Suzuki NUDA

One of the stars of the 1986 Tokyo Motor Show was the Suzuki Nuda concept. The styling attracted a huge amount of attention, and unlike most 20-year-old concept studies, still looks fresh today. The Nuda was reputedly operational and rideable, propelled by the DOHC in-line four GSX-R750 engine; it had two-wheel-drive, with power transmitted via shaft drives, and the front wheel was hub-steered in the Bimota fashion.

The forward-thinking Suzuki Nuda first seen at the 1986 Tokyo Motorshow, was a fully operational concept motorbike powered by a Suzuki GSX-R750 sports bike engine. With this motor the Nuda was theoretically capable of 175 mph. The power was transferred to both wheels via single sided swingarms housing shaft drives.

The front wheel of the Nuda did not use telescopic forks for suspension or turning, instead it featured a hub centre steering system as seen on the production Bimota Tesi 2D.

The sleek bodywork of the Suzuki Nuda - which was its show-stopping party trick - was constructed from lightweight carbon fiber. Not unusual by today's standards, but pretty revolutionary in the mid-80s for a motorcycle.

When the concept was displayed in Tokyo, Suzuki's chief engineer at the time stated that the Nuda was; "one idea of the future motorcycle for Suzuki". And although history has proved that it was one of the ideas which didn't make the final cut, some of the technologies the bike showcased did make an appearance in later Suzuki machines, like computerized fuel injection and spark timing control.