Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

The flying motorbike is officially here! Japan’s new US$700,000 hoverbike, the XTurismo Limited Edition, targets supercar drivers – but it’s so loud that bystanders have to wear earplugs

STORYReuters
Would you take a ride on the XTurismo Limited Edition hoverbike? Photo: xturismo.com

A flying motorbike may sound like something in the far off future, but that’s exactly what 2022 has in store – for those who can afford it.

A Japanese start-up backed by millionaire football player Keisuke Honda hopes to persuade wealthy consumers to swap their supercar for a US$680,000 (77.7 million yen) hoverbike which went on sale on Tuesday, October 26.

How Wes Anderson reimagined a luxury train in typically whimsical style

The XTurismo Limited Edition hoverbike by Japanese start-up A.L.I. Technologies is pictured during its demonstration at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on October 26. Photo: Handout via Reuters

The XTurismo Limited Edition from Tokyo-based drone start-up A.L.I. Technologies is equipped with a conventional engine and four battery-powered motors and promises to fly for 40 minutes at up to 100kph (62mph).

Why are tiny homes getting bigger? Inside Singapore’s space age C2X

The company plans to produce a limited run of 200 of the single-rider hoverbikes, each weighing 300kg, for delivery in the first half of 2022.

Japanese start-up A.L.I. Technologies’ XTurismo Limited Edition hoverbike is pictured during its demonstration at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on October 26. Photo: Reuters

“Until now the choice has been to move on the ground or at scale in the sky. We hope to offer a new method of movement,” chief executive Daisuke Katano said.

Not like other yachts: is the Acionna concept a billionaire’s dream boat?

The black and red hoverbike consists of a motorcycle-like body on top of propellers. The machine rests on landing skids when stationary.

Japanese start-up A.L.I. Technologies’ chief executive Daisuke Katano poses next to its XTurismo Limited Edition hoverbike on October 26. Photo: Reuters

The start-up, whose backers include industrial heavyweights Mitsubishi Electric and Kyocera, demonstrated the bike with a short flight a few metres off the ground at a racetrack near Mount Fuji.

Is the Lamborghini Urus off-road edition a super SUV?

Katano said that in the near term its uses will be limited to such sites – and will not be allowed to fly over Japan’s packed roads. But the bike could be used by rescue teams to reach difficult to access locations, he said.

The hoverbike went on a short flight a few metres above the ground. Photo: xturismo.com

Strict regulations in Japan driven by safety concerns have hobbled the growth of sectors like ride-sharing. Pending rule changes could extend the bike’s potential applications, Katano said.

Funding is flowing to start-ups from California-based Joby Aviation to Israel’s Air who promise to usher in an era of personal air transport from jetpacks to flying taxis.

01:22

Japan’s US$700,000 hoverbike provides new toy for supercar enthusiasts

Japan’s US$700,000 hoverbike provides new toy for supercar enthusiasts
Commercial success for A.L.I. Technologies, whose suppliers include engine maker Kawasaki Heavy, would help reinforce Japan’s industrial edge amid a generational shift towards new technology such as autonomous and electric vehicles.

The only downside? The reportedly deafening roar of the Xturismo’s engine and six rotor blades – it’s so loud that onlookers having been given earplugs to protect their hearing before the flight.

Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
Technology
  • Mitsubishi Electric and millionaire footballer Keisuke Honda are just two backers of Tokyo drone start-up A.L.I. Technologies, who showed off the new bike near Mount Fuji
  • The hoverbike joins other gadgets like jetpacks and flying taxis – but can it give Japan a technological edge over self-driving and electric cars?