Holy Two-Wheeled Hailstorm… Škoda's Gone All Electric and Café Racer on Us
Image Credit: Škoda.
For decades, the mere mention of Škoda brought up images of dependable, if slightly beige, automobiles. You know the sort – the ones that reliably get you from A to B without any fuss, fanfare, or much excitement. My own experiences usually involved copious amounts of sensible Czech engineering and upholstery that could withstand the apocalypse.
But the winds of change are blowing fiercely from Mladá Boleslav. Škoda's gone a bit loopy… and unveiled a motorcycle concept - a rather dashing electric café racer called the Slavia B. Swapping sensible family wagons for something with only two wheels and a distinct lack of practicality is enough to make your tea go cold, and your eyebrows reach for the ceiling.
For those of you with a bit of grey in your temples (like yours truly), the name Slavia B might ring a bell. Back in the misty depths of 1899, when the internal combustion engine was still a rather temperamental beast, Škoda – or rather, its predecessors Laurin & Klement – were peddling (pun intended!) bicycles and motorcycles. That's right, long before they were conquering the world with Octavias and Fabias, they were messing about with two-wheeled contraptions. This Slavia B concept is a rather charming nod to those early days, a sort of "look how far we've come, and perhaps where we might be going again" statement.
The design, penned by a French chap named Romain Bucaille, is rather swanky, I must admit. It's got that classic café racer vibe – the solo saddle, the low-slung handlebars that practically demand you lean forward like you're chasing the last train out of Dodge City. But then Škoda slapped on some properly futuristic bits and bobs. Sharp lines, a headlight that looks like it's escaped from the set of Blade Runner, and an overall sleekness that you wouldn't have found on anything from 1899.
Image Credit: Škoda.
And in a rather elegant touch, they've stuck a floating "Laurin & Klement" badge right at the front. It's a subtle wink to the company's founders, those two chaps who started it all with a bicycle and a dream. It's the kind of detail that makes you nod approvingly, even if you secretly think they should have stuck a little chrome bulldog on there for good measure.
Of course, being a concept for our electric future, the Slavia B has ditched the original's rather modest 1.75 horsepower, 240cc engine. Imagine trying to outrun a particularly determined snail with that sort of grunt. The original also lacked a gearbox and relied on a belt drive, but this new Slavia B, being electric, is likely to be a tad more zippy.
Here's where the frustrating bit comes in. Škoda is tighter than a Scotsman with his wallet when it comes to the juicy details. Motor output? Battery range? Wheel size? Onboard tech? They're keeping schtum. The fact that they've even built this one-off machine is a clear sign that they're not entirely wedded to the four-wheeled world. They're at least playing with the idea of straddling something a bit more fun.
Will it ever see the light of day as a production model? Honestly, I have no idea, but I sure wish it did. The journey from a shiny concept to something you can actually buy often involves more twists and turns than a mountain road in the Alps. But the fact that Škoda, a company synonymous with sensible transport, has even dared to dream up something this, dare I say, cool, is really promising. It suggests a willingness to shake things up, to maybe inject a bit of fun into their portfolio.
Image Credit: Škoda.
While we might not have the detailed specifications just yet, the Škoda Slavia B concept is a really delightful surprise. It's a reminder that even the most grounded of companies can have a playful side. Will this flirtation with two wheels turn into a full-blown romance? We'll have to wait and see. But it's already got us all talking and, perhaps, dreaming of a future where even a Škoda can set your pulse racing. I actually don't remember when was the last time I saw the words "Škoda" and "exciting" in the same sentence.
