#This shape-shifting electric bike for short riders gets translucent body frame to expose the innards

To what extent can a bike design be evolved when already thousands of iterations dot the roads, and the hyper-realistic concept design world? It can be more aerodynamic optimized for wind tunnel tests, have a better visual balance, or maybe have sharper aesthetics for dominant road presence. Perhaps a shape-shifting aesthetic is something that has not been seen much in design evolution.

This is where the ATHENAS superbike draws inspiration from but for a niche set of users. Passionate bikers who at times cannot drive the best machines out there because of their short height. As crazy as that might sound, this electric motorcycle concept imagines such a set of wheels.

Designer: Zhengxuan Xie

ATHENA electric bike proposed for the year highlights the power of one’s inside values rather than the outside personality – thereby eliminating the jinx of superbike designs that are targeted at average height users. The mood board by Zhengxuan revolves around the “Power Inside” and transparency in thoughts. Hence, the translucent design of the electric bike, that in a way reminds me of the newly launched Nothing Ear (2).

For a neutral user, the translucent material signifies the strength of the outer contour when viewed from a distance, and when the bike approaches proximity the visible mechanical parts reflect the power of inside intelligence. The highlight feature of the ATHENA is its shape-shifting ability to raise or lower the whole saddle section. Now only this, the whole module can be swapped with another one depending on the driving position and personal preference.

A cool inclusion comes in the form of a graphic animation on the tank section for Start/Stop action or the representation of low-speed or high-speed in blue or red hues. For nerds, the bike’s specifications are impressive since it’s loaded with a 17.7kWh battery of 51mAh capacity. The 348-volt electric motor feeds the rear wheels for 850nm of peak torque.

It goes without saying the bike’s visual appeal is luring and makes me wonder if a future Tesla superbike could adopt such a form factor.