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Everybody has a different reason to ride.
Some might wish to carry forward their family’s biker legacy; some hunt for the ultimate adrenaline rush, while others are just looking to save a few dollars on the daily commute.
I myself began riding only a handful of years ago, but my love for bikes began almost a decade before that when I first set my eyes on the Japanese cyberpunk action film, “Akira” (1988).
About the cyberpunk film “Akira” (1988)
Secret military projects, ESP experiments, biker gangs, and an atomic climax aren’t even half of what this flick has to offer, highlighted by the camaraderie of “The Capsules” – a vigilante bōsōzoku gang pulled into conspiracies that threaten humanity and, consequently, the world as they know it.
Amidst the chaos and beautifully depicted scenes of carnage lie a series of frames where gang main man Kaneda swoops in on his main swanky machine called “Shotaro.”
About the original Akira motorcycle
Kaneda’s two-wheeled choice is a blood-red bike that sits so low – and so far back – that “cruiser” aesthetics lean more toward “recumbent.” To the slightly unrealistic visuals, we add Shoei, Arai, and U.S. Air Force stickers. Akira fandom’s website also points out the following hardware/specs for Shotaro:
- Ceramic, double-rotor, two-wheel disk drive
- Electronically controlled Anti-Lock Brake System (a pretty advanced concept for 1988)
- 200hp, no torque designation
- A gearbox case and the appearance of electricity at the front tyre suggests this motorcycle is a turbine-electric hybrid
Cool fact: Shotaro’s pipe notes were pulled from an actual MiG-21 fighter jet and merged with a recording of a 1927 Harley-Davidson.
Carles Bel and Jesús Bel are re-creating Shotaro
That would be Carles Bel and Jesús Bel, the lovely pair of gents responsible for creative studio “Bel y Bel,” or “Bel & Bel” (Bel & Bel Facebook page).
In an interview with RideApart, Carles mentions how much of their first prototype (the working one) was used bike parts):
– Carles Bel, Bel & Bel (RideApart) |
What went into the “Akira Bike Project?”
For “The Akira Bike Project,” Carles and Jesús apparently took a Yamaha gas engine and mated it to an electric motor for a hybrid design that would be durable and easier to work with.
To this was added fiberglass/carbon fiber fairings and 17’ wheels shod in race rubber.
If you’re looking for a generous wheelbase, look no further; Bel & Bel’s Akira bike touts a 78.74” spacing between the front and rear tire, with the whole caboodle weighing a surprisingly scant ~374 lbs.
Are Bel & Bel taking orders for future Akira bikes?
Yes!
Heads up, the next models will be a bit different from the prototype we’re covering in this article. Coverage from Janaki Jitchotvisut (RideApart) shows that the next generation of Bel & Bel Akira bikes will feature the following, among other things:
- A fully-electric rear hub motor capable of 5000w and 72v, though Carles says we can “mount more power and more battery if necessary”
- A range of about ~64 miles on a standard 60AH battery
- ~75 mph top speed
- Three speed maps
- Reverse function
Expect the new series of Akira bikes to come through sometime this year; Carles tells RideApart that each bike will cost around €24,000 ($26,287 USD), with a required deposit bringing that price up by €5,000 ($5,475 USD).
What do you think of the Bel & Bel Akira Bike Project?
