Real 'Akira' Motorcycle

News for nerds writes "At Tokyo Motorcycle Show in Japan (2/3/4 Apr.), the official licensed model of the motorcycle in the anime movie Akira (poster) is displayed. This Kaneda bike is not a mere replica, but a full working model (more pics at ITmedia) with twin-steering system and 249-998cc water-cooled 4-cycle engine, and on its cockpit is DVD-navi-system + trackball & ten-key + custom computer-controlled LED meters - all licenced by the author and the publisher of Akira. Though at the show only miniature figures are sold and real price or release date is unclear, you can check out the manufacturer's website for later info."

Comments

TETSUO!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd like to be the first to say, "TETSUO!"

Neo Tokyo is about to explode!!!

[dswensen]

And it goes:

Kaaaaaaaaaaaaa...
neeeeeeeeeeee....
DAAAAAAAaa aaa....

Oh, shush, someone had to do it...

Re:Neo Tokyo is about to explode!!!

[DenOfEarth]

Teeeeeeeeetttttttttttttsuooooooooooooooooooooo noooooooo!!!!!

Superpowers not included

[foreverdisillusioned]

Does it leave neat glowy trails in the air? And what about the background music? I want to hear drums and people yelling "DAH... DAH... DAHDAH!" in the background whenever I crank this baby up.

Re:Superpowers not included

[PetoskeyGuy]

No superpowers, but I bet it includes a free pack of stickers.

Re:Superpowers not included

[Vairon]

Sure it does. You just have to take massive amounts of hallucinogenic drugs first and play the CD. Scratch that. With the right drugs, you won't NEED the CD.

impressive.

[Mandrake]

I have never been inspired to sit on a motorcycle before, except possibly by the Robotech Cyclones. I wonder how long it will be until someone licenses and produces those ;)

This is why the japanese should build up a military. We'd have mechs walking around and defending tokyo from alien invasions in no time. Except they'd have to be piloted by children who were finicky and subject to teen angst.

Re:impressive.

[botono9]

Maybe I'm missing something, but you seem to be saying that octopus rape isn't cool.

What are the specs?

[DigiShaman]

That's badass and all....but how does it handle? Does it take cornering well?...etc.

Or, is the bike merely for show with crappy performance and sluggish control?

Just one laser rifle short.

[Orclover]

Ok after this ill be one millitary issue laser rifle short of living out my childhood dreams of hunting down psychic ex-best friends.

Re:Drivetrain

[Moofie]

Lots of motorcycles are chain drive. A thin aluminum frag-guard would keep the driver perfectly safe in the (unlikely) event of a chain failure.

That's not a nelly little bicycle chain. Motorcycle chains are stout stuff.

Here's a mirror

[ErichTheWebGuy]

http://erichv.com/akira-bike/news040.html.htm

An experienced 2/3-wheeler-riding lunatic writes..

[Lproven]

I actually do ride motorcycles, including a sidecar outfit -- the most evil-handling form of vehicle mankind has so far invented -- a triked superbike (ZZR1100: incredibly fast in a straight line, terrifying in corners) and even a recumbent bicycle (Linear LWB) in city traffic.

From this, and from reading reports of earlier home-made customs in the style of Kaneda's bizarre feet-forward bike, I believe that thing is going to handle like an utter, utter pig. Looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow.

Despite this, I want one desperately, right now.

Re:Drivetrain

[MajorDick]

Actually several chains on mororcycles is not uncommon, Harleys have in some case 2 , a Primanry and a Secondary, I can think of several vintage brit bikes that had 2 and 3 .

Losing a chain is not the danger , not even getting whacked with a broken chain at 60-70mph, a chain guard will stop almost all damage, it hurts but its not too bad with no chain guard like when my race bike let loose..

The REAL problem, and I give you this from a lot of riding and racing experience is when a chain catches in the back wheel/brake assy, one of my WORST ever accidents was due to exactly this, I had laid the bike down earlier and apparently bent the rear sprocket. I lost the chain at 50 or so mph, it catapulted me over the handlebars , then the bike ran over me, I was OK when I first hit the ground but the bike running over me broke 4 ribs, my jaw, my left elbow and my right wrist. I was 16 I walked home the rest of the way (1/4 mile) leaving the bike in the ditch, collapesed on the couch and called my mom and said mom im really f***ked up and hung up , she got home in like 10 minutes flat (normally a 30 minute drive) came in saw me bleeding all over and writhing in pain and said "OH Thank GOD I thought you were f****ed from drugs or something"

Re:Real bike?

[cwg_at_opc]

tetsuo is seen muttering about the mecanicals of of the bike, something like:

"...ceramic, double-rotor two-wheel drive, computer-controlled anti-lock brakes, 12,000 rpms"..."

so i believe there's an electric motor(s) in each wheel hub
and a battery(ies) underneath the bodywork, probably under
the seat. remember that this movie was made in 1987, so a
ceramic rotor electric motor wasn't quite practical yet.

a fan page is here: http://www.bbakira.co.uk/kanbike/bike.htm

googling for "anime akira motorcycle" nets you 6,960 hits,...
many sites think that there are any number of working prototypes
and an even larger number of non-working models.
i can't wait for the real deal!

Something missing, though...

[kongjie]

Now that we have the bike, all we need is a post-apocalyptic landscape in which to ride it. Considering the way things are going, I won't have to wait long.

Of course, I could always pair up with the Chernobyl gal...

Put that girl from Chernobyl on that bike...

[Thagg]

And you have half the geeks in the world dying (happily, but still dying) of lust.

thad