Tag Archives: Mehmet Doruk Erdem

Custom BMW S1000RR ‘Phantom’ is the most unreal looking motorcycle you’ll see today!

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It’s almost as if the Motorcycle Gods speak through Mehmet Doruk Erdem’s work. If you’ve seen any of Erdem’s custom designs before, they’re best described as otherworldly, bordering on celestial. Erdem has a tendency to visualize forms and surfaces quite unlike any other designer, creating modern monsters instead of motorcycles. Each of his custom BMW bikes have a distinct persona and features a front-heavy design that almost looks like the torso of a jungle cat leaping towards its unassuming prey. Seat yourself on top and you almost feel like He-Man riding his majestic and ferocious Battle Cat (a slightly outdated yet absolutely perfect analogy).

The Phantom is one of Erdem’s more recent works, surfacing on his portfolio page just a few days prior. Designed using the BMW S1000RR superbike as its base, the Phantom builds on the sinister appeal of the bike, amplifying it to almost a ‘cyberpunk executioner’ level. The bike comes with a crouching stance, sticking to the ground as much as possible. There’s hardly any ground clearance on the front, but most of Erdem’s bikes fall within the ‘salt flats racer’ category, making it a non-issue, really. The bike comes with some spectacular panel-work that looks Cybertruck-esque, with its edgy angular design. Designed more in the vein of a moving sculpture than a production bike, the Phantom doesn’t really sport a dashboard, rear-view mirrors, or even a seat! However, for what it lacks in functional details, it definitely makes up with its bold, brutish design!

Designer: Mehmet Doruk Erdem

The “Khan” might be the most otherworldly BMW bike ever made

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Pretty much bridging the gap between concept bikes and concept art for games and movies, Mehmet Doruk Erdem’s “Khan” is an eclectic mix of unbelievable, dangerous, and beautiful. However, if you’ve followed Mehmet’s work in the past, you know exactly what level of aesthetic beauty the Turkish designer works on. Khan, in many ways is classic Mehmet, but at the same time it’s just surreal for us mere mortals who have, up until now, only seen relatively normal-looking motorbikes.

Erdem’s “Khan” concept takes a BMW R 1100 R twin-cylinder boxer engine and giving them an absolutely new lease of life, with a front-heavy wasp-inspired exterior and an almost naked frame at the rear, much like Erdem’s Alpha concept, and dominated by an extremely large rear wheel, and a seat in the middle, resting on a twin-suspension. There isn’t much method to Erdem’s madness, or maybe I don’t spot it, but the Khan is surely a beautiful beast. Unique from practically every angle, the Khan has a remarkable silhouette no matter where you stand… and it especially looks dangerous from the front. I mean, I wouldn’t want to be standing in the path of the Khan as it zoomed towards me!

Designer: Mehmet Doruk Erdem

The Salt Flats Apex Predator

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What do you get when an old-school bike builder from Utah and a high-tech industrial designer from Istanbul put their heads together? The answer is a custom bike that’s almost too beautiful to be ridden. It’s called “ALPHA” – a sharklike custom BMW K75 cruiser with it’s eye firmly on the land speed record. Catch the incredible deconstruction and reconstruction of this bad boy in the video!

Designers: Mehmet Doruk Erdem & Mark Atkinson

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The Raptor of Motorbikes

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Many of the world’s greatest inventions and innovations have been inspired by wildlife but it’s particularly enthralling when biomimicry is expressed in transportation design! The BMW Typhoon is no exception.

This wild design takes inspiration from the planet’s fastest animal – the peregrine falcon. True to naked-style motorbikes, the turbo engine is completely visible through the framework. The front end, however, is clad in birdlike fairings (made of featherweight carbon fiber) akin to a true supersport. Applying some of the geometries of the falcon, an extreme look is achieved with the functional benefits of enhanced aerodynamics.

Ultramodern as it may be, riders are also treated to classic lux finishes like leather saddle/handlebars and finished wood details. After all, it’s still a BMW.

Designer: Mehmet Doruk Erdem

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The Raptor of Motorbikes

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Many of the world’s greatest inventions and innovations have been inspired by wildlife but it’s particularly enthralling when biomimicry is expressed in transportation design! The BMW Typhoon is no exception.

This wild design takes inspiration from the planet’s fastest animal – the peregrine falcon. True to naked-style motorbikes, the turbo engine is completely visible through the framework. The front end, however, is clad in birdlike fairings (made of featherweight carbon fiber) akin to a true supersport. Applying some of the geometries of the falcon, an extreme look is achieved with the functional benefits of enhanced aerodynamics.

Ultramodern as it may be, riders are also treated to classic lux finishes like leather saddle/handlebars and finished wood details. After all, it’s still a BMW.

Designer: Mehmet Doruk Erdem

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BMW = Big Monolithic Warrior

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When it was named the BMW Radical, it was named for a reason. Radical absolutely redefines the way we perceive bikes, and in a good way! Bikes, like cars, should be (and some are) moving in a visually monolithic direction. Look at Sam’s bike in TRON: Legacy, or the Razor bike in Swat Kats, sci-fi culture is littered with large, powerful bikes with unified forms. The BMW Radical definitely adds to that culture with its monstrous design. No one is messing with the person who rides THIS set of wheels!

Designer: Mehmet Doruk Erdem

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One Wicked BMW

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376 mph on a motorcycle may sound totally insane but that’s the current existing record, believe it or not! These breakneck speeds require much more than just horsepower. It takes thinking severely outside the box and that’s precisely what’s behind the BMW Titan concept.

This wicked looking design takes inspiration from the hydrodynamics of the shark, interpreting these geometries into an aesthetic that is functionally aerodynamic in the form of its completely enclosed front end. “Gills” act as air intakes for engine cooling while the nose has been optimized for not only reducing resistance but funneling air toward these intakes.

As for the middle, expert riders will sit with the engine and find a modern instrument cluster. To reach these high speeds and for safety, the cluster displays much more vital information such as suspension status, cooling system operation, area specific temperatures and more for Titan to adjust to various circumstances.

At the rear, the powerful turbo engine is connected to the rear tire by a completely enclosed swingarm that covers the shaft and suspension for a cleaner look and enhance aerodynamics.

Designer: Mehmet Doruk Erdem

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Streamlined Supermoto

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Though the Orion Streamliner is an ultramodern motorcycle, it looks like a high-speed train straight out of the 50’s! This long, slender, custom-built bike is designed for going long distance… fast. Underneath that carbon fiber shell is a turbo-charged petrol engine that enhances output. As for the rider, they’re position and seat placement are the last piece of the puzzle, putting them in the very lowest center of the bike for maximum aerodynamics. With no room for a windscreen, it’s best you don’t forget your goggles and keep your mouth closed!

Designer: Mehmet Doruk Erdem

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