Japan Announces Launch of World’s First Flying Motorcycle

The Automaker Aerwins Developed The First Hybrid Motorcycle Capable Of Flying At 100 Km/h With A Range Of 40 Min. The Vehicle Is Remotely Controlled And Costs About R$ 4 Million.

For years, the automotive industry has been looking for ways to turn cars and motorcycles into vehicles that can fly. Now, apparently, Japan has managed to get closer to this “impossible dream.” If you have US$ 777 thousand, the equivalent of a little over R$ 4 million in direct conversion, you can acquire a flying hybrid motorcycle. The vehicle is named X-Turismo, the first flying hybrid motorcycle produced at scale. The project belongs to the Japanese Aerwins and has been in a sort of pre-sale since 2021.

Japanese Flying Motorcycle Is 3.7 Meters Long

Now, with its presentation at the Detroit Auto Show last week, it can also be purchased in the USA. While several automakers focus on flying taxis, the Japanese company preferred to dedicate itself a little to two-wheeled vehicles.

The automaker reported that it is already working on another model of hybrid motorcycle that will be more affordable and more compact, potentially costing US$ 50 thousand, equivalent to R$ 259 thousand in direct conversion.

The X-Turismo had its wheels replaced by propellers to be able to fly. This is one of the points that stands out from a common vehicle, considering that its body is very similar to that of a giant sports model. In terms of size, the hybrid motorcycle measures 3.7 meters in length, which means it is longer than a Renault Kwid or Fiat Mobi. It has a width of 2.4 m and a height of 1.5 m.

Flying Motorcycle Can Reach 100 Km/h

The X-Turismo weighs 300 kg, and the brand recommends that the rider weigh no more than 100 kg. The flying motorcycle is powered by a hybrid system that combines an internal combustion engine from Kawasaki, an electric motor, and a battery; however, the performance data has not been disclosed by the Japanese automaker. Nevertheless, the flight autonomy has already been revealed to be 40 minutes in the air, reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h.

Both the autonomy and the maximum speed are still below expectations for a R$ 4 million flying motorcycle, but the limitations remain significant, given that the hybrid motorcycle is still noisy, and the riders are not actually the ones flying, but rather those on the ground.

Hybrid Motorcycle Can Be Remotely Controlled

The vehicle is basically a remote-controlled toy, but for adults with money. Another point that should receive attention is that, being a vertical take-off and landing vehicle, it still cannot land on the streets.

Thus, this means that in addition to a few million, the owner must need a property with several square meters to be able to pilot the new toy.