Aspiring riders who are busy practising and learning ahead of their CBT in Thurrock might need to focus a lot on getting themselves qualified and ditching the L plates, but all can be forgiven for dreaming about the adventures they will have on the road in future.

Some of that may focus on existing attractive motorbikes, but others will be keen to see what future technology might bring, not least after a couple of new innovations were showcased at the CES 2023 show in Las Vegas. 

Autoweek was particularly excited about what the event might herald for road users in the near future, from electric cars to a couple of new motorbikes, plus the obligatory flying car, because Back to the Future is still about the future even after 2015 came and went.

In the latter case, it was enthused by the development of electric vehicle technology in bikes, with a prime example being the Verge Hubless Electric Motorcycle. This Finnish innovation has indeed no hub on the rear wheel, which gives it a curious look to go with its garish yellow cladding (ensuring no visibility problems). It runs on a 20.2-kWh battery.

The magazine spoke to a “real live Finn” who was at the show, Jrmo Pabbs. He said: “It’s a chunky boy, but it’s nimble,” adding, crucially, “it’s fun to ride”. The Verge is already on sale in Europe.

A second bike featured was the Davinci DC 100 electric motorbike, a small, bright orange vehicle (bright colours were a feature of the vehicles on show) from China, which nonetheless has a top speed of 124 MPH. The bike can fully recharge in half an hour.

Such models show not only that there are some interesting new ideas about, but also the potential of the electric vehicle industry to revolutionise motorcycling. Once you have got through your CBT, you can not only ride out of a bankrupt council area, but into an exciting future.