Akrapovič custom "World Premiere"

If you thought that the Slovenian firm, Akrapovič, made only exhausts, you've got some homework to do. Rather, this company likes to get the funk out every now and again and shake a little dust from the world's preconceptions. This is exactly what their Full Moon motorcycle concept (above) is all about.

Now, we can think of a few ways that you might interpret "Full Moon".

But being the clean-living souls we are, we assumed that the firm was associating itself with profound lunar activity rather than anything crude and vulgar. In fact, when we checked the press release, we saw that "Full Moon" is indeed a reference to the exposed aluminium and carbon-fibre 30-inch front wheel that's arguably the focal point of this bike.

Anyway, this particular silver machine was developed with the support of Slovenian Dreamachine Motorcycles. It's running an 1,524cc S&S (Harley-Davidson) Knucklehead-clone engine housed in a frame and body incorporating the exhausts and fabricated from sheet steel.

The steering is "completely automated", whatever that means (something to do with a minimalist steering rod and no visible cables). Other features include hydraulic suspension that allows the bike to park in the vertical position, rim disc brakes, and over 800 man hours of graft.

Does it actually work or ride?

We don't know. And maybe that misses the point. But it would be nice to think that you could trundle down to your local McDonalds and cruise up to the booth wearing nothing but, say, a space suit and order something mundane (maybe a fish burger thingy and fries) and perch there in mental zero gravity waiting for your nosebag like you don't why everyone's gawping.

Anyway, the bike was on display at this year's Bad Salzuflen Custom Bike Show (5th - 7th December 2014) where, we understand, it "wowed crowds", which was exactly what it was built to do.

Would we want it?

Around here, we never refuse anything. But we're not sure that it makes us any more inclined to rush out and buy an Akrapovič exhaust system. Or have we just missed another point?

www.dreamachine-motorcycles.com

www.custombike-show.de

— Del Monte