Yamaha 04GEN Concept an Exercise in Semi-Transparent Materials

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

Yamaha announced the latest concept model representing its “Refined Dynamism” design philosophy, revealing the 04GEN scooter concept that features semi-transparent body panels. The 04GEN will make its public debut this weekend at the Vietnam Motorcycle Show in Ho Chi Minh City.

The 04GEN is actually the first of these concepts with just two wheels, following the futuristic 01GEN three-wheeler, the 02GEN wheelchair and the Tricity-based 03GEN-f and 03GEN-x three-wheelers. Like its predecessors, the 04GEN seeks to combine a dynamic design with a touch of elegance.

For the 04GEN, Yamaha focused on a “run-way” motif, trying to recreate the feel of “women with an air of dignified elegance and grace in mind and body.” The 04GEN follows traditional European-style scooter lines, and is slightly reminiscent of the Vespa 946, particularly in how the seat seems to hang in the air.

What sets the 04GEN apart is the use of semi-transparent resin material for the leg shield, front fender and rear side body panels. Yamaha says the see-through panels create a sense of lightness while exhibiting beauty with both the exterior and interior. To further highlight this balance of exterior and interior, the rear side body panels open upwards like a car with scissor doors, revealing the rear wheel and suspension.

Yamaha did not provide any technical details, though the “Blue Core” logo on the frame and what we can see of the swingarm and engine, the 04GEN likely uses the same powerplant as the 125cc Single powering the Nozza Grande, a scooter offered in Vietnam.

We can also see LED lighting, two storage compartments in the front shield and a mount for using a smartphone as the instrument cluster.

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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