Bike to the Future: Škoda Reimagines Its Two-Wheeled Legacy with Electric Elegance

Before Škoda became synonymous with practical hatchbacks and rally legends, it was a name forged in the grease-slicked workshops of 19th-century Bohemia. Now, the automaker spins its origin story forward with the unveiling of the Slavia B—an all-electric concept motorcycle that bridges over a century of innovation, from the soot of Laurin & Klement to the sheen of tomorrow’s mobility.

Unveiled in May 2025 in Milton Keynes, the Slavia B marks a bold first: Škoda’s inaugural motorcycle designed under its Modern Solid design philosophy. Penned by exterior designer Romain Bucaille, the machine is a sculptural echo of the brand’s first motorbike from 1899—only now reinterpreted in sleek aluminum, digital restraint, and whispered power.

Gone are the pistons, fuel, and the unmistakable rattle of early combustion. In their place, an intentional emptiness—a void that once roared with internal explosions, now rendered silent and clean. The front geometry recalls Václav Laurin’s pioneering mechanical designs, while a floating minimalist saddle and a vintage-style leather tool pouch nod to the long-lost days of gentleman racers. There’s even a ghost of legend in the frame: a tribute to Narcis Podsedníček, the daring soul who rode a Slavia through the grueling 1901 Paris–Berlin race.

Slavia B is not slated for production, and it may never hum down public roads. But as a design manifesto, it’s thunderous. Škoda isn’t merely paying homage to its past—it’s reviving it with voltage and vision, asking what heritage might look like when rewired for the future.