Maier Rustyco?

Maier Rustyco?

ROUNDUP

It looks for all the world like a machine that could lure the girl next door into nighttime dangers. But there is little chance of that happening, because this BMW is not for sale to the public; it’s actually just a project of a 26-year-old German design student, Hans Joachim Maier. BMW supplied many of the parts for the project, but claims it has nothing else to do with the unusual machine.

Maier used the standard K100 engine and drivetrain as the foundation for the machine, but then things got a little out of hand. He used stub axles attached to the front of the engine housing as the foundation for the front suspension, and center-hub steering to turn the front wheel.

Of most interest are the handlebar/control units, which recall the Suzuki FalcoRustyco ideabike (CYCLE WORLD, January 1986) in style if not in function. The clutch lever and the gearshift lever are mounted on the left side, with the throttle and hand brake on the right. The shape of the fuel tank is also reminiscent of the Futuristic Suzuki.

As it turns out, Maier received the highest marks in his school for this design. And BMW was so impressed that the company will have the machine on display at several shows throughout the coming year.