Slavia B motorcycle inspiration for concept

Iconic models from Skoda's brand’s history continue to provide design teams with inspiration. To highlight Škoda’s remarkable ‘back c...

Iconic models from Skoda's brand’s history continue to provide design teams with inspiration.

To highlight Škoda’s remarkable ‘back catalogue’, the brand has developed a series of re-imagined icons.

They include such models such as the 200 RS, 1203 van and Voiturette getting a 21st century reboot.

Its latest concept is its boldest yet, is the first to incorporate the brand’s striking Modern Solid design language.

The new concept takes its inspiration from one of the most important vehicles in Škoda’s history – the Slavia B motorcycle.

Designed and built under the Laurin & Klement brand (the company that would eventually become Škoda Auto), the two-wheeler was incredibly advanced for its time.

Given that the Škoda story began in 1895 with bicycles and later motorcycles, it is fitting the brand decided to start its new series of classic concepts with a two-wheeler.

Inspired by the 1899 Slavia B, the concept motorcycle retains the signature frame silhouette of the original, but strips it back for the electric age.

The area once reserved for the combustion engine now sits open, with the Škoda logo seemingly suspended within the frame.

A bold vertical line divides the front and rear sections, highlighting the sculptural balance between nostalgia and innovation.

The concept was led by French designer Romain Bucaille, who normally works on Škoda car exteriors.

“I wanted to go back to the brand’s roots,” he said.

“As someone who also loves motorcycles, this was a refreshing change and a great creative challenge.”

The front of the concept nods to Václav Laurin’s pioneering work in motorcycle geometry and control, while a minimal, floating seat and integrated leather tool bag reference the bike’s sporting legacy.

It’s a subtle homage to Narcis Podsedníček, the factory rider who famously finished the 1901 Paris–Berlin race aboard a Slavia B.

Bucaille describes the final concept as a “futuristic café racer in Modern Solid style”, complete with clean contours, crisp edges, and a distinctive lighting signature – elements now synonymous with Škoda’s evolving design identity.

With more iconic reworks to follow, Škoda is showing that its future vision is firmly rooted in a rich and inventive past.

 

French designer Romain Bucaille.

 

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