Get a behind-the-scenes look at the critically acclaimed XP Zero electric motorcycle created by Hugo Eccles of Untitled Motorcycles. Where design knows no boundaries. Read More >
Hugo Eccles: I usually start a project with a full tear-down to the rolling chassis, and build it back up from there. I try not to be too dogmatic about what a build should be, instead I allow the shapes and intersections to dictate the form. For a build like the Hyper Scrambler, the iconic Ducati frame suggested the shape of the tapered fuel tank. The tank taper extended backwards to define the seat shape and forwards to form the vertical headlight - a pretty natural evolution. This method works well with a fuel-powered bike because necessary functional components - gas tank, exhaust, air intake system, and so on - are all opportunities for reduction and redesign.
With the XP project, however, as I started stripping everything off, I quickly realized there are only a few components that an electric motorcycle needs to have to work. You have the motor, the battery box, and, aside from the frame and wheels, not much else. The gasoline bike’s components that I’d normally use as a canvas for redesign just weren’t there. If I’m being completely honest, I had a bit of a crisis moment where I thought “there isn’t anything to do here.” I knew I didn’t want to just mimic the language of a gasoline bike with a ‘tank’ that had no real reason behind it.