Japanese artistry meets Italian design in celebration of C Series heritage

By Ashley Quinlan

Published: Wednesday, 22 February 2023 at 12:00 am

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Trade shows often kick up a gem or two that simply makes you stop and stare. The Motoki Yoshio X Colnago C68 at the Core Bike Show 2023 is one such example.

The bike, announced in November 2022, sees Japanese artist Motoki Yoshio let loose to create this rather lovely paintjob.

Limited to 50 examples worldwide, the design is said to elicit respect for the history of Colnago’s C bikes, while harmoniously highlighting the component parts that make up the bike.

Yoshio has opted for deep metallic colours, with a blend of grades and sudden colour block transitions to pick out each zone.

In the flesh, the bike is a stunner, and (naturally) picks up on ambient light differently depending on your viewing angle.

Inside the halls of Core Bike, where light is dimmer, the colours looked luxuriously deep, while brighter outside light enables them to pop.

We’re big fans.

Modular carbon-lugged frame design

Under the pretty skin, lives a C68 carbon-lugged frame.

When it launched, we explained how the design has shifted to a more modular approach since the bike’s C64 predecessor.

Now, instead of simple tubes attaching to lugs at their ends, the C68 blends the tubes into sections.

In doing so, the lugs are less obvious, which Colnago says gives the bike a more modern aesthetic, while retaining the benefits of a lugged design. The best of both worlds, you might say.

Jack Luke / Our Media

Chief among those, Colnago says, is the ability to customise stack and reach measurements for standard C68 customers, while full customisation is available on the titanium-lugged model.

The C68 also takes design cues from the Tour de France-winning V3Rs bike, with the seatpost ported over.

Now succeeded by the V4Rs (formerly known as the Prototipo), the C68 has also arguably driven some design thinking for the newest carbon monocoque racer.

The steerer is rounded, rather than D-shaped, and is in a standard 1 1/8in size.

Jack Luke / Our Media

Meanwhile, the top cap features a built-in removable multi-tool via a partnership with tool company Granite.

The headset makes use of CeramicSpeed’s SLT (Solid Lubrication Technology) bearings.

Up-front, the bike employs the CC.01 integrated-handlebar arrangement available in 16 sizes, while the bottom bracket is a threaded T47 variant.

Campagnolo specification

Jack Luke / Our Media

Although you might more commonly see Colnagos sporting Shimano drivetrains (thanks to Team UAE Emirates’ switch to the Japanese brand for 2023), the Motoki Yoshio X Colnago C68 goes full Italian on us.

A Campagnolo Super Record EPS drivetrain adorns the bike, complete with Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels.

Although Super Record EPS is getting a little long in the tooth versus top-spec rivals from Shimano and SRAM, there’s still much to commend it on a bike that’s as much a work of art as it is a performance tool.

Jack Luke / Our Media

We think the carbon components and classic-looking rotors are a great match, while the relatively subtle branding of the wheelset allows the frame colours to take centre stage.

The Bora Ultra rim’s gloss finish is also a feather in its aesthetical cap, along with the distinctive 3-spoke arrangement.

The wheels are wrapped in 28c Pirelli P-Zero Race tyres, while the saddle is a Selle Italia SLR Flow carbon-railed model.

Jack Luke / Our Media

The Motoki Yoshio X Colnago C68 will set you back around £16,000, if you can find one in your size.

UK distributor Windwave tells us it’s sold-out, although you can still snag one at time of publication if you scout around retailers.

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