The Dotto Creations Biancaneve

[advrider]

At first glance, the motorcycle you see here may look modern and futuristic. Then you might notice the twin shocks, see the unusual engine layout, and realize the underpinnings are a familiar classic. Almost immediately the question arises: how do you even sit on the thing?

Yes, it is a Honda CX500; a 1979 to be exact. Yes, it is rideable, even though it does not look like it. It is the Biancaneve, from Dotto Creations, an Italian design house headquartered just outside of Turin, and according to the creators, it is the result of a fresh way of thinking about design.

Dotto Creations Biancaneve side view. Photo: Dotto

Their thought process was to strip away all that was unnecessary, and to think about the motorcycle in a different manner than current mainstream motorcycle designers might. They did not want to be bound by marketing trends or any idea of what is considered “cool”. Even before beginning the design, they wanted to think about the design approach, the reason for the object’s existence, and whose perspective should it be seen from. Their core value was simplifying, finding the true essence of things, but also unabashedly borrowing ideas from outside the confines of the automotive design world, from places like art, engineering, literature, and physics.

Through this process, they came to the understanding that the motorcycle exists in two states: stationary, and in motion. They surmise that when parked, a motorcycle conveys much about the rider, their personality, their tastes. A motorcycle at rest can reveal the rider as an adventurer, an adrenaline chaser, or be a symbol of their personal style. Once in motion, a motorcycle becomes a thrilling experience, dangerous, with a feeling of freedom.

To bring these ideas to life, Dotto took the 1979 Honda CX500, stripped it bare, completely restored the mechanicals, and applied their new philosophy in the form of a sleek, streamlined tank and seat unit. At rest, a cowl covers the seat, shaped to flow almost seamlessly from the tank, coming to a point ahead of the rear axle.

The basic idea is that of sculpted bodywork placed on top of the blacked-out mechanicals. John Britten did something similar, developing an upper fairing, tank and tail perched on top of the relatively narrow V-twin engine, which was described as a torpedo on top of a knife blade, but purely for performance and aerodynamics. For the Biancaneve, it is more of an aesthetic exercise.

Dotto Creations Biancaneve unfolded. Photo: Dotto

When it is time to ride, an elaborate set of hinges allows the cowl over the seat to rise and extend rearwards, revealing the sculpted leather saddle. The cowl becomes the tail section, now extending well past the rear tire, its height extending just a smidge above the top triple clamp up front. The result, without a rider, is a bit cumbersome, but with rider in place, it all makes sense.

Dotto Creations Biancaneve in action. Photo: Dotto

The extended cowl becomes a dynamic element, like the tail fin of a fighter aircraft or the raised tail of a cheetah in full sprint.

Dotto Biancaneve Seat Cowl. Photo: Dotto

The creators behind Dotto are Gianluca Bartolini and Francesco Iannuzzi, automotive designers who grew tired of the constraints imposed upon them working for well-known companies like Pininfarina, Italdesign and Volvo Group. Biancaneve, Italian for Snow White, is their first project, and is named as such because they wanted to look at things with fresh, child-like eyes.

Dotto is looking at the possibility of production. For more information, check out the Dotto Creations website.

 

 

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