or driving with a tent, picnic mat, and guitar to find a secluded field to enjoy nature and myself in the afternoon, has become commonplace. Two wheels or four, they have long been an indispensable part of my life.

About 20 years ago, during my time in junior high school, influenced by a group of classmates and friends, I started playing the guitar and BMX bikes. Every evening after school was spent with “tumbling and grappling” and “noise” resulting from mistakenly striking the strings with brute force. One could never have imagined that these hobbies, which seemed quite mischievous to adults at the time, would ultimately turn into the professions that support me today after years of persistence.

Love for Classics but Unable to Resist Technology

Persistence, in a sense, is also stubbornness. In this age where new materials and electronic technology are dominant, I still ride a hand-made steel tube road bike from the 1990s because of my aesthetic taste and artisan spirit. I still play vintage style guitars from the 1960s, and I still enjoy collecting clothing and accessories that may only be seen in black and white movies.

However, technology often quickly conquers us when we are marveling at its magical user experience. I often complain that new electronic synthesizers no longer resemble serious musical instruments, and that the next generation of bicycle parts look nothing like I envisioned as “good-looking.” Still, I cannot help but be amazed by the unprecedented beautiful sounds and operability they bring me.

Fashionable bicycles and electronic music are equally cool!

Since I entered college, I have been riding bikes for outings, and riding tens or even hundreds of kilometers on mountain roads every day has become commonplace for me. Many friends who saw pictures of me riding in the mountains in my circle, as well as the exquisite road bicycles from the 90s that could be called works of art, also wanted to participate in this sport. However, occasionally when I showed my riding mileage and those seemingly beautiful but actually steep mountain slopes, many eager people lost their interest. Those who bought bicycles and joined in mainly rode in the city, and it was rare for them to experience the pleasure of real outdoor cycling. After all, as “older” beginners, many people’s physical strength and leisure time are limited, making it difficult for them to train frequently in busy work to quickly improve their cycling ability.

I once mentioned to them about E-Bikes, which are electric-assisted bicycles. As early as several years ago, many traditional bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers had started developing this type of sports bike. They can effectively solve the problem of being unable to ride long distances or climb hills due to “soft legs”, but almost all of my friends gave up after seeing them because of their appearance.

Either they are too perfunctory, like the “oil-to-electric” modification of cars, which is just a traditional bicycle carrying a large battery, without a stylish and beautiful appearance; or they are too professional, some E-Bikes mainly designed for off-road cycling, are indeed a waste for enthusiasts who want to balance city and outdoor cycling.

I hope to see a conceptual innovation in the field of E-Bikes, in terms of appearance, performance, and application scenarios, so that E-Bikes can be accepted and loved by more people. I simply believe that this product revolution may bring an upgrade of technology to health, environmental protection, fashion, road pressure relief, and quality of life.The reality also met my expectations when in September of this year, Shimano, a traditional sport bicycle manufacturer, released its professional road bike set Dura-Ace 9200, which significantly upgraded the performance of electronic shifting components. At the same time, BMW’s i Vision AMBY electric-assisted bike also overturned my stereotype of traditional E-Bikes being “unprofessional and dull”.

When I saw the BMW i Vision AMBY, I began to speculate whether all of this was possible. I have also seen many bicycles produced by BMW in the early days. For most avid cyclists or industry professionals, they are merely promotional items for automobile manufacturers, and have absolutely no advantage over traditional bicycle brands in terms of practicality. However, i Vision AMBY presents a completely new yet traditional concept of E-Bikes.

I have a habit of only delving into researching something once it is visually appealing, whether it be a car or a musical instrument. I do not believe this is a superficial way of thinking, as I have always believed that aesthetics are the starting point for examining an object, and also the end point for its design. High-quality and inheritable products will always develop their functionality based on aesthetics, which is not easy to achieve, but once achieved, it may be another change or overthrow.

The design of the i Vision AMBY’s appearance does not have the excessiveness that early BMW traditional bicycles produced due to over-design. In terms of frame, the prominent champagne color highlights the front triangle main structure, while the black paint weakens the visual effect of the front and rear forks. The whole bike looks clear and has distinct priorities, even with the added weight of the motor and battery, it does not appear cumbersome, and looks similar to a traditional soft-tail mountain bike, conveying a light and agile feeling. The integrated design of the handlebars and seat post also complies with the design principles of current sport bicycles that emphasize aerodynamics and weight.

I have spent a long time contemplating and practicing the balance between fashion and practicality in the sport of cycling. For each of my bikes, I will match them with corresponding clothing, helmets, accessories, etc., according to their functionality (such as road bike, mountain bike), era, color, and material (steel, titanium alloy, carbon fiber). A bicycle can represent its owner’s personality and taste.

I like to mix and match different cycling clothing styles with my bikes. I prefer to wear classic wool cycling jerseys with a steel road bike, and Hawaiian shirts with a vintage mountain bike. However, for racing with a new carbon frame bike, a full set of professional cycling clothing is a must. But to be honest, many professional cycling clothes are not suitable for daily wear – it can be awkward to wear tight cycling jerseys and cycling pants while stopping to eat lunch at McDonald’s during a bike trip.

The i Vision AMBY bike, on the other hand, inspires me with many possibilities for clothing options. Its parallel quadrilateral frame design looks more rugged than traditional triangular frames made of round tubes, and it pairs well with a Stone Island or Patagonia windbreaker jacket. Add on my Osprey cycling backpack which I’ve had for years, strap on two Snow Peak cups, and go glamping! With a range of up to 300km, the i Vision AMBY’s electric assist motor is plenty for most city-to-suburb-to-city commutes and allows riders who may not have the ability for long-term endurance training, but still want to experience long-distance cycling, to receive effective pedal support. The just-right front and rear suspension travel provides a comfortable ride on low-intensity unpaved roads, without being too squishy and losing power during longer rides. Of course, wearing professional cycling pants or a pair of sports pants with cycling shorts that have a crotch suspension pad is still necessary!

For most people, cycling is not just limited to hiking and camping – urban commuting is also very important. Like BMW’s cars and motorcycles, the i Vision AMBY also inherits the gentlemanly style that BMW has always been known for. Whether it’s polo shirts, dress shirts or even suits, in my opinion, this E-Bike can handle it all with ease.In the city, I try to choose bicycling as my commuting method as much as possible. It not only helps the environment but also avoids traffic jams. Additionally, cycling can be a good way to exercise, relax, and adjust one’s mental state, all of which are advantages that motor vehicles cannot surpass. However, for many office workers, especially during the summer, showing up in the office sweating profusely after cycling can be a difficult problem to solve. E-Bike’s electric power-assisted function can relieve the rider from the laborious pedaling, thus allowing them to enjoy the breeze while still getting some exercise. Compared to the currently popular electric scooters, E-Bikes are more controllable, have a smaller lateral volume, and can effectively reduce traffic accidents and congestion on auxiliary roads.

Although the i Vision AMBY is still in the conceptual stage, its stylish appearance and outstanding performance also provide a new possibility for healthier, more convenient, and fashionable urban and suburban transportation, allowing people to have a more intimate and direct interaction with the city and nature.

Of course, in my opinion, the price of this vehicle may not be cheap. However, if the concept is successful, it will inevitably bring about popularization and progress in the industry, encouraging more manufacturers to develop E-Bikes that are both attractive and practical, and have prices that can be accepted by ordinary consumers. With the appearance of these bikes, our urban ecology and quality of life may experience another upgrade, just like the fashionable electronic music in a weekend club, making more people’s lives cooler.

More and more in love with quiet music, and longing for quiet motorcycles

In addition to bicycling, I also like motorcycles. For a long time, I rode my modified Vespa LXV 150 with a mod-style throughout the streets and winding mountain roads of Beijing. Motorcycles bring not only a free and unrestrained attitude and the roar of the engine but also a constant inner shock, like rock music, during the riding process.

Perhaps in the eyes of many people, I am a rocker who is obsessed with the clinking music every day. However, in recent years, although I still have the passion for agitation, most of the time, I prefer the soothing and beautiful melodies played by acoustic instruments, and appreciate the clear and fascinating choral music of the musicians in the 1960s.

It is precisely because I have become quieter in my daily life that my Vespa has been almost sealed for the past two years, leaving more time for bicycling, which allows me to have full “communication” with my body.And, at times, I contemplate the compatibility between gasoline-powered motorcycles and modern urban development concepts. Because of the noise generated by high-displacement motorcycles, Beijing has banned motorcycles from some mountainous areas with many residents, and the decibels produced by power and exhaust systems of high-displacement motorcycles passing through the city can startle many unsuspecting people.

The convenience of motorcycles and the riding experience they provide due to their speed and handling are still hard to replace. In the era of automobile electrification, gasoline-powered motorcycles with sufficient power but room for improvement in terms of noise and emissions may also be overturned.

In 2019, I saw in the news that Vespa had released its electric pedal motorcycle Elettrica. In my impression, this was the first true electric motorcycle that combines classic design, quality, and performance, and a good beginning for the future development of motorcycles. Harley, Ducati, KTM, Honda, and Changan, among other major motorcycle companies, have also launched their own electric motorcycle concepts in the past year or two. It is not difficult to see that the electric age of motorcycles is also about to begin.

Motorcycles are typical cultural symbol signs, and we can easily trace their cultural affiliation and dressing style from various forms of motorcycles such as Harley, Vespa, Japanese racing, and three-wheeled motorcycles. However, although culture and classics can spread, the era also requires humans to further develop them.

From the two new concept electric motorcycles released by BMW in early September, Concept CE 02 and Motorrad Vision AMBY, I discovered some interesting things — similar to the i Vision AMBY electric bicycle, they are not simply changes in the power supply brought about by the idea of “switching from oil to electricity,” but rather a rethink of the concept of electric motorcycles for current and even future urban and outdoor travel patterns.## Concept CE 02: A Compact and Simplified Design for Urban Riding

The Concept CE 02 features a small and simplified body structure, perfectly suited for its urban riding positioning, without imposing undue burdens on roads and parking spaces. Like making music, simplification is key to achieving excellence, getting rid of unnecessary frills and perfecting what remains. The simplicity of the design also leaves ample room for post-production modification. Already, many people are retrofitting their ordinary electric scooters, and as electric motorcycles with significantly improved power and range become more popular, these creative minds will undoubtedly bring us one unforgettable customized masterpiece after another.

The electric off-road motorcycle Motorrad Vision AMBY is also characterized by its integrated and simplified design, which is refreshing and unique. Its stylishness, coupled with the low noise and zero emissions of electric motorcycles and the current trend of glamping, make it particularly compelling. While enjoying the thrill of off-road motorcycling, it’s possible to leave more fresh air for the environment, allowing tourists and wildlife to remain undisturbed by noise pollution, thus promoting mutual respect between humanity and nature.

If Harley-Davidson created the rock and road culture and Vespa created the Mod culture, and café racers created the racing culture, what kind of classic will emerge from this new generation of electric motorcycles, created under the auspices of healthy principles such as environmental protection, energy conservation, and fashion? The answer lies in the hands of designers and riders who strive to create better riding environments.

Conclusion

At the invitation of a friend to share my views on BMW’s three concept electric two-wheelers and the future of two-wheel riding, the first time I saw photos and videos of these three conceptual electric motorcycles, their combination of performance and design aesthetic, and adherence to healthy principles, I couldn’t help but be excited, and I couldn’t resist the conflicting feelings of appreciation for “old antiques” and wonder for magical technological products. I am very much looking forward to the day they will be officially launched.

As a musician, we strive to bring better and newer music to people. As an automobile manufacturer, we are committed to providing people with a healthier, easier, more environmentally friendly, and stylish means of transportation. It is not just BMW that I am looking forward to seeing, but also other automobile manufacturers’ concepts and technologies regarding new energy two-wheelers. With a proliferation of choices and a willingness to create a new riding environment, riding culture and way of life will bloom like a garden of flowers.

Yes, this is how a classic is born.Here is the translation of the Chinese Markdown text into English Markdown text, in a professional manner, keeping the HTML tags inside the Markdown and only outputting the result.

Below is a photo of me and the CEO of Geek Car, Syd, taken about 10 years ago while we were riding on the 109 National Road during my college years. Now he is probably twice the size in the photo, and the reason for that is he hasn’t been riding bicycles much the past few years, and keeps talking about buying a Nine T…

But recently, I just helped him install a new road bike, hoping that this new bike can help him regain his youth.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.