The flying motorbike is officially here! Japans new US$700,000 hoverbike, the XTurismo Limited Ed

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).

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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.

“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.

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

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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