Forget Flying Cars. The World’s First Flying Motorcycle Is Coming in 2023

World’s First Flying Bike Will Be Available in 2023 Latest

The XTURISMO Motorcycle

The XTURISMO hoverbike is developed by Japanese startup AERWINS Technologies. According to the website, it was inspired by Star Wars and is “a manifestation of the dream of air mobility.”

The bike operates with two large central rotors powered by a 228-hp gas-powered Kawasaki motor, an engine designed for motorcycle competition. Four smaller fans on the vehicle’s outer edges are powered by electric motors to provide stability. The 12-foot-long bike can fly for 40 minutes and reach speeds of up to 62 miles per hour. 

AERWINS’ ultimate goal is to have street-legal, all-electric hoverbikes mass-produced for urban use. The company also notes that the bike could be used for practical applications like disaster relief, search and rescue missions, and infrastructure inspection. The world’s first flying bike is already on sale in Japan—the first delivery was officially made on December 16, 2022. However, XTURISMO is currently restricted to flying over race tracks in Japan. 

United States Expansion

The bike made its United States debut in September 2022 at the Detroit Auto Show where some attendees took the bike for a test drive, such as the co-chair of the auto show, Thad Szott. As Szott excitedly told , “I mean, it’s awesome! Of course, you have a little apprehension, but I was just so amped. I literally had goosebumps and feel like a little kid.”

XTRUSIMO will be on sale in the US in 2023 for $777,000. According to Shuhei Komatsu, the company’s CEO, AERWINS hopes to lower the cost to $50,000 for a smaller electric model by 2025.

To further add to AERWINS Technologies’ global expansion, the company officially merged with Pono Capital Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in February 2023. The company subsequently began trading on the Nasdaq. In a statement, executives of both companies expressed their gratitude for the merger and excitement for the Nasdaq listing.

Earlier 

The Speeder’s design team said the sci-fi sky-flying bike recently passed flight tests. They expect it to be commercially available by 2023.

Flying cars and flying people with jet packs are on the way, so engineers from Jetpack Aviation thought why not flying motorcycles?

Jetpack Aviation’s “The Speeder” (which we first learned about at DesignTAXI) is a sci-fi dream made a reality. It’s like Star Wars speeders crossed with a Jet Ski and a helicopter. Featuring four turbojet engines, the 231-pound machine can run on kerosene or diesel fuel. It’s also fully stabilized and features a fly-by-wire. And now it’s ready to hit the market.Jetpack Aviation, who already manufacturer vertical people propellers, has just announced a successful test flight of its first jet-driven flying motorcycle prototype. The projected performance is way above land-based alternatives, and best of all, the California based company plans to produce two different consumer versions for everyday users.

The Speeder is an engineering feat that required Jetpack Aviation to write its own flight-control software program to monitor and adjust the thrust. The benefit of that work, which took a year and a half, is an intuitive system that functions as a typical motorcycle and automatically stabilizes the machine in flight.

The high-tech looking machine can take off and land vertically from most surfaces in roughly the space taken up by a car, and it can even be programmed to fly autonomously- pick you up from work maybe?

“We could have an ultralight version [which requires no pilot’s license] ready within two years and an experimental category version within six months after that,” Jetpack Aviation CEO David Mayman told Robb Report. “The ultralight version would be limited to 60 mph (FAA rules) and a flight time of 15 minutes. The experimental version would require a basic pilot’s license to fly. The speed of this version would be approximately 250 mph with a flight time of about 35 minutes.”

“We could have an ultralight version [which requires no pilot’s license] ready within two years and an experimental category version within six months after that. The ultralight version would be limited to 60 mph (FAA rules) and a flight time of 15 minutes. “The experimental version would require a basic pilot’s license to fly. The speed of this version would be approximately 250 mph with a flight time of about 35 minutes,” said Jetpack Aviation CEO David Mayman. Although the original design projected four turbines, the final product will have eight, two at each corner of the bike to provide safety through redundancy.

The Speeder will come in two recreational models, an ultralight craft that can fly at 60 mph and a 250-mph experimental version that requires an FAA pilot’s license. 

The turbines will also offer impressive power, allowing the roughly 300-pound Speeder to carry 600 pounds, a size-to-payload ratio that sets the Speeder apart from other VTOL craft. The air cycle also has hand controls, a 12-inch navigation screen, and a radio system.

Jetpack has also made a deal with Prometheus Fuels, Inc., to use that company’s 100 percent zero net-carbon fuel.

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The future will also include commercial versions for military and public safety organizations that have detachable wings for increased range, storage compartments to hold fire retardant, medical personnel and equipment, or injured passengers.

Commercial versions for military and public safety organisations that have detachable wings for an increased range will include storage compartments to hold fire retardants, medical personnel and equipment, or injured passengers.

JPA puts the initial price for the consumer versions at €322,000 and they have already begun taking preorders for a 2023 delivery.